Examining barriers and facilitators in asthma inhaler technique education and technology-enhanced educational tools in children: A mixed methods evaluation using the theoretical domains framework.

Introduction: Educational interventions for asthma inhaler technique have been identified as successful in improving technique in children, yet inhaler technique has not improved over time. New approaches should be considered, including the use of technology-based interventions such as smartphone and tablet applications. Adoption and implementation of such technology in healthcare has been historically slow.

Co-design of an Augmented Reality Asthma Inhaler Educational Intervention for Children: Development and Usability Study.

Background: Smartphone and tablet apps that deliver health care education have been identified as effective in improving patient knowledge and treatment adherence in asthma populations. Despite asthma being the most common chronic disease in pediatrics, there are few apps that are targeted specifically for children. Only half of children with asthma have acceptable control of their symptoms, and 40%-98% do not use their inhalers correctly.

The Acceptability of Using Augmented Reality as a Mechanism to Engage Children in Asthma Inhaler Technique Training: Qualitative Interview Study With Deductive Thematic Analysis.

Background: Inhaled medications or inhalers provide first-line pharmacotherapeutic treatment for patients with asthma for both acute symptomatic relief and long-term management to keep symptoms under control. A good technique requires only basic instruction and training; however, a recent study identified that 92% of children do not follow all correct steps when using inhalers. There is a growing interest in technology-enhanced asthma education, with evidence demonstrating improvements in knowledge and treatment adherence.

Correction: Two-year efficacy of varenicline tartrate and counselling for inpatient smoking cessation (STOP study): A randomized controlled clinical trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Interventions for smoking cessation in Indigenous populations.

This review has been withdrawn because it does it does not include recent evidence and does not reflect up-to-date Cochrane methodological standards.

Interventions for tobacco use prevention in Indigenous youth.

This review has been withdrawn because it does it does not include recent evidence and does not reflect up-to-date Cochrane methodological standards.

Two-year efficacy of varenicline tartrate and counselling for inpatient smoking cessation (STOP study): A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Varenicline tartrate is superior for smoking cessation to other tobacco cessation therapies by 52 weeks, in the outpatient setting. We aimed to evaluate the long-term (104 week) efficacy following a standard course of inpatient-initiated varenicline tartrate plus Quitline-counselling compared to Quitline-counselling alone.

Methods: Adult patients (n = 392, 20-75 years) admitted with a smoking-related illnesses to one of three hospitals, were randomised to receive either 12-weeks of varenicline tartrate (titrated from 0.

Community pharmacy personnel interventions for smoking cessation.

Background: Community pharmacists could provide effective smoking cessation treatment because they offer easy access to members of the community. They are well placed to provide both advice on the correct use of smoking cessation products and behavioural support to aid smoking cessation.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of interventions delivered by community pharmacy personnel to assist people to stop smoking, with or without concurrent use of pharmacotherapy.

Simple aspiration versus intercostal tube drainage for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in adults.

Background: For management of pneumothorax that occurs without underlying lung disease, also referred to as primary spontaneous pneumothorax, simple aspiration is technically easier to perform than intercostal tube drainage. In this systematic review, we seek to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of simple aspiration versus intercostal tube drainage for management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. This review was first published in 2007 and was updated in 2017.

Mass media interventions for preventing smoking in young people.

Background: Mass media interventions can be used as a way of delivering preventive health messages. They have the potential to reach and modify the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a large proportion of the community.

Objectives: To assess the effects of mass media interventions on preventing smoking in young people, and whether it can reduce smoking uptake among youth (under 25 years), improve smoking attitudes, intentions and knowledge, improve self-efficacy/self-esteem, and improve perceptions about smoking, including the choice to follow positive role models.

An optimized method for obtaining adult rat spinal cord motor neurons to be used for tissue culture.

Background: There is a paucity of detailed methods describing how to harvest and process motor neurons obtained from the adult rat spinal cord.

New Method: Removal of intra-cardiac perfusion step. The spinal cord is extruded intact from the rat in under 60s post-decapitation then processed without differentiation of ventral and dorsal regions.

Safety of varenicline tartrate and counseling versus counseling alone for smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial for inpatients (STOP study).

Introduction: Inpatient medical settings offer an opportunistic environment for initiating smoking cessation interventions to patients reflecting on their health. Current evidence has shown the superior efficacy of varenicline tartrate (VT) for smoking cessation compared with other tobacco cessation therapies; however, recent evidence also has highlighted concerns about the safety and tolerability of VT. Given these apprehensions, we aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of VT plus quitline-counseling compared to quitline-counseling alone in the inpatient medical setting.

Physical training for asthma.

Background: People with asthma may show less tolerance to exercise due to worsening asthma symptoms during exercise or other reasons such as deconditioning as a consequence of inactivity. Some may restrict activities as per medical advice or family influence and this might result in reduced physical fitness. Physical training programs aim to improve physical fitness, neuromuscular coordination and self confidence.

Current and emerging pharmacotherapeutic options for smoking cessation.

Tobacco smoking remains the single most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and poses a significant threat across developing countries where tobacco use prevalence is increasing. Nicotine dependence is a chronic disease often requiring multiple attempts to quit; repeated interventions with pharmacotherapeutic aids have become more popular as part of cessation therapies. First-line medications of known efficacy in the general population include varenicline tartrate, bupropion hydrochloride, nicotine replacement therapy products, or a combination thereof.

Smoking Termination Opportunity for inPatients (STOP): superiority of a course of varenicline tartrate plus counselling over counselling alone for smoking cessation: a 12-month randomised controlled trial for inpatients.

Rationale: Smoking cessation interventions in outpatient settings have been demonstrated to be cost effective. Given this evidence, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of varenicline tartrate plus Quitline-counselling compared with Quitline-counselling alone when initiated in the inpatient setting.

Methods: Adult patients (18-75 years) admitted with a smoking-related illness to three hospitals, were randomised to receive either 12-weeks of varenicline tartrate plus Quitline-counselling, (n=196) or Quitline-counselling alone, (n=196), with 12-months follow-up.

Interventions for tobacco use prevention in Indigenous youth.

Background: Tobacco use in Indigenous populations (people who have inhabited a country for thousands of years) is often double that in the non-Indigenous population. Addiction to nicotine usually begins during early adolescence and young people who reach the age of 18 as non-smokers are unlikely to become smokers thereafter. Indigenous youth in particular commence smoking at an early age, and a disproportionate burden of substance-related morbidity and mortality exists as a result.

Physical training for asthma.

Background: People with asthma may show less tolerance to exercise due to worsening asthma symptoms during exercise or other reasons such as deconditioning, as a consequence of inactivity. Some may also restrict activities as per medical advice or family influence and this might result in reduced physical fitness. Physical training programs aim to improve physical fitness, neuromuscular coordination and self confidence.

Training health professionals in smoking cessation.

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death world wide. There is good evidence that brief interventions from health professionals can increase smoking cessation attempts. A number of trials have examined whether skills training for health professionals can lead them to have greater success in helping their patients who smoke.

Interventions for smoking cessation in Indigenous populations.

Background: Tobacco use in Indigenous populations (people who have inhabited a country for thousands of years) is often double that of the non-Indigenous population. A disproportionate burden of substance-related morbidity and mortality exists as a result.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in Indigenous populations and to summarise these approaches for future cessation programmes and research.

Community interventions for preventing smoking in young people.

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. Decisions to smoke are often made within a broad social context and therefore community interventions using coordinated, multi-component programmes may be effective in influencing the smoking behaviour of young people.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of multi-component community based interventions in influencing smoking behaviour, which includes preventing the uptake of smoking in young people.

Mass media interventions for preventing smoking in young people.

Background: The mass media have been used as a way of delivering preventive health messages. They have the potential to reach and to modify the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a large proportion of the community.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of mass media interventions to prevent smoking in young people in terms of reduced smoking uptake, in addition to secondary outcomes including improved smoking outcomes, attitudes, behaviours, knowledge, self-efficacy and perception.