ANZCTR search results

This study has been designed to provide evidence of the effectiveness of self-management programs for adolescents with chronic medical conditions aged 15-18 years prior to their transfer to adult care. It is the first study to use the validated and internationally recognised Flinders Chronic Condition Management Program (Flinders Program™) with this important but under researched age group. The study hypothesis is that a modified adult, generic chronic condition self-management program provided to adolescents with a chronic condition would be more effective than standard usual care in achieving adherence to chronic condition management as measured by quantitative condition specific validated markers of illness control, global quality of life, self-efficacy, time management, and in reducing health related distress. This study will provide a better understanding of the components required for effective self-management programs in adolescents with a chronic condition. Participants will be randomised to either standard care or the modified Flinders Program™ plus standard care. Data collection will include measures of specific chronic condition control, unscheduled hospital admissions and questionnaires to record self-management competencies, quality of life, self-efficacy and outcomes measures specific to the program at baseline, 3 months, 6 and 12 months after delivery.

Healthcare workers are sometimes required to wear N95 respirators as part of their clinical duties. In Australia, there are many different brands and styles of N95 respirators. It is unclear if certain styles of N95 respirators (e.g. cup style, fold style) are more likely to fit a greater proportion of Australian healthcare workers. This study intends to find out the pass rate of different styles of N95 respirators using quantitative fit testing. We will also assess the ease of donning and doffing the respirator as well as the comfort of wearing each respirator. Data on age, weight, gender, ethnicity and facial characteristics will also be collected to see if this correlates with ability to pass fit testing. This will allow healthcare settings to stock the styles of N95 respirators that are more likely to fit Australian healthcare workers.

The mental health of the people of Australia and the world has deteriorated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This COVID-19 related depression, anxiety and distress has and will continue to have long-lasting consequences for both mental and physical health. As mental and physical health are closely intertwined, sharing risk factors, pathways, prevention and management approaches, strategies that improve metabolic health can also provide substantial mental health benefits. However, while there is substantial evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of dietary or physical activity interventions in improving mental health, no such integrated programs exist within clinical practice. The CALM Trial will be the first study to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an integrated lifestyle program (CALM), focused on both diet and physical activity, in reducing depression symptoms, compared to a psychotherapy program. As a secondary aim, we will also assess the relative effectiveness of the CALM program in improving other mental and physical health outcomes (e.g., cardiovascular biomarkers). The CALM Trial is a single-site, two-arm, individually randomised group treatment, non-inferiority trial. Both programs (CALM, psychotherapy) will be delivered over telehealth for an 8-week period (six 90-minute sessions). Group led sessions will be conducted by either allied health professionals (CALM) or an experienced Senior Clinical Psychologist and a Provisional Psychologist (psychotherapy). We plan to recruit 184 participants aged 18 years and above with with elevated distress, anxiety and/or depression (Distress Questionnaire-5, DQ5 score >8).

People with a spinal cord injury (SCI) have high rates of bowel related morbidity, even compared with those with other neurological disorders. This includes high rates of abdominal pain, constipation, faecal incontinence and bloating. These problems lower the quality of life of people with a SCI and place a financial burden on the health system. The abdominal muscles are one of the major muscle groups used during expiratory and expulsive manoeuvres such as defecation and coughing. Surface electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles, termed Abdominal Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), can make the abdominal muscles contract, even when ‘paralysed’. There is some limited evidence that abdominal FES may improve bowel function in people with SCI via increased intra-abdominal pressure. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Abdominal FES to improve bowel management time for people with chronic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Secondary objectives will evaluate whether Abdominal FES can improve: 1) bowel related quality of life, 2) bowel function , 3) bowel management strategy 4) respiratory function and 5) bladder function . In addition, a cost-utility analysis will determine if there is a financial benefit resulting from improved bowel function associated with Abdominal FES.

ADAPT-MRL is a multi-site, multinational, observational cohort registry designed to collect data on the use of the MR-Linac machine for radiation therapy oncology and patient outcomes. The registry will provide a linked repository of technical and clinical data that will be shared with the device manufacturer. Who is it for? You may be eligible to be involved in this registry if you have cancer and are scheduled for treatment using an MR-Linac machine for radiation therapy. Study details Participants will be enrolled in the study, attend standard of care treatment and follow up visits at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months. Participants are asked to complete additional quality of life surveys at these visits and may choose to have additional scans performed. It is expected the registry will recruit patients for up to 10 years. This data will be used to leverage the MR-Linac’s capabilities and design new and improved treatment strategies. An estimated 10,000 patients will be enrolled to this registry across 10 or more study sites situated in Australia and internationally (additional sites to be added).

This research aims to work out how doctors should best manage wounds after minor skin surgery. Following excision surgery for minor skin lesions, dressings are used for a period of time to keep the wound clean and comfortable. This study is a randomised controlled trial of two types of dressings and dressing protocols following minor skin surgery in general practice. The first part of the study compares participant pain levels with a dressing containing a pain relief medication (ibuprofen) compared to an identical non-medicated dressing. The second part of this study will compare whether keeping the wound covered until stitches are removed, or removing the dressing at 48 hours is better in terms of patient pain and comfort, and infection rates. On the day of their skin surgery, participants will be randomised into one of four treatment groups: (plain dressing or ibuprofen dressing, with the dressing to be removed at 48 hours and the wound kept uncovered, or a further plain dressing applied until stitches are removed). Participants will be asked to fill out a pain score sheet once a day for 5 days after their surgery. Participants will be contacted by the researchers on day 3 after surgery and asked questions about their wound comfort. When they return for removal of stitches, participants will be again asked questions about wound comfort, and the wound will be inspected for signs of infection. Outcomes to be measured include participant pain scores, additional use of oral pain relief medication, presence of wound infection, and patient comfort levels.

This observational study will examine rates of compliance with calcium and vitamin D doses prescribed to cancer patients who may benefit from taking these supplements due to the type of cancer treatment drugs they have been given. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are 18 or older, you are receiving cancer treatment(s) including Denosumab, Pamidronate or Zoledronic acid and you are attending one of the Icon Cancer Centres in Queensland for treatment. Study details All enrolled participants will be asked to complete a survey that includes questions about their current cancer treatment, and whether they have been prescribed calcium and vitamin D in addition to their cancer treatment. It is expected that the survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and participants will be asked to complete this during a scheduled clinic visit, therefore additional study visits are not required. It is hoped this research will determine the current rate of calcium and vitamin D dose compliance in patients whose cancer treatment may have a negative impact on their bone health. It is hoped this study will also identify barriers that may make it difficult for patients to maintain their calcium and vitamin D doses and will then be able to make adjustments to address these barriers.

Following a systematic review and research led by the chief investigator Dr. Kristin Lo, we have found that: 1. Aggression is common in the healthcare setting. The 2011 Victorian Government Parliamentary Inquiry into violence and security arrangements in Victorian hospitals reported 2,662 potential or aggressive events occurring across four major regional hospitals over a 6-month period. 2. Aggression happens to students. An Australian study identified nearly 60% of second and third year (87 total) nursing students had experienced non-physical aggression and violence in the clinical setting. Physical aggression amounted to over a third of the second year students and one quarter of third year students (51 total). 3. Students are more likely to be on the receiving end of acts of aggression as inexperienced. 4. Student do not feel confident managing clients who are aggressive. 5. Consequences of aggression include: increased student attrition, long term physical and psychological damage to the student population. 6. There are a lack of high quality trials, such as randomised controlled trials, investigating the effects of specific education on management of aggression. 7. Education delivered in studies reporting increased student confidence include lower duration combined with a mixture of online and face to face delivery of the content. Short simulations are also found to be sufficient to improve knowledge in managing aggression. So, we know that aggression in clinical placements is common for health professional students, students are needing support, and there are suggestions regarding education delivery for improving students' management of aggression. We believe the significance of providing students with basic aggression management education before attending placements will result in: 1. Increased student confidence in identifying and managing aggression. 2. Reducing the negative physical and psychological effects of aggression. 3. Improved client management

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects between 12 and 15.2% of the adult population in the United States, with direct and indirect costs of management exceeding twelve billion US dollars annually. In patients whose CRS is refractory to pharmacological or medical management, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has become a well-recognised, established and safe surgical option to re-open sinus ostia, restoring the physiological drainage pathways of the sinuses and facilitating mucociliary clearance. This enables the thorough application of topical therapies to the sinonasal mucosa, increasing the likelihood of successful medical management. The efficacy and desirable outcomes of FESS can be reduced by postoperative inflammation, polyp recurrence and adhesions. Topical steroids in the form of nasal sprays are well established in preventing these adverse outcomes and as such, there has been considerable recent investigation of intraoperative placement of bioabsorbable products to both improve and increase the longevity of the desired postoperative outcomes, thereby reducing rates of revision FESS. To our knowledge, whether steroid-impregnated bioabsorbable synthetic polyurethane foam (Nasopore®) confers any objective or subjective postoperative benefit over steroid-impregnated self-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (PureRegen®), and the systemic and ocular safety of their use have not yet been studied.

The study will evaluate benefits or drawbacks of adopting a transdisciplinary model of assessment on the Mater Hospital Brisbane (MHB) Acute Stroke Unit (ASU), through implementing a Transdisciplinary Initial Neurological Screening Assessment (TINSA). All other components of patient care will be undertaken as usual. The study will recruit patients with mild stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) as they are admitted to the MHB ASU. Consenting participants will receive Allied Health (AH) assessment via the existing multidisciplinary model of assessment (evaluated during Phase 1 and 3) or the novel TINSA (evaluated during Phase 2 and 4). The primary hypothesis states, compared to the existing multidisciplinary model of assessment, utilising the novel TINSA on the MHB ASU will reduce AH assessment time by at least 20 minutes in the initial occasion of service. The expected outcomes include: improved AH time efficiency (measured by time spent completing AH assessment, length of stay); improved cost-effectiveness; patient safety (measured by patient falls, readmission, outcome measures at 3-months); improved compliance to national standards (AH assessment within 48hours); improved patient/staff satisfaction and staff trust (surveys).