The impact of a regionally based translational cancer research collaborative in Australia using the FAIT methodology.

Background: Translating research, achieving impact, and assessing impact are important aspirations for all research collaboratives but can prove challenging. The Hunter Cancer Research Alliance (HCRA) was funded from 2014 to 2021 to enhance capacity and productivity in cancer research in a regional centre in Australia. This study aimed to assess the impact and benefit of the HCRA to help inform future research investments of this type.

Adapting to a global pandemic through live virtual delivery of a cancer collaborative trial group conference: The TROG 2020 experience.

Introduction: The global COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the TROG 2020 face to face Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). It was instead delivered as a live virtual meeting with 6 days of planning. Here, we report the participants' experience of this live virtual meeting.

Marrow adipose tissue in adolescent girls with obesity.

Background: Marrow adipose tissue (MAT) is increasingly recognized as an active and dynamic endocrine organ that responds to changes in nutrition and environmental milieu. Compared to normal weight controls, adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa have higher MAT content, which is associated with impaired skeletal integrity, but data are limited regarding MAT content in adolescents with obesity and how this interacts with bone endpoints.

Objective: To evaluate (i) MAT content in adolescents with obesity compared to normal-weight controls, (ii) the association of MAT with bone endpoints, and (iii) whether these associations of MAT are affected by body weight.

Effectiveness of a peer-mediated educational intervention in improving general practitioner diagnostic assessment and management of dementia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Test effectiveness of an educational intervention for general practitioners (GPs) on quality of life and depression outcomes for patients.

Design: Double-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: General practices in Australia between 2007 and 2010.

Attitudes to Alzheimer's disease testing of Australian general practice patients: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Objective: In view of proposed screening for presymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) with advanced imaging, and blood and cerebral spinal fluid analysis, we aimed to establish levels, and associations, of acceptance of AD testing modalities by general practice patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of consecutive patients (aged 50 years and over) of general practices of an Australian practice-based research network was used. The questionnaire elicited demographic data and attitudes to screening for other diseases and included the screening acceptance domain of the Perceptions Regarding Investigational Screening for Memory in Primary Care (PRISM-PC) instrument.

Biobank classification in an Australian setting.

In 2011, Watson and Barnes proposed a schema for classifying biobanks into 3 groups (mono-, oligo-, and poly-user), primarily based upon biospecimen access policies. We used results from a recent comprehensive survey of cancer biobanks in New South Wales, Australia to assess the applicability of this biobank classification schema in an Australian setting. Cancer biobanks were identified using publically available data, and by consulting with research managers.

Patients' responses to transient ischaemic attack symptoms: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in Australian general practices.

Background: Consensus guidelines for transient ischaemic attack (TIA) recommend urgent investigation and management, but delays in management occur and are attributable to patient and health system factors.

Aim: To establish general practice patients' anticipated responses to TIA symptoms, and associations of appropriate responses.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in Australian general practices.

Family medicine trainees' clinical experience of chronic disease during training: a cross-sectional analysis from the registrars' clinical encounters in training study.

Background: A broad case-mix in family physicians' (general practitioners', GPs') vocational trainee experience is deemed essential in producing competent independent practitioners. It is suggested that the patient-mix should include common and significant conditions and be similar to that of established GPs. But the content of contemporary GP trainees' clinical experience in training is not well-documented.

GPs, medications and older people: A qualitative study of general practitioners' approaches to potentially inappropriate medications in older people.

Aim: To explore the prescribing, and the rationale for this prescribing, of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older persons by Australian general practitioners (GPs).

Methods: This was a qualitative study employing semistructured interviews and thematic analysis. GPs who had patients taking at least one PIM were invited to participate.

An examination of the influences on New South Wales general practitioners regarding the provision of opioid substitution therapy.

Introduction: Few general practitioners (GP) prescribe opioid substitution therapy. Our aim was to analyse their previously identified motivating factors by describing their frequency and demographic associations.

Methods: An anonymous, cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey on opioid prescribing in pain and dependency was distributed across five New South Wales Divisions of GPs.

Referral and triage of patients with transient ischemic attacks to an acute access clinic: risk stratification in an Australian setting.

Background: Transient ischemic attacks and minor stroke entail considerable risk of completed stroke but this risk is reduced by prompt assessment and treatment. Risk can be stratified according to the ABCD2 prediction score. Current guidelines suggest specialist assessment and treatment within 24 h for high-risk event (ABCD2 score 4-7) and seven-days for low-risk event (ABCD2 score ≤ 3).

An evaluation of the prescription of opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain by Australian general practitioners.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the quality of opioid analgesia prescribing in chronic nonmalignant pain (CNMP) by general practitioners (GPs, family physicians).

Design: An anonymous, cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey.

Setting: The setting was five Australian divisions of general practice (geographically based associations of GPs).

Discomfort sharing the general practice waiting room with mentally ill patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Most mental illness is managed in general practice rather than specialist psychiatric settings. Management of mental illness in general practice is advocated as being less stigmatizing than psychiatric settings. Thus, other patients' discomfort with sharing the waiting room with the mentally ill may be problematic.

Diagnosis and disclosure of a memory problem is associated with quality of life in community based older Australians with dementia.

Background: Identification of factors associated with quality of life (QoL) in people having dementia will help develop strategies for maintenance and improvement of patient QoL. This study examined the predictors of QoL in a community-dwelling population aged 75 years and over, with or without dementia.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 169 GPs and 2,028 patients.

Difficulties in disclosing the diagnosis of dementia: a qualitative study in general practice.

Background: Dementia is an insidious and stigmatised condition, and research indicates that GPs find communicating this diagnosis particularly problematic. Delays in diagnosis may impede optimal patient care. Little research has been published on Australian GPs' perceptions of barriers to disclosing the diagnosis of dementia.

The experiences of nurses with mental health problems: colleagues' perspectives.

A 3-stage qualitative study conducted in 2008 aimed to explore the issues to inform a mental health education program to deliver to nurses. This article presents the findings of Stage 1. Data were collected from semistructured interviews conducted with 14 Australian nurses.

Study protocol: the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study.

Background: Patient encounters are the core learning activity of Australian general practice (family practice) training. Exposure to patient demographics and presentations may vary from one general practice registrar (vocational trainee) to another. This can affect comprehensiveness of training.

Waiting room ambience and provision of opioid substitution therapy in general practice.

Objective: To assess whether patients receiving opioid substitution therapy (OST) in general practice cause other patients sufficient distress to change practices--a perceived barrier that prevents general practitioners from prescribing OST.

Design, Setting And Participants: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of consecutive adult patients in the waiting rooms of a network of research general practices in New South Wales during August-December 2009.

Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of disturbing waiting room experiences where drug intoxication was considered a factor, discomfort about sharing the waiting room with patients being treated for drug addiction, and likelihood of changing practices if the practice provided specialised care for patients with opiate addiction.

Ageing in general practice (AGP) trial: a cluster randomised trial to examine the effectiveness of peer education on GP diagnostic assessment and management of dementia.

Background: Dementia is increasing in prevalence as the population ages. An earlier rather than later diagnosis allows persons with dementia and their families to plan ahead and access appropriate management. However, most diagnoses are made by general practitioners (GPs) later in the course of the disease and are associated with management that is poorly adherent to recommended guidelines.

Correlation and agreement of self-assessed and objective skin disease severity in a cross-sectional study of patients with acne, psoriasis, and atopic eczema.

Background: Previous studies have shown variable correlation of patients' self-assessed skin severity measures and clinician-assessed objective measures of severity. But, generally, correlation has not been as good as might be expected for conditions in which the objective physical extent of skin disease is apparent to the sufferer to an extent that is not applicable in many other diseases.

Methods: This paper reports agreement and correlation of self-assessed and objective severity measures in a study of 108 subjects with acne, psoriasis, or atopic eczema.

How generalisable are results of studies conducted in practice-based research networks? A cross-sectional study of general practitioner demographics in two New South Wales networks.

Objective: To compare the demographics of general practitioners in two practice-based research networks (PBRNs) and to explore the generalisability of research findings from these PBRNs.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of two geographically-based PBRNs--Hunter New England Central Coast Network of Research General Practices (NRGP) and Primary Healthcare Research Network-General Practice (PHReNet-GP)--during August-September 2010. All 183 GP members of both PBRNs were invited to participate; of these, 140 (77%) participated.

Nurses' perceptions of a mental health education programme for Australian nurses.

In the present study, we present qualitative findings of study of nurses' perceptions of a mental health education programme for Australian nurses. Many nurses avoid disclosing their mental health problem/illness because of the stigmatization by health workers. Mental health education is a successful means to address workplace stigma; thus, it can be anticipated that such education can address workplace difficulties experienced by nurses with mental health problems.

Occupational violence in general practice: a whole-of-practice problem. Results of a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To examine the experiences of occupational violence in general practitioner (GP) and non-GP staff. Further objectives were to compare prevalence of violence in GP and non-GP staff and to examine levels of apprehension and perceptions of control over violence.

Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

General practice as a fortress - occupational violence and general practice receptionists.

Background: Occupational violence is well documented among general practice receptionists, who are singularly vulnerable because they are placed in the general practice 'frontline'. One response to this threat has been to physically isolate reception staff from waiting room patients by having a perspex shield at the reception desk and a locked door between waiting room and staff areas.

Method: A qualitative study employing semistructured interviews, an inductive approach and a thematic analysis.

Rectal biopsies obtained with jumbo biopsy forceps in the evaluation of Hirschsprung disease.

Background And Aim: Refractory constipation is an extremely common problem in infants and children. The diagnostic suspicion of Hirschsprung disease often arises in this clinical setting. Diagnosing Hirschsprung disease can be difficult; however, excluding the diagnosis is much easier, only requiring the demonstration of ganglion cells in the distal rectum.