Welcomeness for people with substance use disorders to general practice: a qualitative study.

Background: Good primary care for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) is crucial given the high prevalence of SUDs and overdose deaths.

Objective: To explore general practice care for people with a history of SUDs from the perspectives of women involved with the criminal justice system.

Methods: Qualitative interview study with pre- and postrelease interviews, undertaken in Australian prisons and community settings.

Medical homelessness and candidacy: women transiting between prison and community health care.

Background: Women in contact with the prison system have high health needs. Short periods in prison and serial incarcerations are common. Examination of their experiences of health care both in prison and in the community may assist in better supporting their wellbeing and, ultimately, decrease their risk of returning to prison.

'If they're your doctor, they should care about you': Women on release from prison and general practitioners.

Background: Nearly half of the people leaving prison see a general practitioner (GP) within a month of release, which provides an opportunity to promote health for this vulnerable group.

Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the expectations and experiences of GP care of women leaving prison.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews pre-release and post-release from prison were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Health-related quality of life following radical prostatectomy: long-term outcomes.

Purpose: To identify the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains that radical prostatectomy (RP) impacts most negatively and to define the recovery of these domains over 30 months of observation.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1,200 RP patients completed the Patient-Oriented Prostate Utility Scale-Psychometric (PORPUS-P; range 0-100, higher is better), a prostate cancer-specific HRQoL measure, prior to RP and at 0-3 (T1), 3-9 (T2), 9-18 (T3) and 18-30 (T4) months post-RP. HRQoL changes were examined using paired t tests and a mixed-effect growth curve model.

Pneumococcus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: the role of Aboriginal Health Workers and implications for nursing practice.

Abstract Background: Pneumonia is a common cause of hospitalization in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women. Aim: This article seeks to describe the importance of immunizing against pneumonia in Aboriginal Australians and suggest strategies for screening and follow-up. Method: An integrative literature review, using both published and grey literature was undertaken to identify methods of screening and surveillance strategies for pneumococcus.

Prospective comparison of the impact of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy versus open radical prostatectomy on health-related quality of life and decision regret.

Introduction: There is no conclusive evidence that the robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) is superior to conventional open radical prostatectomy (ORP) when it comes to recovery of urinary and sexual function, and that the former surgical option results in less decision regret.

Methods: Patients scheduled for both surgical procedures were surveyed prior to surgery, and then again at 6 and 12 months following treatment using the sexual and urinary modules of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) measure. Decision regret was measured at 12 months.

Improving immunisation timeliness in Aboriginal children through personalised calendars.

Background: Delayed immunisation and vaccine preventable communicable disease remains a significant health issue in Aboriginal children. Strategies to increase immunisation coverage and timeliness can be resource intensive. In a low cost initiative at the Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney (AMSWS) in 2008-2009, a trial of personalised calendars to prompt timely childhood immunisation was undertaken.

Masculinities and patient perspectives of communication about active surveillance for prostate cancer.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe connections between masculinities and patient perspectives of active surveillance (AS) related communication with male physicians.

Method: An interpretive descriptive qualitative design was used to explore patient-physician communication from the perspectives of 25 men on AS. In-depth, semistructured interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded.

Providing information about options in patient decision aids.

Background: Legal, ethical, and psychological arguments indicate that patients need to receive information about their health situations before their care decisions are made. Patient decision aids (PtDAs) are designed to help patients make decisions; therefore, they should provide information that results in patients understanding their health situation. We reviewed studies that assessed the impact of PtDAs on patient knowledge and on their feeling of being uninformed.

Coaching and guidance with patient decision aids: A review of theoretical and empirical evidence.

Background: Coaching and guidance are structured approaches that can be used within or alongside patient decision aids (PtDAs) to facilitate the process of decision making. Coaching is provided by an individual, and guidance is embedded within the decision support materials. The purpose of this paper is to: a) present updated definitions of the concepts "coaching" and "guidance"; b) present an updated summary of current theoretical and empirical insights into the roles played by coaching/guidance in the context of PtDAs; and c) highlight emerging issues and research opportunities in this aspect of PtDA design.

Nutrition education for osteoporosis prevention in men with prostate cancer initiating androgen deprivation therapy.

Osteoporosis is a common side effect of treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer. ADT may prolong survival; however, deterioration of bone mass density occurs soon after initiation. A systematic review of current literature revealed the importance of adequate nutrition during treatment with ADT to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Assessing couples' preferences for postoperative sexual rehabilitation before radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the readiness of couples to engage in a sexual rehabilitation programme (SRP) before radical prostatectomy (RP) and to identify barriers to participation in an SRP after RP. To identify couples' current levels of sexual function and intimacy.

Patients And Methods: Patients completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and their partners completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to measure sexual function.

The Personal Patient Profile-Prostate decision support for men with localized prostate cancer: a multi-center randomized trial.

Objective: The purpose of this trial was to compare usual patient education plus the Internet-based Personal Patient Profile-Prostate, vs. usual education alone, on conflict associated with decision making, plus explore time-to-treatment, and treatment choice.

Methods: A randomized, multi-center clinical trial was conducted with measures at baseline, 1-, and 6 months.

Promoting calcium and vitamin D intake to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in men on androgen deprivation therapy for recurrent prostate cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure the impact of a patient education intervention aimed at increasing dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D in patients currently on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Methods: Sixty-one participants attended a one-time dietitian-delivered group education session focusing on diet and lifestyle strategies to reduce the risk of bone loss while on ADT. Dietary intake was assessed using the diet history questionnaire at baseline and again at approximately 1 year post-intervention.

Impact of health information-seeking behavior and personal factors on preferred role in treatment decision making in men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) patients continue to have unmet information needs at the time of diagnosis and are often unable to communicate their preferences to physicians at the time of the treatment consultation.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the impact of health information-seeking behavior (HISB) and personal factors on patients' preferred role in treatment decision making (TDM).

Methods: Participants consisted of 150 men with newly diagnosed PC seen at 2 urology clinics in western Canada.

Measuring decisional control preferences in men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The Control Preferences Scale is widely used in decision research to measure patient preferences for participation in treatment decision making with health care providers. Following anecdotal reports of confusion with the scale the authors conducted an exploratory interview study to examine perceptions of the meaning and applicability of the Control Preferences Scale for men with localized prostate cancer seeking treatment in a multidisciplinary urology clinic. The preliminary data suggest potential validity challenges when the Control Preferences Scale is used in a multidisciplinary prostate cancer care setting, including the clinical context of localized prostate cancer and the meaning of shared decision making.

Effective nutrition education for Aboriginal Australians: lessons from a diabetes cooking course.

Objectives: To examine the experiences of Aboriginal Australians with or at risk of diabetes who attended urban community cooking courses in 2002-2007; and to develop recommendations for increasing the uptake and effectiveness of nutrition education in Aboriginal communities.

Methods: Descriptive qualitative approach using semistructured interviews with 23 Aboriginal course participants aged 19-72. Verbatim transcripts were coded using NVivo 7 software, and qualitative analysis was undertaken.

The International Index of Erectile Function: a methodological critique and suggestions for improvement.

The International Index of Erectile Function is a well-worded and psychometrically valid self-report questionnaire widely used as the standard for the evaluation of male sexual function. However, some conceptual and statistical problems arise when using the measure with men who are not sexually active. These problems are illustrated using 2 empirical examples, and the authors provide recommended solutions to further strengthen the efficacy and validity of this measure.

Smoking cessation in indigenous populations of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States: elements of effective interventions.

Indigenous people throughout the world suffer a higher burden of disease than their non-indigenous counterparts contributing to disproportionate rates of disability. A significant proportion of this disability can be attributed to the adverse effects of smoking. In this paper, we aimed to identify and discuss the key elements of individual-level smoking cessation interventions in indigenous people worldwide.

Patient acceptance of active surveillance as a treatment option for low-risk prostate cancer.

Unlabelled: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Active surveillance is a management strategy that offers patients the hope of avoiding the side effects associated with unnecessary treatment. This study identifies the resources required by men who choose to be on active surveillance to support them in their treatment decision.

Objectives: •  To examine the decision-making processes of men on active surveillance (AS).

Development and evaluation of the personal patient profile-prostate (P3P), a Web-based decision support system for men newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer.

Background: Given that no other disease with the high incidence of localized prostate cancer (LPC) has so many treatments with so few certainties related to outcomes, many men are faced with assuming some responsibility for the treatment decision along with guidance from clinicians. Men strongly consider their own personal characteristics and other personal factors as important and influential to the decision. Clinical researchers have not developed or comprehensively investigated interventions to facilitate the insight and prioritizing of personal factors along with medical factors that are required of a man in preparation for the treatment decision.

Barriers and enhancers to dietary behaviour change for Aboriginal people attending a diabetes cooking course.

Issue Addressed: Aboriginal people access diabetes and nutrition education less than non-Aboriginal people. Culturally appropriate, effective and accessible diabetes and nutrition education for Aboriginal people is urgently needed.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of Aboriginal people who had attended cooking courses run at the Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney between 2002 and 2007.

Facilitating uptake of Aboriginal Adult Health Checks through community engagement and health promotion.

Background: Adult Health Checks (AHCs) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (MBS Item 710) promote comprehensive physical and psychosocial health assessments. Despite the poor uptake of health assessments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a small number of successful implementation initiatives have been reported. In order to ensure uptake of these screening initiatives, there remains a need to demonstrate the feasibility of models of implementing AHCs.