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Applied aspirations : design and applied art at the Ballarat Technical Art School during the early twentieth century

  • Authors: Whetter, Elise
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: Applied art and design schools operate at the nexus of art, industry, and education. During the early decades of the twentieth century, the regionally located Ballarat Technical Art School (BTAS) was the leading institution of its kind in Victoria, Australia, amid shifting economic, cultural, and pedagogical conditions. Emerging from a 1907 amalgamation of institutions, and subsequently administrated by the School of Mines Ballarat (SMB), BTAS was equipped with the assets, experience, and historic reputation necessary to surpass its provincial and metropolitan rivals. This micro-historical case-study employs qualitative analysis of primary sources to investigate the aims, outputs, and importance of BTAS, contextualised by the expectations and influences it operated under during the inaugural principalship of artist and educator, Herbert Henry Smith. Smith oversaw the training of designers, craftspeople, artists, and teachers from 1907 until his retirement in early 1940—a period of tumultuous events, fiscal obstacles, and social and cultural debate. The institution was accountable to diverse stakeholders and arbiters of taste, and successive cohorts learned in a contested space between tradition, origination, and modernisation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural theory serves to navigate this web of hierarchies, assumptions, and tensions, while secondary sources help contextualise findings. This thesis also discusses the suite of drawing, design and material-based disciplines delivered at BTAS as single subjects, full courses, and supplementary art-trade training. Throughout, featured students provide examples of regionally trained, Australian designer-maker and artist-teacher experiences. BTAS students learned from ambitious and skilled men and women, benefited from strong professional networks, and fostered a notable esprit-de-corps. The school was significant for its contribution to female technical training. The school’s pre-eminent position was modified during the late 1920s, when much art and art-teacher training was re-centred in Melbourne. Yet, the valuable, compelling, and widespread influence of Ballarat Technical Art School graduates resonated for decades.
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

Challenges faced by early-career researchers in the sciences in Australia and the consequent effect of those challenges on their careers : a mixed methods project

  • Authors: Christian, Katherine
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges faced by early-career researchers (ECRs) in the sciences in Australia and the consequent effect of those challenges on their careers. Using a realist/postpositivist paradigm, an evaluative approach, and a framework of job satisfaction, this project has explored and compared the views of ECRs to evaluate the factors which shape the ECR experience and contribute to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction and intention to leave, and to define the features which are necessary to keep an ECR in research. Data collection for this mixed methods study entailed a national survey of researchers working in universities and research institutes (n=658), a focus group discussion and semistructured in-depth interviews with eight women from a variety of scientific disciplines who had recently left academic research workplaces. I focussed particularly on the difficulties consequent to job insecurity: the constant need to attracting funding and a permanent position, lack of work-life balance and associated stress; and evidence of workplace difficulties such as bullying, harassment or inequity and support – or lack of it – offered by the research institutions. I examined the factors which contribute to and barriers which prevent job satisfaction of this population, and the consequent intention (if any) for ECRs to leave research or change their career path. I found an interesting situation whereby the satisfaction derived from a “love of science” was counterbalanced by stress and poor working conditions which are a consequence of lack of job security, typified by poor supervision, bullying or harassment, inequitable hiring practices, a concerning rate of impact from “questionable research practices” (impacting 34%-41% of respondents) and evidence of very high (80%) intention of ECRs to leave their position. The most significant predictor of intention to leave is time as a postdoctoral scientist: eventually the job insecurity and its associated stresses become too much and the ECRs leave their chosen career for work elsewhere. This decision, too, provides interesting findings as many of the ECRs have difficulty planning what to do next. They feel ill-prepared for an alternate career and suffer from a sense of failure as a result of having to leave academia. While addressing the shortage of funding is outside the scope of this study, in addition to offering my findings I put forward a range of recommendations which could lead to ar change of culture and benefit the wellbeing of ECRs in STEMM without incurring significant cost. The Australian Government, higher education institutions and the research community need to improve job security and workplace conditions and take better care of our people in STEMM disciplines or we will not have the scientists we need to deliver the “innovative Australia” planned for 2030 (Department of Industry Innovation and Science, 2018)
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

Factors affecting the organizational adoption of blockchain technology : extending the technology–organization– environment (TOE) framework in the Australian context

  • Authors: Malik, Saleem , Chadhar, Mehmood , Vatanasakdakul, Savanid , Chetty, Madhu
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 16 (2021), p.
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  • Description: Blockchain technology (BCT) has been gaining popularity due to its benefits for almost every industry. However, despite its benefits, the organizational adoption of BCT is rather limited. This lack of uptake motivated us to identify the factors that influence the adoption of BCT from an organizational perspective. In doing this, we reviewed the BCT literature, interviewed BCT experts, and proposed a research model based on the TOE framework. Specifically, we theorized the role of technological (perceived benefits, compatibility, information transparency, and disintermediation), organizational (organization innovativeness, organizational learning capability, and top management support), and environmental (competition intensity, government support, trading partners readiness, and standards uncertainty) factors in the organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. We confirmed the model with a sample of adopters and potential adopter organizations in Aus-tralia. The results show a significant role of the proposed factors in the organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. Additionally, we found that the relationship between the influential factors and BCT adoption is moderated by “perceived risks”. The study extends the TOE framework by adding factors that were ignored in previous studies on BCT adoption, such as perceived information trans-parency, perceived disintermediation, organizational innovativeness, organizational learning capa-bility, and standards uncertainty. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

HTLV-I and strongyloides in Australia : the worm lurking beneath

  • Authors: Gordon, Catherine , Shield, Jennifer , Bradbury, Richard , Muhi, Stephen , Page, Wendy
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Advances in Parasitology p. 119-201
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  • Description: Strongyloidiasis and HTLV-I (human T-lymphotropic virus-1) are important infections that are endemic in many countries around the world with an estimated 370 million infected with Strongyloides stercoralis alone, and 5–10 million with HTVL-I. Co-infections with these pathogens are associated with significant morbidity and can be fatal. HTLV-I infects T-cells thus causing dysregulation of the immune system which has been linked to dissemination and hyperinfection of S. stercoralis leading to bacterial sepsis which can result in death. Both of these pathogens are endemic in Australia primarily in remote communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Other cases in Australia have occurred in immigrants and refugees, returned travellers, and Australian Defence Force personnel. HTLV-I infection is lifelong with no known cure. Strongyloidiasis is a long-term chronic disease that can remain latent for decades, as shown by infections diagnosed in prisoners of war from World War II and the Vietnam War testing positive decades after they returned from these conflicts. This review aims to shed light on concomitant infections of HTLV-I with S. stercoralis primarily in Australia but in the global context as well. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Richard Bradbury" is provided in this record**

Influences on Islamists : an analysis of radicalisation and terrorism in an Australian context

  • Authors: Dimaksyan, Margarita
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: Terrorism has long existed throughout history. However the Islamist terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (known as 9/11) in the United States represented a fundamental turning point and a significant change in the terrorism landscape. Since 9/11, terrorism discourse has dominated not only the media, but also a sense of security and safety globally. Over a decade after 9/11, there was another significant shift with the declaration of a caliphate in June 2014 by terrorist organisation, Daesh. The atrocities committed by and in the name of this terrorist group sparked global outrage and horror and have had long lasting impacts around the world. Despite the fact that the conflict originated in the Middle East, the impact was felt domestically with a number of terrorist attacks perpetrated and planned in Australia in the name of an extremist neojihadist ideology. To understand Islamist terrorism in an Australian context, this thesis explores the factors which have influenced the radicalisation of domestic Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts. This is achieved having regard to the characteristics of 194 Islamist terrorists from Australia who engaged in a multitude of terrorist acts between 2001 and 2018 (either domestically or overseas), their motives and the role of social and familial networks on their radicalisation and involvement in terrorism. In responding to the central research question – In an Australian context, what has influenced the radicalisation of Islamist terrorists who have engaged in terrorist acts? – this thesis:
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

Reliability of the tools used to examine psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping amongst migrants and non-migrants in Australia

  • Authors: Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Salehin, Masudus , Islam, Sheikh Mohammed , Alif, Sheikh M. , Cross, Wendy
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol. 30, no. 3 (2021), p. 747-758
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  • Description: Study tools examining psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping amongst migrants and non-migrants in Australia are very limited. The aim of this research was to assess the psychometric properties and correlation of the English version of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCSV-19S), and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) tools during the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Australia. Data from a cross-sectional survey (n = 516) were utilized to examine reliability; 299 (57.9%) were migrants. High internal consistency, as evidenced by Cronbach’s alpha, was found for the K-10 (0.92), FCV-19S (0.87) and BRCS (0.66) tools. The corresponding values for migrants and non-migrants were (0.92, 0.87, 0.67) and (0.92, 0.86, 0.63), respectively. Item-total correlations ranged 0.57-0.78 for K-10, 0.62–0.69 for FCV-19S, and 0.39–0.50 for BRCS tools. EFA retained a single factor for each tool with adequate factor loadings. The scoring of K-10 was significantly predicted by the scoring of FCV-19S (r = 0.284, P < 0.001) and BRCS tool (r = 0.132, P < 0.01). Therefore, these tools can be used reliably amongst both migrant and non-migrant population in Australia. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Muhammad Aziz Rahman and Wendy Cross" is provided in this record**

The Australian digital online farm trials database increases the quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in grains crop research

  • Authors: Walters, Judi , Light, Kate
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Crop and Pasture Science Vol. 72, no. 10 (2021), p. 789-800
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  • Description: Synthesis and analysis of past cropping research can provide valuable information to direct future decisions around crop management. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are considered gold standards in the synthesis and analysis of scientific research because they distil large amounts of information about complex issues, provide a summary of knowledge to date, and identify knowledge gaps. However, several issues concerning the methodologies employed to conduct systematic reviews have been identified; among them is the risk of publication bias when a review relies too heavily on 'white' literature from published academic sources and in so doing fails identify relevant 'grey' literature. Grey literature is inherently difficult to identify and collect, but forms a large portion of information available in many fields including agricultural-based research within Australia. The Online Farm Trials (OFT) database is a digital database of crop research field trial data from across Australia that has the potential for use as a discipline-specific source of grey literature to inform systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Using a case study approach to investigate the amount of information available on time of sowing (sowing date) on crop yield across Australia, we demonstrate that the OFT database provides easy access to transparent and reproducible search results similar to other commonly used academic databases. © 2021 Journal Compilation

The role of ideological attitudes in responses to COVID-19 threat and government restrictions in Australia

  • Authors: Clarke, Edward , Klas, Anna , Dyos, Emily
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 175, no. (2021), p.
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  • Description: Many government strategies to reduce the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) involved unprecedented restrictions on personal movement, disrupting social and economic norms. Although generally well-received in Australia, community frustration regarding these restrictions appeared to diverge across political lines. Therefore, we examined the unique effects of the ideological subfactors of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA; Aggression, Submission and Conventionalism) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO; Dominance and Anti-egalitarianism) in predicting perceived personal threat of COVID-19, and support for and reactance to government restrictions, in Australian residents across two separate samples (S1 N = 451, S2 N = 838). COVID-19 threat was positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, and Anti-egalitarianism. Support for restrictions was also positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. Reactance to government restrictions was negatively predicted by Submission, and positively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. These findings suggest that right-wing ideological subfactors contribute to the one's perception of COVID-19 threat and government restrictions differentially. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Whatever happened to gender equality in Australian and New Zealand universities?

  • Authors: Bönisch-Brednich, Brigitte , White, Kate
  • Date: 2021
  • Type: Text , Book chapter
  • Relation: Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education p. 93-115
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  • Description: This chapter examines why progress towards getting more women into senior management has been slow in Australian and New Zealand public universities. It argues that despite implementation of gender-equality policies, the structural sources of gender equality have not been tackled. Most recently this has been reflected in merging gender equality with other initiatives, transforming it from a separate and stand-alone goal. The data is derived from senior managers who were responsible for gender equality during COVID-19 and an analysis of the strategic plans of all public universities. While such senior managers expressed a commitment to change, the university strategic plans revealed either an absence of gender-equality initiatives or their low priority. “Gender” has mostly been subsumed into crowded equity/diversity/inclusion portfolios, making gender inequality invisible. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

A narrative review of pharmacotherapy treatment for opioid addiction and application in a community-based model in Victoria, Australia

  • Authors: Vishwanath, Tejaswini , Cash, Penelope , Penney, Wendy , Cant, Robyn
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction Vol. 18, no. 1 (2020), p. 66-76
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  • Description: To review the literature regarding the value and consumer focus of research on opioid replacement therapy (ORT) programs, relevant to the Australian rural context and community pharmacy. We conducted a narrative review of literature published between 1995 and 2015, searching EBSCOhost, PubMed and Google Scholar. Three authors collaborated to screen and synthesise studies. Effectiveness, cost affordability, diversion and retention benefits were reported from pharmacological or prescribers’ or dispensers’ standpoint. Research was fragmented and evaluated contributions of these individual types of stakeholders with less discussion of consumers, or consumers’ everyday experiences of ORT. No studies took into account consumers’ psychosocial aspects or power discourses. We found ORT as a beneficial treatment for opioid dependence is well researched, although overall Australian program evaluation was lacking. A gap within ORT literature should be addressed by making consumer experiences central in designs for future research and for program evaluation. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Adoption of blockchain technology in the Australian grains trade : an assessment of potential economic effects

  • Authors: Gunasekera, Don , Valenzuela, Ernesto
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Economic Papers Vol. 39, no. 2 (2020), p. 152-161
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  • Description: Recent analysis of Blockchain use has highlighted considerable potential productivity gains arising from lower transaction costs between buyers and sellers of goods. This has been shown by recent examples of Blockchain use in the Australian grains sector. In this paper, we have further developed and quantified this concept of productivity gain by undertaking several illustrative scenarios using a general equilibrium model of the global economy. Our analysis indicates that an assumed modest growth (five per cent) in productivity due to Blockchain use in the grains sector could raise output by eight per cent over the medium term. If this is accompanied by Blockchain use in the Australian finance sector, grains output could reach ten per cent. This reflects the effect of reduction in transaction costs due to the use of Blockchain technology as a “distributed ledger technology” in grain trading. Further, it is anticipated that the wider effects of Blockchain-driven productivity enhancement of the Australian finance sector could contribute to approximately 2.5 per cent increase in GDP in the medium term, relative to what would otherwise be. © 2020 The Economic Society of Australia

An Australian international teaching practicum in China : exploring multiple perspectives

  • Authors: Jin, Aijing , Parr, Graham , Cooley, Dean
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australian Educational Researcher Vol. 47, no. 2 (2020), p. 263-281
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  • Description: In the context of increasing interest in international teaching practicums, this study investigated the perceptions of Australian pre-service teachers, Chinese mentor teachers and Chinese school students vis-à-vis an international teaching practicum in Anshan, China. Utilising a case study design and thematic analysis methods, the authors critically investigate how the participants from Australia and China perceived the benefits and challenges associated with that practicum. The analysis draws on data from pre-service teachers’ reflective reports, mentor teachers’ interviews and local student questionnaires. The data show that this international teaching practicum was a mutually beneficial and valuable experience for all participants. However, the study revealed challenges and tensions with respect to the meeting of Australian and Chinese educational systems because of their very different social and cultural contexts. Recommendations are made for improving the experience of all participants in international teaching practicums into the future. © 2019, The Australian Association for Research in Education, Inc.

Coercive control of money, dowry and remittances among Indian migrant women in Australia

  • Authors: Singh, Supriya , Sidhu, Jasvinder
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: South Asian Diaspora Vol. 12, no. 1 (2020), p. 35-50
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  • Description: This paper examines how coercive control underlies financial abuse as men re-interpret the gender of money, stripping it of its moral safeguards. Financial abuse denies women access and agency over money. It works through male reinterpretation of how money is gendered–that is the way men and women own, inherit, use, manage and control money. Recent Indian migrant women experience coercive control when the male control of money is exercised without responsibility for the welfare of the wife and children. The family boundary of money becomes a way of extorting money from the wife’s family. Sending money home, a sign of filial responsibility, becomes abusive when the wife is not consulted, leaving the family in Australia without sufficient money for their settlement needs. This paper extends the theoretical and geographic breadth of studies of family violence among Indian women in the diaspora. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

New Lobellini (collembola : neanuridae) from Queensland contribute to understanding distribution and ecology of Australian fauna

  • Authors: Smolis, Adrian , Greenslade, Penelope
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Austral Entomology Vol. 59, no. 2 (2020), p. 253-264
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  • Description: Two new species from Queensland rainforest belonging to genera Hemilobella and Sphaeronura are described and illustrated with drawings and colour photographs. Hemilobella matildae sp. nov. Smolis and Greenslade is characterised by elongated tubercles laterally on body and an elongated ogival labrum. Sphaeronura ameliae sp. nov. Smolis and Greenslade differs from other taxa in the genus in chaetotaxic features and the presence of a male ventral organ. A new record of Australonura scoparia is included. The high species richness of lowland rainforests, in which these log inhabiting saproxylic species were found, is noted, and the contribution that extreme events such as cyclones in maintaining the fallen timber habitat is emphasised. The bright colour of these species may be caused by sequestered pigments from the slime moulds on which they feed. The colour probably also acts as a warning to predators that individuals are distasteful. A description of the distributions, characteristics, distinctiveness and possible genesis of Australian fauna of the subfamily Neanurinae is presented, and a checklist of species and key to all Australian genera of the subfamily is included. Species in this subfamily are predominately short-range endemics so should be surveyed whenever wet forests are under threat from logging or urban expansion. © 2020 Australian Entomological Society

Older women in australia : facing the challenges of dual sensory loss

  • Authors: Heine, Chyrisse , Gong, Cathy , Feldman, Susan , Browning, Colette
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 17, no. 1 (2020), p.
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  • Description: With the increase in longevity, the number of women living into old age is rising and higher than that of men. Data was derived from the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing Program, which included 533 women and 467 men aged 65 years and older, in Australia, over 10 years. Logistic regression modeling was used to investigate the prevalence of dual sensory loss and the unmet needs for vision and hearing devices in older women (compared to men) over time, as well as its impacts on self-reported general health, depression, perceived social activities, community service use and ageing in place. Results suggested that the prevalence of dual sensory loss increased for women from the age of 75 years and over. Dual sensory loss was higher for older women and men who were living alone, with government benefits as their main income source or were divorced, separated or widowed. Dual sensory loss had significant impacts on poor general health, perceived inadequate social activities and community service use for women and men and on depression for women only. Early identification of dual sensory loss is essential to minimize its effects, ensuring continued well-being for this population. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Organophosphate exposure and the chronic effects on farmers: a narrative review

  • Authors: Perry, Jessica , Cotton, Jacqueline , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Brumby, Susan
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Rural and remote health Vol. 20, no. 1 (2020), p. 4508
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  • Description: INTRODUCTION: Organophosphates are a class of insecticides used globally by the agricultural industry for insect control. Acute consequences of organophosphate exposures are well known, while there has been limited research on their long-term effects. The objective of this review was to discuss the health effects of chronic organophosphate exposure in farmers. METHODS: Medline, Scopus and Web of Science were searched to find the relevant articles. Articles published only in English and until December 2018 were reviewed. The selected articles were then categorised as neurological (neurobehaviour, neurodevelopmental, neurological signs and symptoms) or non-neurological subheadings. RESULTS: A total of 53 articles for neurological effects and 17 articles for non-neurological effects were identified. Chronic organophosphates exposure was associated with deficits in the neurobehaviour subsets of attention and short-term memory, increased incidence of neurodegenerative diseases and effects on peripheral nerves and neurodevelopment. However, research to support non-neurological effects such as respiratory symptoms, increased cancer risk, endocrine disruption, cardiac issues, chronic fatigue and infertility was limited. CONCLUSION: Chronic organophosphate exposure was found to affect four of the five areas of described neurological effects in the literature. A large proportion of the research in this area was not methodologically strong, therefore few recommendations can be conclusively made. Future research is warranted to investigate the non-neurological effects of chronic exposure to ensure the occupational risks of low-level chronic exposure are clearly communicated to farmers and farm workers.

Public perception of medical errors : experiences and risks shared in Australia

  • Authors: Kim, Jeong-ah , Terry, Daniel , Jang, Sunny , Nguyen, Hoang , Gilbert, Julia , Cruickshank, Mary
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 8, no. 1 (2020), p. 35-41
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  • Description: Background: Research into patient safety has largely focused on healthcare organisations bureaucratic routines, with little research available regarding the impact of patient perceptions on clinical practice. Acknowledging and openly discussing patient perceptions of medical errors may result in improved quality of healthcare. The research study aimed to gain a better understanding of the public's perception of medical errors to drive a structured approach to improve healthcare outcomes. Methods: In this study, we examined the public experiences of medical errors using an anonymous on-line survey to collect empirical data from April to December 2018. A total of 407 responses were obtained with 303 participants meeting the criteria for inclusion in the study. Results: The majority (74.9%) of these participants identified that they had experienced a medical error during receiving healthcare in Australia and 73% of these confirmed that they were harmed as a result of these errors. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that many participants have experienced medical errors when accessing healthcare in Australia. These findings provide information and a deeper understanding of patient experiences and perceptions of healthcare service delivery which can be used by healthcare organisations to improve healthcare services and promote patient participation in their care. Copyright©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License

Suicide in rural Australia : are farming-related suicides different?

  • Authors: Kennedy, Alison , Adams, Jessie , Dwyer, Jeremy , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Brumby, Susan
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 17, no. 6 (2020), p.
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  • Description: Rural Australians experience a range of health inequities—including higher rates of suicide—when compared to the general population. This retrospective cohort study compares demographic characteristics and suicide death circumstances of farming-and non-farming-related suicides in rural Victoria with the aim of: (a) exploring the contributing factors to farming-related suicide in Australia’s largest agricultural producing state; and (b) examining whether farming-related suicides differ from suicide in rural communities. Farming-related suicide deaths were more likely to: (a) be employed at the time of death (52.6% vs. 37.7%, OR = 1.84, 95% CIs 1.28–2.64); and, (b) have died through use of a firearm (30.1% vs. 8.7%, OR = 4.51, 95% CIs 2.97–6.92). However, farming-related suicides were less likely to (a) have a diagnosed mental illness (36.1% vs. 46.1%, OR=0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.96) and, (b) have received mental health support more than six weeks prior to death (39.8% vs. 50.0%, OR = 0.66, 95% CIs 0.46–0.95). A range of suicide prevention strategies need adopting across all segments of the rural population irrespective of farming status. However, data from farming-related suicides highlight the need for targeted firearm-related suicide prevention measures and appropriate, tailored and accessible support services to support health, well-being and safety for members of farming communities. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

The data deficit for asthma emergency presentations might surprise you : how RAHDaR addresses the data chasm

  • Authors: Terry, Daniel , Peck, Blake , Kloot, Kate
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Rural and remote health Vol. 20, no. 2 (2020), p. 5776
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  • Description: INTRODUCTION: National and state-based minimum data sets remain inadequate in providing a complete representation of emergency presentations, especially among paediatric asthma presentations. Thus, the aim of the study was to identify if a deficit exists in current emergency paediatric asthma hospital presentation datasets and how this may inform an understanding of childhood asthma in Victoria Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined emergency hospital presentation data between 1 February 2017 and 31 January 2019. All paediatric (0-14 years) emergency asthma presentation data were collected from nine hospitals in south-western Victoria, Australia, using the Rural Acute Hospital Data Register (RAHDaR), which gathers both Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD) data from larger government hospitals, and non-VEMD data from smaller, more rural institutions. RESULTS: Of the 854 emergency presentations identified for children with asthma aged 0-14 years, 540 (63.2%) were managed initially at larger government-reporting hospitals. A total of 314 (36.8%) emergency presentations were initially managed at emergency facilities, such as urgent care centres. Overall, it was found that a total 278 (32.5%) of all emergency presentations did not appear in current government datasets. CONCLUSION: The RAHDaR database, a complete register of data, captures all emergency presentations in south-western Victoria and highlights as much as a 33% deficit in the data currently available to inform asthma resource initiatives including policy development, funding allocation, prevention and management initiatives in Victoria. More accurate data from sources such as RAHDaR are essential to fill the now-evident data chasm.

‘The sun is far away, but there must be the sun’ : Chinese students’ experiences of an international teaching practicum in China

  • Authors: Jin, Aijing , Parr, Graham , Hui, Leng
  • Date: 2020
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Educational Research Vol. 62, no. 4 (2020), p. 474-491
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  • Description: Background: Small cohorts of pre-service teachers (PSTs) have been successfully undertaking teaching practicums in a range of international settings for more than 40 years, as part of their initial teacher education studies. Most research into these international teaching practicums (ITPs) has concentrated on the benefits for western PSTs and their western academic mentors, but limited attention has been paid to the experiences, benefits and challenges of non-western practicum partners. The study addresses this gap in the literature by focusing on Chinese students’ perceptions of a three-week international teaching practicum in China. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of Chinese students who were taught by Australian PSTs as part of an international teaching practicum in China. Method: Using content analysis methods and a border-crossing theoretical framework, this small scale qualitative case study analysed, in depth, the reflective writing of Year 7 (12- to 13-year-old) and Year 11 (16- to 17-year-old) students from three schools across two different cities in China. Findings: The analysis indicated that students enjoyed the practicum experience, with many of the older students showing a nuanced appreciation of the cultural and pedagogical contrasts between the Australian PSTs’ teaching of English and that of their usual Chinese teachers. While some students were concerned that the Australians’ teaching did not adequately prepare them for high-stakes national tests, others reported that their whole attitude to learning English had changed so that English was now one of their favourite subjects as a result of being taught by the Australian pre-service teachers. Conclusions: Through investigating local Chinese students’ experiences of an international teaching practicum, this study contributes to the now substantial body of literature that affirms the value of such intercultural education programmes. The study argues for the value of intercultural ‘crossing over’ experiences for non-western as well as western practicum partners, and urges educational researchers to listen to the voices of local students when researching international teaching practicums. © 2020 NFER.