Description:
Following previous work on the spiritual health of secondary students, the author wondered if it was possible to develop a spiritual health measure for younger children. Taking Fisher's model of spiritual health as the basis, items were developed to reflect relationships with self, with others, with the environment and with a god. The children's ideals for spiritual health (what makes them Feel Good) were compared with their lived experience (Living Life) to ascertain their levels of spiritual health. Factor analyses on responses from 1080 students in 14 schools (State, Catholic, Independent and Christian Community Schools) in Victoria and Western Australia are reported in this paper.
Description:
Following previous work on the spiritual health of secondary students, the author wondered if it was possible to develop a spiritual health measure for younger children. Taking Fisher's model of spiritual health as the basis, items were developed to reflect relationships with self, with others, with the environment and with a god. The children's ideals for spiritual health (what makes them Feel Good) were compared with their lived experience (Living Life) to ascertain their levels of spiritual health. Factor analyses on responses from 1080 students in 14 schools (State, Catholic, Independent and Christian Community Schools) in Victoria and Western Australia are reported in this paper.
Description:
The key issue of concern behind this study was that there have been recent concerns about the gender-based discrepancies in morbidity and mortality rates amongst men and the scant attention generally held by Australian men towards their own health and well-being ... the models of education that have emerged from this research as being appropriate for health delivery advice to urban, rural and disenfranchised men, suggest effective ways to reach out to Australian males.
Description:
The key issue of concern behind this study was that there have been recent concerns about the gender-based discrepancies in morbidity and mortality rates amongst men and the scant attention generally held by Australian men towards their own health and well-being ... the models of education that have emerged from this research as being appropriate for health delivery advice to urban, rural and disenfranchised men, suggest effective ways to reach out to Australian males.
Description:
This study explores knowledge management within an Australian regional health care organization. Many barriers inherent in the organizational structure and design of the organization that are indicative of the public health sector have been identified and discussed. From the results and discussion it is concluded that new models, tools and techniques for knowledge management specific to the environment of the public sector and particularly the health sector are required.
Description:
Extracts of three case studies, from a larger qualitative study, are used to illustrate an emerging theme about the issue of the risks versus the benefits of providing detailed information about adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to consumers. The case studies include the consumer, medical and expert views of a single event, a suspected adverse drug reaction. The consumers would like more information. The doctors expressed that providing information about all possible ADRs can result in some consumers choosing not to take medications due to the perceived risk of the medication. The ADR experts stated that providing ADR information to the consumers within the presented case studies, might have assisted in earlier detection of the ADR, resulting in a less severe reaction. This paper aims to illustrate this emerging theme of the risks versus the benefits of providing consumers with information about potential ADRs and suggest some ways of increasing the benefits and minimizing the risk. We then indicate how these finding may inform future development of ADR decision support systems.
Description:
The problem of cluster analysis is formulated as a problem of nonsmooth, nonconvex optimization, and an algorithm for solving the cluster analysis problem based on the nonsmooth optimization techniques is developed. The issues of applying this algorithm to large data sets are discussed and a feature selection procedure is demonstrated. The algorithm is then applied to a hospital data set to generate new knowledge about different patterns of patients resource consumption.
Description:
Health and welfare practitioners have reported challenges in their personal and professional lives brought about by the realities of dual and multiple relationships in small communities. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative grounded theory study of 70 such practitioners living and working in rural Victoria. Australia, with regard to the development of worker expertise in dealing with personal and professional role boundary issues. The research findings suggested that this group of rural health and welfare practitioners dealt with personal and professional boundary issues through a process of sensitive decision-making and strategic behaviour that became increasingly intuitive over time. Participants oftern adopted elastic and fluid boundaries using their personal experience and local knowledge to inform their professional judgement. These findings have implications for practitioners, for employers, and for educators.
Description:
Health and welfare practitioners have reported challenges in their personal and professional lives brought about by the realities of dual and multiple relationships in small communities. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative grounded theory study of 70 such practitioners living and working in rural Victoria. Australia, with regard to the development of worker expertise in dealing with personal and professional role boundary issues. The research findings suggested that this group of rural health and welfare practitioners dealt with personal and professional boundary issues through a process of sensitive decision-making and strategic behaviour that became increasingly intuitive over time. Participants oftern adopted elastic and fluid boundaries using their personal experience and local knowledge to inform their professional judgement. These findings have implications for practitioners, for employers, and for educators.
Description:
Decision making processes in the health care setting are often complex, demanding of professionals and rapidly changing. Furthermore, there is increasing pressure for professionals to make reasoning transparent and consistent. Decision support technologies have not made a substantial contribution to these issues to date largely because knowledge is difficult to elicit and maintain and existing development tools are very sophisticated yet complex. In this study a method for representing complex and discretionary reasoning used successfully in law was applied to the task of modelling decision making processes that critical care nurses deploy in responding to a low oxygen alarm. The approach, based on decision and argument tree diagrams enables the rapid development of small scale, yet useful web based decision support systems.
Description:
This study inquired into how well students' spirituality was reflected in their spiritual health and wellbeing. Ninety- seven school staff were interviewed, drawn from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The schools from which the staff were drawn included state (4), Catholic (4), and other non- government schools (14), with the latter including Aboriginal, Islamic, Jewish and Steiner schools. The staff included people in such roles as the principal, curriculum coordinator, chaplain of religious education coordinator, and student welfare coordinator. The methodology and findings are discussed. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
This study inquired into how well students' spirituality was reflected in their spiritual health and wellbeing. Ninety- seven school staff were interviewed, drawn from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. The schools from which the staff were drawn included state (4), Catholic (4), and other non- government schools (14), with the latter including Aboriginal, Islamic, Jewish and Steiner schools. The staff included people in such roles as the principal, curriculum coordinator, chaplain of religious education coordinator, and student welfare coordinator. The methodology and findings are discussed. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
Australia is a large country with 60% of land used for agricultural production. Its interior is sparsely populated, with higher morbidity and mortality recorded in rural areas, particularly farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers. Rural health professionals in addressing health education gaps of farming groups have reported using behavioralist approaches. These approaches in isolation have been criticized as disempowering for participants who are identified as passive learners or 'empty vessels.' A major challenge in rural health practice is to develop more inclusive and innovative models in building improved health outcomes. The Sustainable Farm Families Train the Trainer (SFFTTT) model is a 5-day program developed by Western District Health Service designed to enhance practice among health professionals working with farm families in Australia. This innovative model of addressing farmer health asks health professionals to understand the context of the farm family and encourages them to value the experience and existing knowledge of the farmer, the family and the farm business. The SFFTTT program has engaged with health agencies, community, government, and industry groups across Australia and over 120 rural nurses have been trained since 2005. These trainers have successfully delivered programs to 1000 farm families, with high participant completion, positive evaluation, and improved health indicators. Rural professionals report changes in how they approach health education, clinical practice, and promotion with farm families and agricultural industries. This paper highlights the success of SFFTTT as an effective tool in enhancing primary health practice in rural and remote settings. The program is benefiting not only drought ravaged farmers but assisting rural nurses, health agencies, and health boards to engage with farm families at a level not identified previously. Furthermore, nurses and health professionals are now embracing a more 'farmer-centered model of care.'
Description:
The Enhanced Primary Care Package aimed to improve health and quality of life through enhancing primary health care for those over 75 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 55 years and those with chronic conditions and multidisciplinary needs. A multi-level approach was implemented to promote the package. West Vic Division of General Practice conducted the General Practice Education Support and Community Linkages implementation program for the package in Western Victoria and focused on health assessments for those over 75 years. This research investigated what factors affected change in rural general practitioner practice through surveying general practitioners and collecting Health Insurance Commission data prior to and following the program. Patients were also interviewed to determine acceptance of health assessments and nurse involvement. The program increased awareness, but had little effect on increasing uptake, as only 53% of general practitioners began undertaking health assessments. However the general practitioners indicated an increased frequency of health assessment prescription. Health Insurance Commission data suggested an immediate increase in the use of the assessments, however the rate fluctuated and then declined. Lack of sustained uptake of the program was not associated with remuneration, as 77% of general practitioners did not regard finance as a barrier. Respondents’ major barrier was time (40% pre-education, 73% post-education). This data reflected a rural environment where general practitioners face competing priorities, time constraints, workforce shortage and long consultation lists. A notable change did however occur from practice nurse employment as the involvement of a practice nurse generally resulted in patient satisfaction with the assessment. It was apparent that a complex multifaceted and longer-term view is needed to address factors which limit rural general practitioners’ ability to change. This needs to be addressed at the Commonwealth level and not in isolation in order to produce an integrated framework to enhance and promote, rather than demand change.
Description:
The Enhanced Primary Care Package aimed to improve health and quality of life through enhancing primary health care for those over 75 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 55 years and those with chronic conditions and multidisciplinary needs. A multi-level approach was implemented to promote the package. West Vic Division of General Practice conducted the General Practice Education Support and Community Linkages implementation program for the package in Western Victoria and focused on health assessments for those over 75 years. This research investigated what factors affected change in rural general practitioner practice through surveying general practitioners and collecting Health Insurance Commission data prior to and following the program. Patients were also interviewed to determine acceptance of health assessments and nurse involvement. The program increased awareness, but had little effect on increasing uptake, as only 53% of general practitioners began undertaking health assessments. However the general practitioners indicated an increased frequency of health assessment prescription. Health Insurance Commission data suggested an immediate increase in the use of the assessments, however the rate fluctuated and then declined. Lack of sustained uptake of the program was not associated with remuneration, as 77% of general practitioners did not regard finance as a barrier. Respondents’ major barrier was time (40% pre-education, 73% post-education). This data reflected a rural environment where general practitioners face competing priorities, time constraints, workforce shortage and long consultation lists. A notable change did however occur from practice nurse employment as the involvement of a practice nurse generally resulted in patient satisfaction with the assessment. It was apparent that a complex multifaceted and longer-term view is needed to address factors which limit rural general practitioners’ ability to change. This needs to be addressed at the Commonwealth level and not in isolation in order to produce an integrated framework to enhance and promote, rather than demand change.
Description:
Among the many changes occurring across Chinese society in the early phase of Y2K is the construction and implementation of a new physical education (PE) curriculum. Not unlike recent changes in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, this process has seen a heightening of the profile of health. Presented within a wider framework for making the school curriculum more relevant, PE is more closely aligned with China's emerging health concerns around young people. Foremost here are burgeoning social anxieties about decreased levels of physical activity, dietary practices, risk-taking tendencies, and a general decline of social cohesion/connection across the profile of contemporary youth. This paper reports on a study undertaken to explore the experiences of Chinese PE teachers as they engage with the new curriculum.The data reveals a number of structural, personal and cultural factors that work against teachers taking up the opportunities presented in the new curriculum. Prominent here are; low professional status, an expanding generation gap, lack of training and the grip of deeply rooted cultural values. Juxtaposed against the like experiences of PE teachers in Australia and the UK the paper concludes with practical recommendations for nurturing curriculum change in China.
Description:
Among the many changes occurring across Chinese society in the early phase of Y2K is the construction and implementation of a new physical education (PE) curriculum. Not unlike recent changes in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, this process has seen a heightening of the profile of health. Presented within a wider framework for making the school curriculum more relevant, PE is more closely aligned with China's emerging health concerns around young people. Foremost here are burgeoning social anxieties about decreased levels of physical activity, dietary practices, risk-taking tendencies, and a general decline of social cohesion/connection across the profile of contemporary youth. This paper reports on a study undertaken to explore the experiences of Chinese PE teachers as they engage with the new curriculum.The data reveals a number of structural, personal and cultural factors that work against teachers taking up the opportunities presented in the new curriculum. Prominent here are; low professional status, an expanding generation gap, lack of training and the grip of deeply rooted cultural values. Juxtaposed against the like experiences of PE teachers in Australia and the UK the paper concludes with practical recommendations for nurturing curriculum change in China.
Description:
We wrote this book as a compilation of many years of research and pedagogical experiences around cross-cultural and multidisciplinary design for healthy ageing. In it, we combine different voices and perspectives, including descriptions of several cross-cultural design for healthy ageing workshops conducted with students from design and nursing disciplines in different Australasian locations. These experiences are described in detail, offering a roadmap and many ideas for readers to build upon. Literature reviews and background research inform these practical experiences, which were then used to develop new theory and insights around the topics, mainly from academic and pedagogic points of view. The multiplicity of voices of student participants in the workshops provides a more personalised account of these experiences, while our reflections highlight the pedagogic and life-changing value of these experiences. We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers based mainly in Australia. Initially, a majority of the team members met while working at the University of Canberra (UC), with specialties in nursing, graphic design, industrial design, and fashion design, all from different cultural backgrounds and with interests in health and healthy ageing. Building on research undertaken with several study tours of Australian students from design and nursing to various Asian countries, mainly China and Singapore, and through collaborations with numerous partners including higher education institutions in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the research team explored the multi-layered relationships between design and healthy ageing. "From Introduction"
Description:
Objective: To model the population level impact of tai-chi on future rates of falls and fall-related injury in older people as a tool for policy development. Design: An epidemiological and economic model for estimating population-level effectiveness of tai-chi. Setting: Australia, 2009. Patients or subjects: Australian community-dwelling population aged 70+ years, ambulatory and without debilitating conditions or profound visual defects. Intervention: Group-based tai-chi, for 1 h twice weekly for 26 weeks, assuming no sustained effect beyond the intervention period. Main outcome measure: Total falls and fall-related hospitalisation prevented in 2009. Results: Population-wide tai-chi delivery would prevent an estimated 5440 falls and 109 fall-related hospitalisations, resulting in a 0.18% reduction in the fall related hospital admission rate for community-dwelling older people. The gross costs per fall and per fall-related hospital admission prevented were $ A4414 ((sic)3013) and $A220 712 ((sic)150 684), respectively. A total investment of $A24.01 million ((sic)16.39 million), equivalent to 4.2% of the cost of fall-related episodes of hospital care in 2003/4, would be required to provide tai-chi for 31 998 people and achieve this effect. Conclusions: Substantial investment in, and high population uptake of, tai-chi would be required to have a large effect on falls and fall-related hospitalisation rates. Although not accounted for in this study, investment in tai-chi is likely to be associated with additional significant health benefits beyond falls prevention. This approach could be applied to other interventions to assist selection of the most cost effective falls-prevention portfolio for Australia and other countries.
Description:
A partial latent structural regression analysis was used to evaluate the role of coping resources, depression, diet and exercise on mental and physical health status. The sample consisted of 113 participants (59 females and 54 males) with a mean age of 59.38 years (SD = 10.52). Coping resources, depression and exercise explained 52 and 26% of the variance in mental and physical health status, respectively. Fewer coping resources predicted higher levels of depression and both predicted worse mental health. Only higher levels of depression predicted worse physical health status. There were also significant indirect effects of coping on mental and physical health status through depression. The development of cognitive, social and emotional coping strategies is important for managing depression and supporting positive mental health. These results highlight the important role of health psychologists in the care of individuals with chronic illness. Additionally, the management of depression is important in maintaining positive physical health.
Description:
As Australia heads into a new era of implementing a National Curriculum, the place of Outdoor Education in Australianschools is under question. In the initial drafts of the National Curriculum, Outdoor Education has been marginalised. Theauthors propose that Outdoor Education should maintain a strong role, especially as processes of experiential learning are applied across the curriculum. Moreover, Outdoor Education oers distinctive content and learning experiences that would be lost in the current draft framework. This paper considers the role and place of Outdoor Education in the NationalCurriculum and frames possible considerations, challenges and risks