Changes needed to reduce risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the main contributor to disability levels, which are rising as populations age. Workplace hazard exposures are a major source of this problem, and current workplace risk management practices require substantial changes to tackle it more effectively. Most importantly, the current focus of risk management on "manual handling" tasks must broaden to encompass the whole job.

Psychosocial hazards play a key role in differentiating MSD risk levels of workers in high-risk occupations.

Objectives: Workplace management practices targeting risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) fail to reflect evidence that risk is affected by psychosocial as well as physical hazards. To promote improved practices in occupations where MSD risk is highest, better information is needed on how psychosocial hazards, combined with physical hazards, affect risk of workers in these occupations.

Methods: Survey ratings of physical and psychosocial hazards by 2329 Australian workers in occupations with high MSD risk were subjected to Principal Components Analysis.

The problem with "ergonomics injuries": What can ergonomists do?

Effects of psychosocial hazards on risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are often very substantial, but workplace risk management practices focus largely on biomechanical hazards, as do the risk assessment methods used by ergonomists. Translation of research evidence into more effective workplace practices demands a more holistic risk management framework that encompasses both types of hazard. In this context, we evaluate the validity of different MSD risk assessment methods for different purposes, focusing particularly on requirements for routine workplace risk management.

Young drivers' perceptions of risk and difficulty: Day versus night.

Inexperienced drivers have a higher crash risk than others, particularly at night when drivers of all ages are at increased risk, but there has been little if any research on day-night differences in drivers' perceptions of risk and difficulty. Also, previous research on determinants of risk and difficulty ratings has focused largely on effects of vehicle speed, and researchers have identified a need to look more broadly at how ratings are affected by the complexity of depicted road-traffic situations. This study addressed those issues, using an exploratory approach entailing both quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Parent perceptions of participation in a parent-mediated communication-focussed intervention with their young child with autism spectrum disorder.

Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy is an intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder that focuses on parent-child communication. In Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy, the therapist and parent watch videos of the parent and child playing together. The therapist coaches the parent to carefully observe the child's communication and to interact with their child in a more sensitive and responsive way.

The APHIRM toolkit: an evidence-based system for workplace MSD risk management.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continue as one of the largest occupational health and safety problems worldwide. One reason for this situation is that current workplace risk management practices fail to meet some important evidence-based requirements for effective reduction of MSD risk. In particular: they largely fail to address risk arising from psychosocial hazards; do not allow sufficient participation by workers; and often fail to control risk at its sources.

Barriers to more effective prevention of work-related musculoskeletal and mental health disorders.

Work-related psychosocial hazards have substantial effects on risks of both musculoskeletal and mental health disorders (MSDs, MHDs). Recent Australian research on workplace risk management practices in 19 work organisations found that risks from work-related psychosocial hazards were poorly managed. This study identified factors impeding better management of MSD and MHD risks within those organisations.

The Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ): An Ecologically-Valid, Parent-Nominated Measure of Family Experience, Quality of Life and Prioritised Outcomes for Early Intervention.

There is a lack of measures that reflect the intervention priorities of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that assess the impact of interventions on family experience and quality of life. The Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ) was developed through focus groups and online consultation with parents, and reflected parental priorities. It was then administered to the parents of children enrolled in the Pre-school Autism Communication Trial and its 6-year follow-up study.

Driving Task: How Older Drivers' On-Road Driving Performance Relates to Abilities, Perceptions, and Restrictions.

This study examined a cohort of 227 older drivers and investigated the relationship between performance on the electronic Driver Observation Schedule (eDOS) driving task and: (1) driver characteristics; (2) functional abilities; (3) perceptions of driving comfort and abilities; and (4) self-reported driving restrictions. Participants (male: 70%; age: M = 81.53 years, SD = 3.

Requirements for more effective prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Background: Exposures to occupational hazards substantially increase workers' risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and can exacerbate pre-existing disorders. The effects on MSD risk of the physical requirements of work performance are well recognised, but there is now ample evidence that work-related psychosocial hazards can also have substantial effects; further, some hazards may be additive or interactive. This evidence is not reflected in current workplace risk management practices.

Developing a comprehensive approach to risk management of musculoskeletal disorders in non-nursing health care sector employees.

This study of selected jobs in the health care sector explored a range of physical and psychosocial factors to identify those that most strongly predicted work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) risk. A self-report survey was used to collect data on physical and psychosocial risk factors from employees in three health care organisations in Victoria, Australia. Multivariate analyses demonstrated the importance of both psychosocial and physical hazards in predicting WMSD risk and provides evidence for risk management of WMSDs to incorporate a more comprehensive and integrated approach.

The Relationship between Older Drivers' Performance on the Driving Observation Schedule (eDOS) and Cognitive Performance.

Research Question/objective: The Driving Observation Schedule (eDOS) was developed for use in the Candrive/Ozcandrive five-year prospective study of older drivers to observe the driving behavior of older drivers and monitor changes in driving behaviors over time. The aim of this study is to describe participants' driving performance during the eDOS driving task and investigate the association between driving performance and cognitive measures.

Methods: A subset of Ozcandrive participants (n = 144, 104 male [72%], 40 female [28%], Mean age = 81.

Findings from the Candrive/Ozcandrive study: Low mileage older drivers, crash risk and reduced fitness to drive.

Previous research has found that only older drivers with low annual driving mileages had a heightened crash risk relative to other age groups. These drivers tend to drive mainly in urban areas, where the prevalence of complex traffic situations increases crash risk. However it might also be that some drivers may have reduced their driving due to perceived or actual declines in driving fitness.

Reinforcing outpatient medical student learning using brief computer tutorials: the Patient-Teacher-Tutorial sequence.

Background: At present, what students read after an outpatient encounter is largely left up to them. Our objective was to evaluate the education efficacy of a clinical education model in which the student moves through a sequence that includes immediately reinforcing their learning using a specifically designed computer tutorial.

Methods: Prior to a 14-day Pediatric Emergency rotation, medical students completed pre-tests for two common pediatric topics: Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) and Fever Without Source (FWS).

Occupational health and safety in Australia.

The focus of OHS in Australia is on workplace-based prevention rather than individual health care. Over the past decade, workers' compensation data have shown continuous improvement in work-related deaths, serious injuries and diseases. Injuries from work-related vehicle incidents are the leading cause of fatalities.

A Study of Young Offenders' Perceptions of Health and Health Care Services in Custody and in the Community.

The level of unmet health needs in young offenders has been raised as a concern in recent research with this population. There is a lack of research examining the views of young offenders on health issues and the services available to them. This article summarizes a qualitative study conducted in four young offender institutions in the United Kingdom with young people expressing their attitudes toward aspects of health and the provision of health care services.

Illness representations in patients with multimorbid long-term conditions: qualitative study.

Most research on illness representations explores how patients view single conditions, but many patients report more than one long-term condition (known as multimorbidity). It is not known how multimorbidity impacts on patient illness representations. This exploratory qualitative study examined patients' representations of multimorbid long-term conditions and sought to assess how models of illness representation might need modification in the presence of multimorbidity.

Conceptual framework for development of a toolkit for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) network of Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health aims to promote the development, implementation use of "toolkits" for workplace use in reducing the risk of injuries and disease. As a major partner within this network, the International Ergonomics Association is committed to developing a toolkit to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This paper outlines the kind of conceptual framework required to support this work.

Design of occupational therapy on-road test routes and related validity issues.

Background/aim: Specialist Occupational Therapy Driver Assessors and driver licensing authorities require on-road assessment procedures that are both valid and reliable. Assessment validity may be influenced by both test route characteristics and driver characteristics. To address these issues, this study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of test routes used by Occupational Therapy Driver Assessors (including associated driving manoeuvres and traffic conditions) and to explore Occupational Therapy Driver Assessor views relating to on-road assessment procedures.

What is the relationship between diabetes and depression? a qualitative meta-synthesis of patient experience of co-morbidity.

Aims: To develop an explanatory framework concerning patient experience of diabetes and depression and the relationship between these disorders; to better understand how interventions and health services should be delivered for this group of patients.

Methods: The study used meta-synthesis. Published qualitative studies were identified using a structured search, and themes synthesized across studies to develop a new explanatory framework.

N-Acylhydrazones as inhibitors of PDE10A.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are represented by a large superfamily of enzymes. A series of hydrazone-based inhibitors was synthesized and shown to be novel, potent, and selective against PDE10A. Optimized compounds of this class were efficacious in animal models of schizophrenia and may be useful for the treatment of this disease.

Multimorbidity, service organization and clinical decision making in primary care: a qualitative study.

Background: Primary care professionals often manage patients with multiple long-term health conditions, but managing multimorbidity is challenging given time and resource constraints and interactions between conditions.

Objective: To explore GP and nurse perceptions of multimorbidity and the influence on service organization and clinical decision making.

Methods: A qualitative interview study with primary care professionals in practices in Greater Manchester, U.

Parent-mediated communication-focused treatment in children with autism (PACT): a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Results of small trials suggest that early interventions for social communication are effective for the treatment of autism in children. We therefore investigated the efficacy of such an intervention in a larger trial.

Methods: Children with core autism (aged 2 years to 4 years and 11 months) were randomly assigned in a one-to-one ratio to a parent-mediated communication-focused (Preschool Autism Communication Trial [PACT]) intervention or treatment as usual at three specialist centres in the UK.

Australian occupational therapy driver assessors' opinions on improving on-road driver assessment procedures.

Objective: We collected practitioner opinions to improve the validity and reliability of the on-road driver assessment procedures used in Australia.

Method: We used focus groups to document the views of experienced occupational therapy driver assessors using a purposive sampling method.

Results: Eight focus groups were conducted with 55 clinicians practicing in urban and rural regions.

Identifying psychosocial interventions that improve both physical and mental health in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Patients with diabetes suffer high rates of mental health problems, and this combination is associated with poor outcomes. Although effective treatments exist for both diabetes and mental health problems, delivering services for physical and mental health problems separately ignores their interaction and may be inefficient. This systematic review sought to identify psychosocial interventions that could improve both the physical and mental health of patients with diabetes.