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Overcoming language barriers with the use of an instant translation device for culturally and linguistically diverse patients receiving radiation therapy
The purpose of this study is to evaluate patient satisfaction and experiences of Mandarin-speaking patients with the use of a translation device during radiation therapy. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years or older, speak Mandarin at home, and will be receiving cancer radiation therapy for 5 days or more. Study details All participants in this study will first do questionnaires on English literacy and health literacy. Afterwards, for the duration of their radiotherapy treatment, participants will be instructed to use the digital translation device during radiotherapy positioning and any discussions with radiotherapy staff. After the trial is over, there will be a paper based post treatment survey to ask each participant about their satisfaction with their experiences. It is hoped that this research will allow Mandarin-speaking patients and radiation therapists to communicate more effectively, thus improving disease management and patient experience for culturally and linguistically diverse patients.
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A First-in-Human Study of Single-Agent ISB 1442 in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
This study is a first-in-human trial that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of ISB 1442, a novel immune therapy for the treatment of relapsed/ refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM). Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are an adult aged 18 or older, you have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma who have progressed on or after standard therapy. Participants will also need to meet set criteria regarding their overall health to be eligible to participate in this study, e.g. meet study requirements for their kidney, liver and heart function prior to enrolling. Study details This study will be conducted in two parts. Participants who choose to enrol in Phase 1 will not be eligible to enrol again in Phase 2. Phase 1: Patients will be treated with escalating dose levels of ISB 1442, administered by a study nurse as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection on Days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of a 28-day cycle. A separate group of participants will be enrolled for each dose level, however the study will not progress to a higher dose if any unacceptable adverse events/side effects are seen in the previous dose group. Dose escalation decisions will be made by the safety monitoring committee (SMC). The SMC will review safety and exposure data for all patients enrolled in a given cohort. Phase 2: Once the maximum tolerated dose of ISB 1442 has been found in Phase 1, new groups of participants will be enrolled into Phase 2 to examine the effects of ISB 1442 over a longer period of time. Participants who choose to enrol in Phase 2 will also receive ISB 1442, administered by a study nurse as a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection on Days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of a 28-day cycle. Participants will receive ISB 1442 until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or any criterion for stopping the study drug or withdrawal from the trial occurs. The expected duration for each Phase of this study is approximately 48 months: approximately 30 months for enrollment and approximately 18 months for treatment and/or follow-up. It is hoped this study will determine the safe dose of ISB 1442 that is effective against relapsed/ refractory multiple myeloma. ISB 1442 may then be used as an effective treatment for future patients who have multiple myeloma.
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Non-Invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers to Evaluate Histology Proven Kidney Fibrosis in Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly becoming more common, and is associated with increased disability and death rates. The best predictor for progression to kidney failure is the amount of kidney scarring detected on a biopsy. Biopsies are useful however are limited by their invasive nature and inability to collect large or multiple samples. MRI is used in other organs like the heart and the liver to check for scarring, but is not yet available for the kidney. The NIMBLE-CKD project aims to develop an MRI marker to estimate the amount of kidney scarring by comparing images with biopsy samples. Ultimately this will provide a less intrusive and safer way to detect and monitor CKD, with a hope to guide early treatment and prevent kidney failure.
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Validation of a single forehead sensor against polysomnography and evaluation of the introduction of a circadian lighting solution on sleep, circadian rhythms and recovery in the intensive care unit (ICU)
Patients admitted to ICU commonly experience poor/disrupted sleep. However, there are currently no simple ways of formally assessing sleep quality and quantity. This study aim to: 1) compare the accuracy of a new single forehead sensor in evaluating sleep in the ICU against the gold standard assessment (polysomnography) and 2) investigate the quality/quantity of sleep for patients in the ICU and their circadian (day/night) rhythms. We plan to consent and recruit a feasibility sample of 30 suitable adult patients expected to stay in ICU for at least five days to this pilot study. We will formally evaluate sleep using sensors to record participants brain waves, and analyse blood tests to determine their circadian rhythms. We will introduce an electrical light that mimics natural light and evaluate the impact on patients' sleep / circadian rhythms / recovery. We will also ask patients to complete some questionnaires 6 months after leaving ICU to evaluate how they have recovered, and investigate whether poor sleep / loss of circadian rhythms was associated with poorer outcomes / ongoing sleep problems. If the single forehead sensor is proven to be accurate in evaluating patient's sleep in ICU, this could become a simple method for the treating team to more easily include sleep assessments routinely as part of patient care.
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The use of Edmonton Classification System for Cancer Pain in Patients with Bone Metastasis: a cohort study
Bone metastasis often results in disabling pain. A standardized evaluation of the pain characteristics and associations may assist in achieving stable pain control. This study required a single 1-hour face-face or telehealth interview using validated tools to assess adult cancer patients with bone metastasis. A description of the pain features and characteristics and their association with opioid consumption will be reported.
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Food is Medicine: an Australian trial of a medically tailored meals intervention on type 2 diabetes and heart disease outcomes in adults
Eating an unhealthy diet is a leading risk factor for chronic diseases worldwide. Innovative new programs to improve the diet of millions of Australians at high risk of heart disease, such as those with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes (T2D), have tremendous potential to save lives and reduce healthcare costs. 'Food is medicine’ programs aim to integrate healthy food provision into the health care system for the prevention, management, and treatment of disease, especially for food-insecure patients and other vulnerable groups. A particularly promising approach is Medically tailored meals (MTM), whereby doctors ‘prescribe’ evidence-based pre-prepared healthy meals for patients. Prescribing healthy meals offers patients a new way of accessing the foods they need and for many disadvantaged patients with chronic diseases this will also make healthy foods more affordable. We will test whether provision of MTM is a feasible and effective way of improving T2D management and reducing heart disease risk in the Australian setting. We will conduct a randomised control trial of an MTM intervention in individuals with undermanaged T2D, who have difficulty buying or eating nutritious food. Over 26 weeks, intervention participants will be prescribed MTM whereas control group participants will continue their usual clinical care. In addition, intervention participants will also receive three consultations with a dietitian. The primary outcome of interest is to understand the impact of the MTM on blood glucose control in participants with T2D. The participants’ dietary intake, medication use, body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose level will also be assessed pre- and post-intervention. Finally, a sub-sample of participants will be interviewed to explore how the program worked (or did not work) for them, and ways the program can be improved and scaled up.
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Evaluation of a Short-Term Group Therapy Program for People with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a common, yet complex, mental illness. People with a diagnosis of BPD experience significant distress due to difficulties relating to other people and the world around them, disruptions to family, social and work life. Symptoms of BPD may include difficulty regulating emotions, impulsive behaviours, self-harm, suicidal ideation/ attempts, feelings of detachment from their own experiences, and/or intense and unstable relationships. Although BPD is a long-term condition with high rates of relapse and crisis, recovery is possible with suitable therapy. Treatment approaches for people living with BPD are often intensive and lengthy, which can mean long waiting periods for patients to enter programs. Additionally, a lengthy treatment period may not be suitable for all individuals with BPD seeking treatment. Borderline Personality Disorder Collaborative (BPD Co) has developed a short term group therapy program (Road Maps) informed by common factors across evidence-based approaches to assist South Australians living with BPD to achieve optimal quality of life and experience recovery. Road Maps aims to help people living with BPD understand and connect their emotional, cognitive and behavioural experiences. The Road Maps Pilot Study will assess the feasibility and appropriateness of the Road Maps program. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the program will be assessed by comparing the severity of psychological symptoms before and after attendance to the program. Additionally, the impact of the program on participant use of other health services such as mental health services and emergency department (ED) presentations will be assessed. The investigators hypothesise that participants in the intervention group will report a significantly greater reduction in borderline symptom severity, impulsive and self-destructive behaviour, psychosocial distress, self and interpersonal dysfunction compared to the group on the waitlist. It is also anticipated that therapeutic gains will be maintained 6 months post-intervention, with an expectation that this will be associated with linkage to ongoing therapeutic supports over this time period in line with the philosophy of the stepped care model.
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A group therapy for school-aged children who stutter teaching Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and fluency skills
This research aims to collect outcome data from group-based treatment for school-aged children who stutter. The results will be analysed to identify what factors lead to successful and unsuccessful outcomes in school-aged children who stutter. These factors will be compared to existing data to create theories that can explain what factors create optimal outcomes in school-aged children who stutter. There will be 2-3 groups within the treatment program, with 4-6 participants in each group. Children will learn ways to speak more fluently, learn about coping strategies and have a chance to practice these skills. During the group treatment sessions children will be asked to participate in group discussions and activities and complete some homework activities between treatment sessions (10-15 minutes per day). Prior to the group starting, immediately post-treatment and 6 months after treatment, participants will be asked to give a 10 minute speech sample (child), and complete some questionnaires (parent and child). One month after treatment, both the parent and child will participate in an interview about their treatment experiences.
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Examining the efficacy of a sleep-wake management tool for younger and older shift workers
Non-standard work hours in shift work lead to a misalignment between circadian timing and daily behaviours with well-documented adverse consequences for health and safety. Circadian misalignment is implicated in sleep disorders, impaired memory and executive functioning, and poor mental health.A combination of age-dependent cognitive decline, chronicity in circadian misalignment and a higher rate of impaired sleep amplify these risks in older shift workers. Older shift workers perform worse on cognitive tasks, have greater morbidity and experience up to 2.5 times higher risk of dementia in comparison to age-matched day workers.Older adults make a sizeable proportion of shift workers in Australia, including healthcare industry, providing them support can help with improving their health and wellbeing. In this study, we seek to examine the efficacy of an app-based intervention that delivers sleep recommendations based on shift schedules and personal commitments. These recommendations are evidence-based and tested in lab and real-world settings for safety and efficacy. We also aim to examine whether the app is effective in improving sleep, mental health and performance in both younger and older nurses (i.e. 45 years or above).
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Are physiotherapy treatments feasible for patients with low oxygen levels after surgery?
Following abdominal surgery, low oxygen levels are common and may be an early sign of breathing complications. Physiotherapy treatments following surgery may improve oxygen levels and prevent breathing complications. Physiotherapy treatments often include early walking, deep breathing exercises, education about the best things a patient can do themselves to help recovery, and sometimes assisted breathing with a machine. We hypothesize that it is feasible to deliver physiotherapy treatments including education, breathing exercises, early walking, and non-invasive ventilation to patients with low oxygen levels following abdominal surgery.