Evaluating the implementation of a prescription only regulatory model for nicotine vaping products: A qualitative study on the experiences and views of healthcare professionals.

Background: Deciding how to regulate nicotine vaping products (NVPs) is a challenge for many countries. Balanced regulation should consider the potential harms to young people from uptake of NVPs alongside the possible benefits of NVPs as a smoking cessation aid. One option is to make NVPs only available via medical prescription to adults who smoke.

Impact of a general practice nurse intervention to improve blood pressure control: The ImPress study.

Background And Objectives: Hypertension is a highly prevalent but often poorly controlled risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examined the effectiveness of a general practice nurse (GPN) intervention to reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension who are at high risk of CVD.

Method: A cluster randomised control trial was performed across 10 general practices.

National Health and Medical Research Council statement on electronic cigarettes: 2022 update.

Introduction: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use in Australia has rapidly increased since the 2017 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) statement on e-cigarettes. The type of products available and the demographic characteristics of people using these products have changed. New evidence has been published and there is growing concern among public health professionals about the increased use, particularly among young people who do not currently smoke combustible cigarettes.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Facilitated Advance Care Planning in Outpatient Clinics: A Qualitative Study of Patient and Caregivers Experiences.

Guidelines recommend advance care planning (ACP) for people with advanced illness; however, evidence supporting ACP as a component of outpatient care is lacking. We sought to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a facilitated ACP intervention for people attending tertiary outpatient clinics. Data from 20 semi-structured interviews with patient ( = 79.

Telehealth's future in Australian primary health care: a qualitative study exploring lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth emerged as a means of safely providing primary healthcare (PHC) consultations. In Australia, changes to telehealth funding led to the reconsideration of the role of telehealth in the ongoing provision of PHC services.

Aim: To investigate GPs', registered nurses' (RNs), nurse practitioners' (NPs), and allied health (AH) clinicians perceptions of the sustainability of telehealth in PHC post-pandemic.

International travel in the pandemic era: Implications for health advice.

Background: International travel is resuming, but the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the context in terms of regulation, risks and models of travel.

Objective: Providing travel health advice is an important role for general practice. The aim of this article is to cover the changed context and wide-ranging implications of the COVID‑19 pandemic for travel health advice.

Effectiveness of a New Service Delivery Model for Management of Knee Osteoarthritis in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and health costs of a new primary care service delivery model (the Optimising Primary Care Management of Knee Osteoarthritis [PARTNER] model) to improve health outcomes for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared to usual care.

Methods: This study was a 2-arm, cluster, superiority, randomized controlled trial with randomization at the general practice level, undertaken in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. We aimed to recruit 44 practices and 572 patients age ≥45 years with knee pain for >3 months.

COPD-X Australian guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 2022 update.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a treatable and preventable disease characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and chronic airflow limitation on spirometry. COPD is highly prevalent and is associated with exacerbations and comorbid conditions. "COPD-X" provides quarterly updates in COPD care and is published by the Lung Foundation Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Giving Asthma Support to Patients (GASP) program evaluation.

Background And Objectives: The Giving Asthma Support to Patients (GASP) program, developed in New Zealand, guides practice nurses to provide structured asthma care. This study assessed GASP in the context of Australian general practice.

Method: The study used a pre-post design and was conducted in 19 practices in Western Sydney and Illawarra/Shoalhaven.

Effect of Cytisine vs Varenicline on Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cytisine is more effective than placebo and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. However, cytisine has not been tested against the most effective smoking cessation medication, varenicline, which is associated with adverse events known to lead to discontinuation of therapy.

Objective: To examine whether standard cytisine treatment (25 days) was at least as effective as standard varenicline treatment (84 days) for smoking cessation.

Smoking cessation intervention in Australian general practice: a secondary analysis of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: GPs have limited capacity to routinely provide smoking cessation support. New strategies are needed to reach all smokers within this setting.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-coordinated interdisciplinary smoking cessation intervention delivered in Australian general practice.

A step-by-step model for a brief behavioural treatment for insomnia in Australian general practice.

Background: Chronic insomnia is a prevalent and debilitating disorder managed in Australian general practice. The most effective and recommended first-line treatment for insomnia is cognitive behavioural therapy. This treatment has been translated to a condensed brief behavioural therapy for insomnia (BBTi), which is suitable for delivery in the general practice setting.

Smoking cessation.

Background: Although Australia is a world leader in tobacco control, smoking remains the behavioural risk factor making the largest contribution to death and disease. Smoking rates remain high in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and in people with mental health problems. Priority groups for cessation include women who are pregnant and people with cardiovascular disease.

Supporting anticoagulant treatment decision making to optimise stroke prevention in complex patients with atrial fibrillation: a cluster randomised trial.

Background: Anticoagulation for preventing stroke in atrial fibrillation is under-utilised despite evidence supporting its use, resulting in avoidable death and disability. We aimed to evaluate an intervention to improve the uptake of anticoagulation.

Methods: We carried out a national, cluster randomised controlled trial in the Australian primary health care setting.

Travel and immunosuppressant medication.

Background: The use of potent immunosuppressant medications is becoming more common, particularly the use of biologicals for a range of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: This article focuses on the implications of immunosuppressant medications for travel, including pre-travel vaccinations, minimising risks during travel and travelling with medicines.

Discussion: Pre-travel risk assessment is essential to prepare for safe travel.

Protocol for the process and feasibility evaluations of a new model of primary care service delivery for managing pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (PARTNER) using a mixed methods approach.

Introduction: This protocol outlines the rationale, design and methods for the process and feasibility evaluations of the primary care management on knee pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (PARTNER) study. PARTNER is a randomised controlled trial to evaluate a new model of service delivery (the PARTNER model) against 'usual care'. PARTNER is designed to encourage greater uptake of key evidence-based non-surgical treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care.

Clinical Characteristics Of Patients With Asthma COPD Overlap (ACO) In Australian Primary Care.

Purpose: Many older adults with a history of smoking and asthma develop clinical features of both asthma and COPD, an entity sometimes called asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). Patients with ACO may be at higher risk of poor health outcomes than those with asthma or COPD alone. However, understanding of ACO is limited in the primary care setting and more information is needed to better inform patient management.

Cost-Related Underuse of Medicines for Asthma-Opportunities for Improving Adherence.

Background: In asthma, underuse of cost-effective preventive treatments increases morbidity and mortality. The cost of medicines contributes to underuse ("nonadherence"), but the extent to which people with asthma skip or reduce doses or let prescriptions go unfilled when faced with cost pressures is unknown.

Objective: To estimate the extent of cost-related underuse behaviors and associated factors.

Interdisciplinary COPD intervention in primary care: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

We evaluated the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary, primary care-based model of care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in 43 general practices in Australia. Adults with a history of smoking and/or COPD, aged ≥40 years with two or more clinic visits in the previous year were enrolled following spirometric confirmation of COPD.

National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasing in prevalence and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies for AF are continually evolving and care for patients requires confidence in integrating these new developments into practice. These clinical practice guidelines will assist Australian practitioners in the diagnosis and management of adult patients with AF.

Effectiveness of a new model of primary care management on knee pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Protocol for THE PARTNER STUDY.

Background: To increase the uptake of key clinical recommendations for non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and improve patient outcomes, we developed a new model of service delivery (PARTNER model) and an intervention to implement the model in the Australian primary care setting. We will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this model compared to usual general practice care.

Methods: We will conduct a mixed-methods study, including a two-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial, with quantitative, qualitative and economic evaluations.