Social interactions and quality of life of residents in aged care facilities: A multi-methods study.

Background: The relationship between social contact and quality of life is well-established within the general population. However, limited data exist about the extent of social interactions in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) providing long-term accommodation and care. We aimed to record the frequency and duration of interpersonal interactions among residents in RACFs and identify the association between residents' interpersonal interactions and quality of life (QoL).

Changes in unprofessional behaviour, teamwork and co-operation among hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A survey administered to staff at five hospitals investigated changes in unprofessional behaviour, teamwork and co-operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 1583 responses, 76.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 74.

Sex-Based Differences in Selected Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Use: A 10-Year Statewide Patient Cohort.

Background Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) include pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and resynchronization therapy. This study aimed to assess CIED implantation and outcomes by sex and indication. Methods and Results This was a retrospective cohort study of adults with cardiovascular hospitalizations in New South Wales, Australia (2008 to 2018).

Timeliness of Microbiology Test Result Reporting and Association with Outcomes of Adults Hospitalised with Unspecified Pneumonia: A Data Linkage Study.

Background: Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Microbiology tests play a critical role in the diagnosis of pneumonia. Our study aimed to determine microbiology result reporting times and evaluate their association with outcomes of adult patients (≥18 years) hospitalised with pneumonia.

Challenges, solutions and future directions for public health innovations targeting dementia prevention for rural and remote populations.

Currently, individuals living in rural and remote areas experience 1.4 times the total burden of chronic disease, including an 80% greater risk of late-life cognitive impairment and dementia, 2.5 times the number of preventable hospitalisations and a reduced life expectancy of up to 12 years compared to their metropolitan counterparts.

Quality indicators for home- and community-based aged care: A critical literature review to inform policy directions.

Objectives: Australia is lagging behind other countries in implementing quality indicators (QIs) in home- and community-based aged care. This research aimed to identify and appraise home care QI sets used internationally for older adults, to inform the future development and utilisation of QIs in the Australian context.

Methods: A systematic search of eligible studies outlining the development and validation of home care QI sets for older adults was undertaken.

Speaking COVID-19: supporting COVID-19 communication and engagement efforts with people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Background: Since the emergence of COVID-19, issues have been raised regarding the approach used to engage with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities during this public health crisis. This study aimed to understand the factors impacting communication and engagement efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of crucial CaLD community stakeholders and opinion leaders.

Methods: Forty-six semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders who have an active role (established before the pandemic) in delivering services and other social support to CaLD communities in Australia.

Data Privacy Concerns Using mHealth Apps and Smart Speakers: Comparative Interview Study Among Mature Adults.

Background: New technologies such as mobile health (mHealth) apps and smart speakers make intensive use of sensitive personal data. Users are typically aware of this and express concerns about their data privacy. However, many people use these technologies although they think their data are not well protected.

Telehealth use in patients with type 2 diabetes in Australian general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The Australian government introduced temporary government-subsidised telehealth service items (phone and video-conference) in mid-March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The uptake of telehealth by patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) for consulting with GPs is unknown.

Aim: To evaluate the uptake of telehealth consultations and associated patient characteristics in Australian general practice, including the frequency of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) tests and change in HbA1c levels by telehealth use, compared with guideline recommendations.

Performance of the aldosterone-to-renin ratio as a screening test for primary aldosteronism in primary care.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common and potentially curable form of secondary hypertension, affecting 5-10% of primary care patients with hypertension. Primary care physicians have an important role in initiating the screening for PA in patients with hypertension and referring to a specialist service depending on the screening test results. The currently recommended screening test for PA is the plasma aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR).

Epidemiology of falls in 25 Australian residential aged care facilities: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study using routinely collected data.

Background: Falls are frequent among older adults and have significant health and economic consequences. There have been few studies on the epidemiology of falls in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Objective: To determine the incidence of falls in RACFs using longitudinal routinely collected incident data over 5 years (July 2014-December 2019).

Telehealth utilisation in residential aged care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective cohort study in Australian general practice.

Introduction: Our earlier analysis during the COVID-19 surges in 2020 showed a reduction in general practitioner (GP) in-person visits to residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and increased use of telehealth. This study assessed how sociodemographic characteristics affected telehealth utilisation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort consists of 27,980 RACF residents aged 65 years and over, identified from general practice electronic health records in Victoria and New South Wales during March 2020-August 2021.

Prescribers' reported acceptance and use of drug-drug interaction alerts: An Australian survey.

Drug-drug interaction (DDI) alerts are frequently included in electronic medical record (eMR) systems to provide users with relevant information and guidance at the point of care. In this study, we aimed to examine views of DDI alerts among prescribers, including junior doctors, registrars and senior doctors, across Australia. A validated survey for assessing prescribers' reported acceptance and use of DDI alerts was distributed among researcher networks and in newsletters.

Engaging with ethnic minority consumers to improve safety in cancer services: A national stakeholder analysis.

Objective: Ethnic minority populations are often exposed to healthcare-associated harm. There is little evidence about whether current patient engagement interventions are relevant. We conducted a national analysis of existing approaches amongst stakeholders in cancer care.

Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Early Detection of Sepsis Among Pediatric, Neonatal, and Maternal Inpatients: Scoping Review.

Background: Sepsis is a severe condition associated with extensive morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pediatric, neonatal, and maternal patients represent a considerable proportion of the sepsis burden. Identifying sepsis cases as early as possible is a key pillar of sepsis management and has prompted the development of sepsis identification rules and algorithms that are embedded in computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) systems.

'Smiles and laughter and all those really great things': Nurses' perceptions of good experiences of care for inpatient children and young people with intellectual disability.

Aim: To understand what constitutes a good experience of care for inpatient children and young people with intellectual disability as perceived by nursing staff.

Design: Interpretive qualitative study.

Methods: Focus groups with clinical nursing staff from speciality neurological/neurosurgical and adolescent medicine wards across two specialist tertiary children's hospitals in Australia were conducted between March and May 2021.

The Role of Nutrition in Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review.

A literature review to identify nutritional factors and the prevention and management of knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) suggests that nutritional interventions offer some health benefits in OA through mechanisms such as weight loss, reduced inflammation, and antioxidant capacity. However, because data are limited with mixed results, high-quality evidence, including longitudinal studies and clinical trials, are needed to understand whether nutritional supplementation effectively prevents or manages OA. Therefore, healthcare professionals should consider promoting diets rich in fiber, including whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes or dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, to their patients to manage OA.

The use and predictive performance of the Peninsula Health Falls Risk Assessment Tool (PH-FRAT) in 25 residential aged care facilities: a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data.

Background: The Peninsula Health Falls Risk Assessment Tool (PH-FRAT) is a validated and widely applied tool in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in Australia. However, research regarding its use and predictive performance is limited. This study aimed to determine the use and performance of PH-FRAT in predicting falls in RACF residents.

The use of predictive fall models for older adults receiving aged care, using routinely collected electronic health record data: a systematic review.

Background: Falls in older adults remain a pressing health concern. With advancements in data analytics and increasing uptake of electronic health records, developing comprehensive predictive models for fall risk is now possible. We aimed to systematically identify studies involving the development and implementation of predictive falls models which used routinely collected electronic health record data in home-based, community and residential aged care settings.

Associations of depressive symptoms with disability-free life expectancy and self-assessed healthy life expectancy in middle-aged and older adults: Results from a longitudinal population-based study in China.

Objectives Although the health consequences of depression have been extensively examined, little attention has been given to its nonfatal conditions. This study aims to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with total life expectancy (TLE), disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and self-assessed healthy life expectancy (SHLE). Methods Data were sourced from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 2011-2013.

Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Early Detection of Sepsis Among Adult Inpatients: Scoping Review.

Background: Sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early detection of sepsis followed promptly by treatment initiation improves patient outcomes and saves lives. Hospitals are increasingly using computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) systems for the rapid identification of adult patients with sepsis.

Loss of life expectancy due to respiratory infectious diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study in 195 countries and territories 1990-2017.

Understanding of the patterns of and changes in mortality from respiratory infectious diseases (RID) and its contribution to loss of life expectancy (LE) is inadequate in the existing literature. With rapid sociodemographic changes globally, and the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to revisit the disease burden of RID. Using the approaches of life table and cause-eliminated life table based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), the study analyses loss of LE due to RID in 195 countries/territories and its changes during the period 1990-2017.

Is Gaining Affective Commitment the Missing Strategy for Successful Change Management in Healthcare?

Despite the requirement for continual change and development, change failure is omnipresent in health care, ranging from small technical errors within new systems, processes or technologies, through to breakdowns and large-scale disaster. Despite decades of research investment, consultancy and initiatives, creating a healthcare context that promotes clinician engagement with change remains elusive, with limited demonstrated progress. Affective commitment to change refers to commitment that is driven by a desire to support change based on its perceived benefits or value, as opposed to commitment that is based on a sense of obligation or the minimization of costs.