ANZCTR search results

We have developed a web-based decision aid (‘My Health Check’) for 30 to 69 year olds, based on both evidence and personal preferences. Users are asked to complete a questionnaire which includes questions about their age, gender, and health behaviours relevant to My Health Check (up to 10 depending on their age and gender). They are also asked to rate how difficult they would find each health-check activity. Then they are asked to indicate how important each of four attributes (factors determined by focus groups as important when making decisions about preventive health activities) are to them. My health check then displays a list of health behaviours, ranked from greatest potential for gain to least potential for gain. This study will determine whether or not users of My Health Check are more likely to adopt health preventive behaviours than people who are just shown the standard information on the web.

The current study is a randomised controlled trial aiming to test the preliminary efficacy of an internet-based intervention for people with depressive symptoms. There will be 2 groups of randomly allocated participants who will be followed up after 3 months of an online program: 1. Brief Intervention Group – will be an active control condition providing a minimum, ethically feasible treatment including Psychoeducation on depression, a Personal Diary for recording mood, and tools for detecting and planning for triggers and early warning signs of depression. 2. 5 Module Treatment Group – will include the components of the Brief Intervention Group as well as specific modules involving Mindfulness Meditation, Social support/relationships, Problem Solving and CBT strategies, Pleasant Activity Scheduling, and reviewing personal changes and making future goals. Primary predictions are that the 5 Module Treatment group will have superior depression outcomes at 3 months compared to the Brief Intervention group.

The primary purpose of the study is to test whether intra-oral myofascial therapy for chronic myogenous temporomandibular disorder is more effective than education and self care in the short term

Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have an increased risk of long bone and vertebral fracture due to reduced bone mass (osteopenia). In DMD, osteopenia is due to both reduced mobility and glucocorticoid use. There is no recognised treatment for osteopenia in DMD. Bisphosphonates are a class of drug which act primarily by decreasing the activity of the bone resorbing cells, the osteoclast. In children with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) bisphosphonates have been shown to improve bone strength and increase bone density (areal Bone Mineral Density (aBMD)) through a combination of increased cortical thickness and trabecular number. Bisphosphonates alter the course of corticosteroid induced bone loss and largely prevent this complication in the adult population. It is more difficult to provide such evidence in a paediatric population where linear growth and puberty both rapidly alter skeletal size and make interpretation of bone density more difficult. With techniques of volumetric bone density (BMAD) calculation available, more accurate data can now be observed. Study significance This study is powered to provide definitive data on the utility of 3-6 monthly intravenous zoledronic acid to improve bone density in boys with DMD. Results from this study will be used to develop a study to assess fracture reduction in this population. This in turn would have far reaching consequences in terms of potential reduction in morbidity, hospitalization and immobilization of affected boys.

This study looks at the effectiveness of the drug tamoxifen in treating breast cancer which is classified as triple negative (oestrogen receptor alpha negative, progesterone receptor negative, HER-2 negative) and oestrogen receptor beta positive, where the cancer has spread to distant sites (metastases). Who is it for? You can join this study if you are a woman with triple negative metastatic breast cancer that is oestrogen receptor beta positive and chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is currently not considered appropriate. Prior to entering the study, a sample of metastatic tumour must be tested and confirmed to be oestrogen receptor beta positive. Trial details Some breast cancer cells contain receptors which the female hormone oestrogen binds to, causing the cancer to grow. The study aims to find out whether tamoxifen may be useful for treating metastatic breast cancer that contains the oestrogen beta receptor. Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen drug which is frequently used to treat breast cancers that contain the oestrogen alpha receptor but has not been used specifically to treat breast cancers that contain the oestrogen beta receptor. Participants will all receive one oral tablet (20mg) of tamoxifen daily, unless they suffer unacceptable side effects, or their breast cancer progresses.

IVD insertion is the most common invasive healthcare procedure with approximately 14 million IVDs used in Australia each year. IVDs alone are inadequate to deliver most therapy and require connection to an administration set. These IVD administration sets (AS) refer to infusion systems comprised of some or all of: tubing, fluid containers, pressure monitoring transducers, blood sampling ports, measuring burettes and extension tubing. IVDs and their AS break the natural defence barrier of the skin, and are the single most important cause of healthcare acquired blood stream infection (BSI). Most IVD's are replaced every 3 -4 days , however preliminary research suggests routine replacement of AS every 4 days costs Australia about $1 billion annually, and some studies suggest 7 day use would reduce costs with no threat to patient safety.

Significance of the study: Femoral fracture is an important clinical problem and is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly. Whilst opioids are the most commonly used analgesic by emergency medical services (EMS) there is some evidence that these may be inferior to alternate analgesic methods such as femoral nerve blocks. Studies to date have not evaluated the feasibility or effectiveness of paramedics performing this analgesic alternative. Alternatives like femoral nerve blocks could prevent complications of opioids although these agents are well tolerated and have a low complication rate when administered in this setting. The aim of this research is to assess the feasibility and efficacy of paramedics performing fascia iliaca compartment blocks (FICB) in the prehospital setting with adult patients with suspected or confirmed femoral fractures. The effectiveness of FICB will be compared to intravenous morphine.

This study looks at different ways of presenting information to women who are considering whether to have genetic testing around the time they are diagnosed with breast cancer. Who is it for? You can join this study if you are a woman who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and you have a high risk of inherited breast cancer and you are interested in genetic testing. Trial details Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive information about treatment-focused genetic testing (TFGT) in a face-to-face standard care consultation at a familial- cancer clinic (control), while the second group (intervention) will receive a brief educational pamphlet. Participants take part in four surveys assessing outcomes over 12 months. All participants will be offered the opportunity to have genetic testing and to discuss their results with a genetics specialist. The study aims to find the best way to deliver information about TFGT because this testing may be offered more routinely in the future and the results can influence treatment, including the type of surgery undertaken.

Hysteroscopies and cystoscopies are typically done under general anaesthesia in our hospital network. TRUS biopsies are typically done under deep sedation. While these methods are considered very safe as practised in Australia, they still carry risks (including obstruction of the airway and cessation of breathing.) Dexmedetomidine is a sedative agent that is considered stable as far as the airway and breathing is concerned. This study will assess whether these procedures can successfully be performed using a regimen based on dexmedetomidine. When having a general anaesthetic, patients require an artificial tube to be placed into the back of their throat or windpipe. When using a regimen based on dexmedetomidine, it is predicted that patients will not need that tube, and will be able to breath without it.

The main objective of the study is to determine whether the comprehensive exercise program leads to better neurological recovery than the upper body training program. Both programs are likely to lead to improvements in health and fitness