Clinical Outcomes of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for Depression in Older Old People Relative to Other Age Groups Across the Adult Life Span: A CARE Network Study.

Intervention: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a commonly used treatment for severe psychiatric illness in older adults, including in the 'older old' population aged 80 years and above. However, there can sometimes be a reluctance to treat the 80+ year old age group with ECT due to medical comorbidities, frailty, and concerns about cognition.

Objective, Design, Setting, And Participants: This multi-site, longitudinal Australian study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of ECT in older old people compared with younger age groups.

Meal support intervention for eating disorders: a mixed-methods systematic review.

Objective: Mealtimes are a period of heightened distress for individuals with eating disorders. Patients frequently display maladaptive coping strategies, such as hiding food and using distraction techniques to avoid eating. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the evidence for meal support interventions as a first-line intervention for eating disorders.

The effect of a financial incentive on COVID-19 vaccination uptake, and predictors of uptake, in people experiencing homelessness: A randomized controlled trial.

People who are homeless are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, and of poorer associated outcomes. Delivering vaccinations to, and ensuring uptake of multiple doses in, people who are homeless is complex. Financial incentives may improve vaccination uptake, particularly in people who have not received routine vaccinations previously, though evidence about the effect of incentives is limited and variable.

Impact on Electroconvulsive Therapy Services, Including Patient Relapse and Death, During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Quantitative Results From a Multinational Survey.

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is important in the management of major, life-threatening, and treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted ECT services. The need for new infection control measures, staff redeployment and shortages, and the perception that ECT is as an "elective" procedure have caused changes to, and reductions in, ECT delivery.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of government responses to the pandemic, on people who are homeless in Australia: Mapping perceptions of a national sample of homelessness service workers.

People who are homeless are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and by government responses to the pandemic. This study maps the perceptions of homelessness service workers in Australia, about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and government responses to it on people who are homeless. An electronic survey was distributed to homelessness service across Australia in June/July 2020, following Australia's 'first wave' of COVID-19.

"ECT should never stop": Exploring the experiences and recommendations of ECT clinical directors and anesthetists about ECT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment option for severe, treatment-resistant, and life-threating psychiatric illness. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted ECT services. Services across North America, Europe, and Australia have reported decreased ECT delivery, and changes in the ways ECT is delivered.

Truckies and the Australian transport industry: Managers' perspectives about enablers and inhibitors to workplace health promotion.

Background: There is little published research about managers' views about implementing and embedding workplace health promotion interventions.

Objective: To shed light on research-to-practice challenges in implementing workplace health promotion interventions in the Australian road transport industry.

Methods: In this Participatory Action Research project, managers from small-to-midsized companies in the Australian road transport industry were asked their views about enablers and barriers to implementing nutrition and physical activity interventions in their workplace.

Going smoke-free: University staff and students' qualitative views about smoking on campus during the implementation of a smoke-free policy.

Background: Despite many Australian universities introducing smoke-free policies on campus, there is little information about staff and students understanding of smoking on campus in the context of the implementation of a smoke-free policy.

Objective: This research explores the qualitative views of university staff and students about smoking on campus during the implementation of a smoke-free policy.

Methods: In 2016, an electronic survey was distributed to all current staff and students of a large university in Queensland, Australia during the implementation of a smoke-free policy.

Variations in outcomes for women admitted to hospital in early versus active labour: an observational study.

Background: There is no available evidence for the prevalence of early labour admission to hospital or its association with rates of intervention and clinical outcomes in Australia. The objectives of this study were to: estimate the prevalence of early labour admission in one hospital in Australia; compare rates of clinical intervention, length of hospital stay and clinical outcomes for women admitted in early (< 4 cm cervical dilatation) or active (≥4 cm) labour; and determine the impact of recent recommendations to define early labour as < 5 cm on the findings.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using medical record data from a random sample of 1223 women from live singleton births recorded between July 2013 and December 2015.

Truckies' Nutrition and Physical Activity: A Cross-sectional Survey in Queensland, Australia.

Truck drivers are at increased risk of diet- and physical activity-related chronic diseases. Despite this, there is a paucity of data about Australian truck drivers' diet and physical activity behaviors. A multiple choice and short response survey was distributed to truck drivers attending an Australian Truck Show.

Cleaning Staff's Attitudes about Hand Hygiene in a Metropolitan Hospital in Australia: A Qualitative Study.

Background: In 2009, the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) was implemented in hospitals across Australia with the aim of improving hand hygiene practices and reducing healthcare-associated infections. Audits conducted post-implementation showed the lowest rates of compliance with hand hygiene practices are among operational staff including hospital cleaners. There is limited information about hand hygiene issues in hospital cleaners to inform development of evidence-based interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in this group.

Health promotion of bowel cancer and breast cancer screening in community pharmacies: Pharmacists' perceptions of their role, knowledge and confidence.

Objectives: To identify community pharmacists' perceptions of their role, knowledge and confidence in relation to bowel cancer and breast cancer screening health promotion.

Methods: This was a mixed-methods study with community pharmacists and key informants in the Metro South Health (MSH) region of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In Part 1, quantitative data was collected from community pharmacists via an electronic survey.

Participatory action research, mixed methods, and research teams: learning from philosophically juxtaposed methodologies for optimal research outcomes.

Background: Workplace health interventions incorporating qualitative and quantitative components (mixed methods) within a Participatory Action Research approach can increase understanding of contextual issues ensuring realistic interventions which influence health behaviour. Mixed methods research teams, however, face a variety of challenges at the methodological and expertise levels when designing actions and interventions. Addressing these challenges can improve the team's functionality and lead to higher quality health outcomes.

Characteristics of accidental injuries from power tools treated at two emergency departments in Queensland.

Objective: Injuries are a major burden on the Australian healthcare system. Power tool usage is a common cause of accidental injury. A better understanding of the trends of power tool injuries will inform prevention strategies and potentially mitigate costs.

Using Facebook for Health Promotion in "Hard-to-Reach" Truck Drivers: Qualitative Analysis.

Background: Workers in the road transport industry, and particularly truck drivers, are at increased risk of chronic diseases. Innovative health promotion strategies involving technologies such as social media may engage this "hard-to-reach" group. There is a paucity of evidence for the efficacy of social media technologies for health promotion in the Australian transport industry.

A structured review of chronic care model components supporting transition between healthcare service delivery types for older people with multiple chronic diseases.

Objective: Older people with chronic diseases often have complex and interacting needs and require treatment and care from a wide range of professionals and services concurrently. This structured review will identify the components of the chronic care model (CCM) required to support healthcare that transitions seamlessly between hospital and ambulatory settings for people over 65 years of age who have two or more chronic diseases.

Method: A structured review was conducted by searching six electronic databases combining the terms 'hospital', 'ambulatory', 'elderly', 'chronic disease' and 'integration/seamless'.

Feature article coverage of Australian out-of-home care: portrayals and policy reform.

This article examines the issues that are typically identified in feature articles written about out-of-home care and how those issues are constructed and portrayed. It also considers the potential impact of the coverage upon the policy debates and outcomes that were occurring at the time.