Mortality in hospital patients with and without mental disorders: A data-linkage cohort study.

Objective: In the general population, people with mental disorders have increased mortality. This association, however, has not been explored in a population who at some time were inpatients of a public hospital.

Methods: The sampling frame was patients admitted to an Australian regional public hospital 1996-2010.

Developing an Internship Preparedness Program for Final Year Medical Students.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. : Medical students undertake extensive training yet often feel they lack the practical non-medical skills required for successful transition to internship.

Factors associated with appointment non-attendance at a medical imaging department in regional Australia: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Introduction: Appointment non-attendance contributes added cost to the healthcare sector through wasted resource allocations. Medical imaging departments commonly schedule appointments for most modalities; however, no study has quantified patient attendance rates in the Australian regional setting. This is despite evidence that regional, rural and remote Australians tend to demonstrate poorer health than metropolitan counterparts.

The rural pipeline to longer-term rural practice: General practitioners and specialists.

Background: Rural medical workforce shortage contributes to health disadvantage experienced by rural communities worldwide. This study aimed to determine the regional results of an Australian Government sponsored national program to enhance the Australian rural medical workforce by recruiting rural background students and establishing rural clinical schools (RCS). In particular, we wished to determine predictors of graduates' longer-term rural practice and whether the predictors differ between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists.

Effect of Exercise and Cognitive Training on Falls and Fall-Related Factors in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of exercise and cognitive training on falls reduction and on factors known to be associated with falls among community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Data Sources: Seven databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Digital Dissertation Consortium) and reference lists of pertinent articles were searched.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of exercise, cognitive training, or a combination of both on falls and factors associated with falls such as balance, lower limb muscle strength, gait, and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults with MCI were included.

Comparison of faecal microbiota in Blastocystis-positive and Blastocystis-negative irritable bowel syndrome patients.

Background: We investigated whether the carriage of Blastocystis in IBS patients was associated with differences in the faecal microbiota. Forty patients with diarrhoea-predominant IBS (26 Blastocystis-positive and 14 Blastocystis-negative) and 57 healthy controls (HC) (42 Blastocystis-positive and 15 Blastocystis-negative) submitted faecal samples for metataxonomic analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Differences in the relative abundance of bacteria in these IBS and HC groups were evaluated from phylum to genus level.

Blastocystis specific serum immunoglobulin in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) versus healthy controls.

Background: Blastocystis species are common enteric human parasites and carriage has been linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), particularly diarrhoea-predominant IBS. The spectrum of immune reactivity to Blastocystis proteins has been reported previously in symptomatic patients. We investigated differences in serum immunoglobulin profiles between patients with IBS, both positive and negative for Blastocystis carriage, and healthy controls (HC).

Effectiveness of Exergaming Training in Reducing Risk and Incidence of Falls in Frail Older Adults With a History of Falls.

Objective: To use Nintendo's Wii Fit balance board to determine the effectiveness of exergaming training in reducing risk and incidence of falls in older adults with a history of falls.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Nursing home for older adults.

Fall risk in Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A physiological profile assessment study.

Aim: The short-form Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) is increasingly used in clinical practice for assessing fall risk in older people. However, a normative database is only available for Caucasian populations. The purpose of the present study was to develop a normative database for Hong Kong Chinese older people and examine the fall risk profile of this population.

Increased concern is protective for falls in Chinese older people: the chopstix fall risk study.

Background: Chinese older people have approximately half the risk of falling as their white counterparts, but no studies to date have explained why such a disparity exists.

Methods: A total of 692 Chinese and 764 white community-dwelling older people participated in a multicohort study conducted in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia. Baseline measurements included sociodemographic, psychological, and physical measures; concern about falling (Falls Efficacy Scale-International scores); and physical activity levels.

Development and validation of a Chinese version of the Falls Efficacy Scale International.

The FES-I is an instrument developed to assess concern about falls. The aim of this study was to develop a Chinese version of the 16-item Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I(Ch)) and evaluate its structure, measurement properties and convergent and predictive validity. The FES-I(Ch) was developed following the recommended 10-step protocol.

Depressive symptoms in addition to visual impairment, reduced strength and poor balance predict falls in older Taiwanese people.

Objective: to determine whether depression is an important and independent predictor of falls in community-dwelling older people living in Taiwan.

Design: longitudinal study.

Setting: five randomly selected villages from Tainan city, Taiwan.

Sensorimotor function, balance abilities and pain influence Timed Up and Go performance in older community-living people.

Background And Aims: The Timed up and Go Test (TUG) is recommended as a screening tool for fall risk in older people. It is assumed that this general mobility test is underpinned by physiological factors such as strength, coordination and balance. However, no studies have examined the range of physiological and psychological factors which influence performance on this test.

Minimal chair height standing ability is independently associated with falls in Taiwanese older people.

Objective: To determine whether a test of minimal chair height standing (MCHS) ability is an important predictor of fall risk in community-dwelling older people living in Taiwan, and whether poor performance in this test is associated with impaired sensorimotor functioning, balance, and mobility in this group.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Community based.

Falls incidence, risk factors, and consequences in Chinese older people: a systematic review.

Falls incidence in Chinese older people has been reported to be approximately half that of Caucasian populations. It is possible that the falls risk factor profile may differ significantly between Caucasian and Chinese populations, and a better understanding of this reported difference in incidence and associated risk factors may influence potential approaches to future intervention. A systematic literature review was conducted using the EMBase, Medline, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services, and WanFangdata databases to collate and evaluate the studies that have addressed the incidence and risk factors for falls in Chinese older people.

Effect on falls of providing single lens distance vision glasses to multifocal glasses wearers: VISIBLE randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine whether the provision of single lens distance glasses to older wearers of multifocal glasses reduces falls.

Design: Parallel randomised controlled trial stratified by recruitment site and source of referral, with 13 months' follow-up and outcome assessors blinded to group allocation.

Setting: Community recruitment and treatment room assessments in Sydney and Illawarra regions of NSW, Australia.

Preventing falls in older multifocal glasses wearers by providing single-lens distance glasses: the protocol for the VISIBLE randomised controlled trial.

Background: Recent research has shown that wearing multifocal glasses increases the risk of trips and falls in older people. The aim of this study is to determine whether the provision of single-lens distance glasses to older multifocal glasses wearers, with recommendations for wearing them for walking and outdoor activities, can prevent falls. We will also measure the effect of the intervention on health status, lifestyle activities and fear of falling, as well as the extent of adherence to the program.

Group exercise can improve participants' mobility in an outpatient rehabilitation setting: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To establish the effects of group exercise on mobility and strength.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Two public hospital outpatient rehabilitation services.

A novel weight-bearing strengthening program during rehabilitation of older people is feasible and improves standing up more than a non-weight-bearing strengthening program: a randomised trial.

Question: What is the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel weight-bearing strengthening program compared with that of a traditional non-weight-bearing strengthening program for older inpatients undergoing rehabilitation?

Design: Randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis.

Participants: Eighty-eight inpatients (11% loss to follow-up) aged on average 82 years old from three rehabilitation units with no contraindications to exercise.

Intervention: Both the weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing strengthening programs were supervised by physiotherapists and were of similar intensities (10 to 15 RM) for two weeks.

Reliability of clinical tests of foot and ankle characteristics in older people.

Lower-extremity problems are common in older people; however, the reliability of clinical tools used to assess foot and ankle characteristics has not been rigorously evaluated. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of a battery of simple clinical tests of foot and ankle characteristics (tactile sensitivity of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, navicular height, foot length and width, hallux valgus severity, an overall foot problem score, ankle flexibility, ankle dorsiflexion strength, and foot pain) in 31 individuals (13 men and 18 women) aged 76 to 87 years recruited from the community. Three examiners performed the tests on two occasions approximately 2 weeks apart.