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.

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.

Diagnosing COPD and supporting smoking cessation in general practice: evidence-practice gaps.

Objectives: To review the accuracy of diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care in Australia, and to describe smokers' experiences with and preferences for smoking cessation.

Design, Setting And Participants: Patients were invited to participate if they were at least 40 years old and had visited participating general practice clinics in Melbourne at least twice during the previous 12 months, reported being current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years, or were being managed for COPD. Interviews based on a structured questionnaire and case finding (FEV1/FEV6 measurement) were followed, when appropriate, by spirometry testing and assessment of health-related quality of life, dyspnoea and symptoms.

Interdisciplinary model of care (RADICALS) for early detection and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australian primary care: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Up to half of all smokers develop clinically significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Gaps exist in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based guidelines for managing COPD in primary care. We describe the methodology of a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) evaluating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an interdisciplinary model of care aimed at reducing the burden of smoking and COPD in Australian primary care settings.

Using Patient Flow Information to Determine Risk of Hospital Presentation: Protocol for a Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Every day, patients are admitted to the hospital with conditions that could have been effectively managed in the primary care sector. These admissions are expensive and in many cases are possible to avoid if early intervention occurs. General practitioners are in the best position to identify those at risk of imminent hospital presentation and admission; however, it is not always possible for all the factors to be considered.

Developing professional attributes in critical care nurses using Team-Based Learning.

Australian nurses prepare for specialty practice by undertaking postgraduate theoretical and clinical education in partnership models between universities and hospitals. In our global healthcare system, nurses require advanced critical thinking and strong communication skills to provide safe, high quality patient care. Yet, few education programs focus on developing these skills.

Effectiveness of local support for the adoption of a national programme--a descriptive study.

Background: Change management in health care is a complex and time-consuming endeavour, and no less so in implementing technological systems. In deploying a nationwide programme, the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR), the Australian Government employed a number of national and local change management programmes.

Objective: This article describes the processes undertaken and the experiences of introducing the PCEHR into 74 general practices across a specific area of metropolitan Melbourne.

Assessing psychometric properties of scales: a case study.

Aim: This paper is a report of a study to examine the construct validity of The Nursing Students' Attitudes and Awareness of Research and Development within Nursing Scale.

Background: The validity of instruments is critical in ensuring that data collected are sound and that the data measures what it purports to measure. When a new instrument is used in a different population or when it has been modified, it is useful to re-examine the construct validity of the instrument.