ANZCTR search results

The aim of this study is to to assess the safety, usability and applicability of the ENDOGUARD™ laparoscopic safety device amongst advanced laparoscopic surgeons. Given the successful testing with cadavers, we hypothesise that this device would provide surgeons with the added confidence and security associated with the reduced risk of inadvertent intra-operative thermal and sharp injuries.

Persistent pain after traumatic injury can significantly affect a person’s recovery and their long-term physical and social wellbeing. This project aims to find out whether an early, coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to care can lead to better outcomes for people with post-trauma pain. The study will also explore whether participants and their caregivers found the intervention easy to take part in and worth doing.

Pleural effusions are a collection of fluid that can develop in the space around the lung. This study is looking to see whether emergency doctors, after focused training, can use bedside 'point of of care' ultrasound (POCUS) to assess pleural effusions in children as accurately as traditional ultrasound done by specialists. If this are shown to be accurate, further research could then be undertaken to assess if this would expedite management. The study will involve an emergency department doctor undertaking a bedside ultrasound in addition to the formal ultrasound routinely undertaken by a specialised ultrasonographer in children who present to the emergency department with a pleural effusion who would routinely require an ultrasound. The diagnosis of a pleural effusion, size and complexity and time to obtain results of each type of ultrasound will be reviewed.

This randomised controlled trial aims to determine if one day of oral prednisolone for preschool children with moderate to severe wheeze is non-inferior to the standard three days of treatment. We will compare outcomes between two preschool asthma treatment arms in 1074 children to find out if reducing the course of treatment from three days to one day of oral prednisolone is just as safe. Eligible participants will be recruited as sites in New Zealand and Australia and randomised to either standard treatment of three days of oral steroid or one day of oral steroid and two days of placebo.

This project will investigate the sleep and cardiovascular effects of obstructive sleep apnoea treatment (OSA) treatment in Chinese adults, and whether these outcomes differ in those observed in a similar group of Caucasian adults. All participants will receive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for the 12-week duration of the study. Sleep, cardiovascular, and metabolic health outcomes will be assessed before and after CPAP treatment. the aim of this study is to assess whether treatment of OSA in Chinese patients improves clinical outcomes, and whether these effects differ from those reported in a Caucasian population.

This randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a structured telephone-based physical activity coaching program for insufficiently active older adults living in rural and regional Victoria. Participants will be referred by allied health professionals and randomised to either receive five coaching sessions incorporating motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy or to a control group receiving a brief check-in call. The primary outcome is change in physical activity at 12 weeks, assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form. Secondary outcomes include self-efficacy, quality of life, mental wellbeing, loneliness, social isolation, body mass index, waist circumference, and smoking status. The findings will inform the feasibility and scalability of telephone-based coaching as a preventive health strategy for rural populations.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a “train the trainer” model of CPR training within the community of patients attending cardiac rehabilitation classes. This study will aim to 1). explore the experience of participants in a peer-led CPR training program; and 2). evaluate the feasibility of peer-led CPR training provided by cardiac rehabilitation patients as peer trainers.

Many asthma patients experience suboptimal disease control and are disproportionally impacted by worsening environmental risk factors due to climate change. General practitioners (GPs) are well-placed and trusted to lead conversations to improve asthma management. The resulting treatment improvements have the potential to simultaneously reduce the significant greenhouse gas emissions from inhalers as a co-benefit. This study aims to explore whether adding environmental impact information for respiratory inhalers can influence clinician prescribing while improving quality of care and investigates optimal ways to communicate environmental impacts to GPs. We will conduct a factorial (2×2 pus control) randomised online hypothetical experiment with Australian GPs. Following consent and baseline information on guideline-concordant maintenance-and-reliever-therapy (“MART”) prescribing, participants will be randomised 1:1:1:1:1 to five conditions: A. Emissions impact: collective action / with graphic; B. Emissions impact: single-action / with graphic; C. Emissions impact: collective action / no graphic; D. Emission impact: single-action / no graphic; E. Control: no further information. The required sample size is 250 GPs. The primary outcome is participant choice of inhaler type (dry powder or pressurised metered dose). Secondary outcomes include participant level of confidence in their choice, management choice anxiety, acceptability and trustworthiness of information received and reasons for inhaler choice. This study will provide evidence on whether and how environmental impact information can influence prescribing intentions among GPs. Findings will inform future interventions aimed at aligning clinical and environmental goals in respiratory care. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and a lay summary of the findings will be published on the Wiser Healthcare Research Collaboration and Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network publications pages.

This project aims to conduct a controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of MindWise Leadership, an evidence-based mental health training program for people-leaders in the ambulance service. This trial will be used to measure whether this training program will improve managers' and leaders' responsive behaviours, preventative behaviours, confidence, knowledge and stigma regarding employee mental health. It also aims to investigate whether any changes are sustained over a 12-month period. The embedded randomised controlled trial will investigate the effectiveness of providing a short, 10/15 minute online top-up training module at 6-months post-intervention for 50% of the intervention group. The research questions that this research seeks to address are: 1. Does this manager training program improve leaders’ responsive and preventative behaviours regarding mental health in the workplace? 2. Does this manager training program improve leaders’ confidence addressing mental health matter in the workplace? 3. Does this manager training program reduce mental health stigma among leaders in the ambulance service? 4. Does this manager training program improve workplace mental health knowledge among leaders? 5. Does a top-up training module provided to 50% of intervention participants at 6-months post-intervention help to sustain any changes to behaviour, confidence, knowledge and stigma at 12-months post-intervention.

Background: Transition to breathing at birth is dependent on sufficient entry of air into the lungs and is the cornerstone of neonatal resuscitation. For the 5-10% of babies that require assistance at birth, the equipment used includes a self-inflating bag or pressure limited flow regulator. Good mask technique is essential to reduce leak and provide effective ventilation. In preterm resuscitation, the rate of respiration and tidal volume delivered are also key in reducing air leak and protecting against volutrauma to the preterm lung. Newborn resuscitation training performed on preterm mannequins relies on the visual feedback from instructors on chest rise and fall. The JUNO respiratory function monitor is an in-line device that serves as a training aid. It provides real-time feedback on percentage of leak, respiratory rate and tidal volume delivered with each breath administered. There is emerging evidence of its utility in the training of neonatal resuscitation within the neonatal community. This study aims to assess its effectiveness in reducing facemask leak within the non-specialist community. Objectives: The aim of this project is to assess whether the Juno Training Monitor is superior to current training methods at reducing mask leak during neonatal resuscitation within the non-neonatal specialist community. Project Plan: Candidates attending a neonatal stabilisation course will be randomised to either facemask ventilation training with real-time feedback from the JUNO training monitor, or to standard training. A 30-second simulation post-training with the monitor blinded will then be performed. The primary outcome will be the amount of time spent with a mask lead <30%. Secondary outcomes will include the rate of respiration and tidal volume administered.