ANZCTR search results

One in four strokes in Australia are repeat events. These repeat strokes are more likely to result in death and are costly, for both individuals and the healthcare system. Cardiac rehabilitation is a well-established, evidenced-based and widely available secondary prevention program that reduces disease risk and death from heart disease and could help prevent repeat strokes as both share similar risk factors. This 2-year pilot implementation trial will uses a pre-post trial design, conducted within the Canberra Health Service (Canberra and North Canberra Hospitals). The multi-component implementation strategy intervention will first be developed using implementation frameworks, data from our randomized trial and in consultation with stakeholders (stroke and cardiac rehabilitation clinicians, managers, patients). We will then assess the effectiveness of the implementation strategies (e.g., Digital Health Record (DHR) referral, clinician training) for improving clinician referral and delivery of cardiac rehabilitation to people who have had a TIA or mild stroke over 12-months. Implementation outcome (i.e., number people with TIA or mild stroke referred, commenced and completed the program) and process measures will be collected using hospital administrative data, clinician interviews, surveys, and observations of the clinical context. Results will guide the implementation of this novel program on a larger scale, identifying solutions to address the research-to-practice gap, rarely included in efficacy or effectiveness trials.

In Australia, one in three people have high blood pressure (BP). Most people who are taking medicine for their BP, still have a BP above 140/90mmHg). Pharmacists can help take care of BP because people visit them for medicine, and they know how to educate patients. Our research found that education from doctors is not always the same, and online resources are not easy to understand. Because of this, we are running a study where pharmacists will measure BP and deliver care to patients. Participants will be: - Adults aged 18-70 years - Taking up to 3 BP medicines for at least 3 months - Have BP >140/90 mmHg Pharmacies will have study pamphlets on show to tell people about the study. Pharmacists will check if people are eligible when they collect their BP medicine. People who meet the criteria above will have their BP measured by a pharmacist. If their BP is high, they will give consent and fill out a health survey. A computer will then randomly assign them to the treatment or control group. What is the intervention? The control group will get normal care. The treatment group will: 1. Participate in a structured education session by trained pharmacists. 2. Independently use a standardised co-designed education package to support self-management of BP, called the ‘BP Toolkit’. The education by pharmacists will be: 1. A brief check of the participant’s BP and other heart medicines. 2. Shared decision-making with the patient to set goals to look after their BP. These goals may be sticking to medicine regimens, home BP measurement, or lifestyle behaviours, such as diet. 3. Introduction to the BP Toolkit to help people look after their BP.

This Feasibility RCT will randomise women to either use the Labour Support Chair or not during the active phase of their labour. We aim to discover if there are any differences in maternal or neonatal outcomes between the two groups and the acceptability of the use of the chair from women, and also midwives. This small trial will provide preliminary evidence in order to gain funds to undertake a statistically powered RCT in the future.

Aims: To determine the feasibility of a larger study in patients with difficult intravenous access to compare short-bevelled peripheral intravenous catheters (SB-PIVCs) with standard PIVCs. Participants: 100 adult patients from medical/surgical and oncology/haematology wards. 3-4 staff PIVC inserters for process evaluation. Methods: Pilot randomised controlled trial. Patients will be randomised to have either a SB-PIVC or standard PIVC inserted to facilitate their clinical care. Patients will be visited daily by research nurses for data collection. The study will end when the PIVC is removed as clinically indicated. Small process evaluation included. Expected outcomes: It will be feasible to conduct a larger trial and first-time insertion success will be higher in the SB-PIVC group than the standard PIVC group.

This pilot study is testing a new toolkit designed with input from consumers and general practitioners (GPs) to help reduce the use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (medications often used for anxiety or sleep). The goal is to see if the toolkit helps GPs feel more confident talking to patients about cutting back, and starting the deprescribing process, especially those who may be more at risk—like older adults or people with mental health challenges. The study also looks at how practical it is to use the toolkit in everyday medical practice. It is hypothesised that the toolkit will assist GPs in being more willing and able to talk about reducing these medications, lead to more patients cutting back safely, and show that the toolkit can be used effectively in primary care clinics.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of illness and death in Australia and worldwide. Around 1 in 3 people with cardiovascular disease or at higher risk of developing it also experience poor emotional health, such as anxiety or low mood. These emotional difficulties can make cardiovascular health worse and make it harder for people to change important health behaviours, like improving their diet or being more active. This study will test how practical and acceptable it is to offer a new program that supports both health behaviour change and emotional wellbeing for people with cardiovascular disease or increased risk who also experience poor emotional wellbeing. The program is a short, internet-based course that teaches skills for improving health behaviours, while also providing strategies to manage emotional wellbeing. Participants will be supported by a psychologist during the course, with optional follow-up support for up to 12 weeks afterwards. We expect that participants will find the program acceptable, will stay engaged with the treatment, and will complete the study measures. We will also gather early evidence of its effects using questionnaires and a wrist-worn device that measures movement. Participants will also be invited to participate in interviews about the program.

This study aims to co-design and assess the acceptability and feasibility of a lifestyle-based intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women without CVD in the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. We hypothesize that a co-designed CVD risk factor reduction intervention will be acceptable to Aboriginal women at the community and the healthcare providers and will be feasible t implement.

We conducted an initial trial to test a special gel used during surgery. This gel helps stop bleeding and reduces scar tissue. It's already approved for use in sinus surgeries by health authorities in Australia and the United States. The aim of this trial was to ensure it's safe to use in spinal surgeries.

This study aims to understand how body composition (the balance of fat and muscle) in babies born moderately to late preterm affects their brain development and later outcomes. We hypothesise that these babies will have more body fat and less muscle compared to babies born at full term, and that having more muscle and less fat will be associated to larger brain size and better development. To investigate this, we will measure babies’ body composition, growth, blood hormone levels, and brain size on MRI scans around their due date, and then follow their development at 4 months and 2 years of age. Comparing these findings with babies born at full term will help us see how early growth patterns influence long-term health and learning. The study hopes to identify early markers that can guide care to support healthier growth and development in preterm and growth-restricted infants.

This study aims to assess the impact of detailed anaesthetic risk information on patient anxiety, satisfaction, and decision-making preparedness in individuals undergoing robotic gynaecological surgery. The participants will be randomised into two groups, receiving either the standard anaesthetic risk information or both the standard and detailed information sheets. Anxiety will be measured pre- and post-intervention using validated scales (APAIS and VAS). This study is designed as a mixed-methods randomised controlled trial, with both quantitative and qualitative data collection. We hypothesise that providing patients with more detailed information about anaesthetic risks before robotic surgery will not increase their anxiety, and may improve their preparedness for decision-making and satisfaction with the consent process. The findings will contribute to improving informed consent practices and enhancing the patient experience during robotic surgery.