Unemployment and health: the healthcare system's role.

Experts from the South Western Sydney Area Health Service and the University of New South Wales say there are few reports of healthcare interventions to address the impact of unemployment on health. They outline possible strategies, which include providing accessible and appropriate healthcare; developing the healthcare system's capacity to deal with the health problems of unemployed people; collaborating with other agencies and sectors working on this issue; acting as an advocate for unemployed people; undertaking research; and providing training, work experience and employment opportunities within the healthcare system. Long term solutions lie in increasing employment and training opportunities. Nevertheless, there is a clear role for the healthcare system in reducing the health impacts of unemployment and ensuring that poor health does not act as a barrier to returning to work.

Ethics decision-making in Australian hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methods used to resolve ethical issues in hospitals throughout Australia. DESIGN: A descriptive study from data collected by a questionnaire survey of Australian public and private hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Hospital administrators and employees nominated by hospital administrators. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were received from 739 (74%) hospitals. Methods used to resolve ethical issues included personal reflection, discussion between health professionals and discussion between health professionals and patients. A variety of committees were identified as having some role in the discussion of ethical issues, but only a small number of hospitals had established ethics committees. CONCLUSION: Doctor-patient interaction and discussion between practitioners are the most common methods used to resolve ethical issues. Various committees are also used and, of these, ethics committees are not the most commonly consulted.

Postural stability, falls and fractures in the elderly: results from the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess measures of postural stability in a large population of persons aged over 60 years in order to compare performance between fallers and non-fallers and relate postural stability to fracture prevalence. METHODS: The sensorimotor, visual and balance functions were measured in 1762 ambulatory, community-dwelling patients aged between 60 and 100 years (mean age, 70.1 years) living in a large semi-urban Australian city. A history of recent falls and fractures was recorded at the time of assessment. RESULTS: The prevalence of impairment in all tests increased with age. Men performed significantly better than women in tests of muscle strength, visual field dependence, sway on the floor with eyes open and dynamic balance. In the 12 months before testing, 72.3% of the patients experienced no falls, 18.4% fell only once and 9.3% fell on two or more occasions. Multiple fallers had weaker quadriceps, poorer tactile sensitivity, greater visual field dependence and greater body sway than other patients. Test scores for once-only fallers were mostly between those for non-fallers and multiple fallers. Those who suffered recent fall-related fractures had significantly reduced tactile sensitivity and quadriceps strength and increased body sway. Postural stability was also impaired in patients taking psychoactive and/or anti-hypertensive medications. CONCLUSION: Tests of postural stability can identify, independently of age, individuals living in the community who are at risk of falls and fall-related fractures.

Ethical issues in Australian hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the most common ethical issues of concern in Australian hospitals. DESIGN: A descriptive study using data collected by means of a questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred and thirty-nine (74%) hospital administrators and employees nominated by hospital administrators in Australian public and private hospitals. RESULTS: Over half the respondents reported that ethical concerns had been raised in relation to: making "not for resuscitation orders"; the treatment of patients with HIV and AIDS; interprofessional conflict; and the allocation of resources. CONCLUSION: "End of life" concerns, patient autonomy issues, questions of resource distribution, and communication difficulties commonly raise ethical concerns in Australian hospitals.

Multivariate models for predicting abstention following intervention to stop smoking by general practitioners.

Predictors of successful smoking cessation were examined in a randomized controlled trial of 450 smokers who received an intervention by their general practitioner (GP). Pretreatment characteristics predicting outcome at 3, 6 and 12 months and for continuous abstinence to 12 months were determined using logistic regression analyses. Results showed the variables that significantly predicted abstention at 3 months were age and motivation, whereas the predictors at 6 months were socio-economic status, motivation, level of dependence and time spent with smokers. No single predictor emerged at 12 months. Predictors for continuous abstinence to 12 months were age, time spent with smokers and motivation. A model was developed which best describes the likelihood of patients achieving continuous long-term abstinence. The results show that five factors (high motivation level, older age, less time spent with smokers, low dependence level, and higher socio-economic status) together have a 76% accuracy of predicting continuous abstinence to 12 months.

Weight change after smoking cessation in general practice.

OBJECTIVE: To examine weight change among patients attending a smoking cessation program administered by general practitioners. DESIGN: Body weight and smoking level were measured at the initial assessment and at a six-month follow-up visit. Pretreatment measures of demographic, attitudinal and smoking-related variables were examined for relationship to weight gain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 235 patients who were part of a smoking cessation study in Sydney. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Change in weight over six months. RESULTS: Abstainers (n = 52) gained an average of 4.0 kg, significantly more than continuing smokers who gained an average of 1.2 kg. Among abstainers, only self-ratings of good health predicted weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that weight gain among general practice patients following smoking cessation is similar to that in other research settings.

One-year evaluation of three smoking cessation interventions administered by general practitioners.

Three smoking cessation interventions designed for use by general practitioners (GPs) within the routine consultation were evaluated in a field setting using 26 GPs throughout metropolitan Sydney. A total of 450 smoking patients were allocated to either Structured Behavioral Change with nicotine gum (Group SBCN), Structured Behavioral Change without nicotine gum (Group SBC), or GP advice with nicotine gum (Group AN). Although significant differences in the percentage of abstainers were observed between Groups SBCN and SBC three weeks after treatment (39% vs. 26%), the point prevalence abstinence rate for patients at 12 months declined to 19, 18, and 12% for Groups SBCN, SBC, and AN, respectively. Continuous abstinence to the end of the 12-month period was 9% for Groups SBCN and SBC, and 6% for Group AN. Forty-eight percent of the 450 patients made an attempt to stop smoking, and 89% reduced their cigarette consumption at some point during the study. Examination of 132 self-selecting patients who fully participated in the three interventions and attended all scheduled visits, revealed significantly larger proportions of abstainers within Groups SBCN (34%) and SBC (33%) than in Group AN (15%) at the 12-month follow-up.

Clinical parameters associated with falls in an elderly population.

Eighty-one elderly residents of a hostel for the aged (mean age 83.3 years) underwent clinical medical assessments to examine susceptibility to falling. The medical examination was structured and followed a clinical format with particular emphasis upon posture and gait, in addition to routine examination of the cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal, haemopoietic, genitourinary, musculoskeletal and visual systems. These subjects were then followed up for 1 year to assess whether these clinical measures were associated with falls. Seventy-six residents were available for follow-up. Thirty-four subjects (44.7%) reported having no falls in the follow-up year, 10 (13.2%) fell once only, 13 (17.1%) fell on two occasions whilst 19 (25.0%) fell three or more times. Seventy-two percent of all falls occurred in the hostel building. Certain clinical factors showed high specificity (i.e. only a few non-fallers screened positive in the tests) but low sensitivity (i.e. there were considerable numbers of residents who screened negatively, but fell in the 12-month follow-up period). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed impaired cognition, abnormal reaction to any push or pressure, history of palpitations and abnormal stepping as variables that independently and significantly predicted falling. The equation predicted falls with 70.7% sensitivity and 79.4% specificity, with an overall predictive accuracy of 74.7%. It appears that a modified focussed clinical examination could provide the basis of a short assessment for predicting falls and highlight possible intervention strategies for reducing fall risk.

Do Australian researchers accept committee review and conduct ethical research?

We sought researchers' views on the ethics of research practice and the Australian system of review of research proposals by research ethics committees (RECs). Researchers were found to be supportive of review of research proposals, even though they thought that the process of review was time consuming and demanding. However, our findings suggest that not all researchers present their research proposals for review by committees, and that some researchers deviate from their approved proposals without seeking approval for those deviations from an REC. Researchers supported monitoring of research by RECs.

Physiological factors associated with falls in an elderly population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a battery of 13 sensorimotor, vestibular, and visual tests discriminates between elderly fallers and elderly non-fallers. DESIGN: One-year prospective study. SETTING: Conducted at a 124-bed Hostel for Aged Persons, in Sydney, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-five persons aged between 59 and 97 years (mean age 82.7 years) took part in the study. Of the 29 non-participants, four were ill, five were absent (on holidays, etc), and 20 declined. Residents were generally independent in activities of daily living although personal care assistance was available. RESULTS: Eighty-four participants were available for follow-up. In the follow-up year, 40 subjects experienced no falls, 11 subjects fell one time only, 33 residents fell on two or more occasions. There was a total of 145 falls. Discriminant function analysis identified proprioception in the lower limbs visual contrast sensitivity, ankle dorsiflexion strength, reaction time, and sway with the eyes closed as the variables that significantly discriminated between subjects who experienced multiple falls and subjects who experienced no falls or one fall only. This procedure correctly classified 79% of subjects into multiple faller or non-multiple faller groups. Quadriceps strength was poorer in the multiple fallers compared with the non-fallers and once-only fallers, although the difference was not statistically significant. There was little difference in the mean scores for the tests of vestibular function in the non-fallers, once-only fallers, and multiple fallers. CONCLUSION: It appears that this approach highlights some key physiological factors that predispose elderly individuals to falls.

Innovative bridging program for overseas trained doctors.

Most overseas trained doctors wishing to practise in Australia are required to sit for examinations set by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) before they can seek registration through State medical boards. In 1989, the South Western Sydney Area Health Service, which is responsible for the delivery of health services to 650,000 people, initiated a bridging program with the joint aim of providing overseas trained doctors with the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive program of study and facilitating the recruitment of doctors into the area. The program comprises two integrated components, each extending over five months. Stage 1 relates to the AMC's multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) examination; stage 2 prepares candidates for the clinical examination. In addition, provision is made for developing awareness of professional responsibility, standards and ethical bases for the practice of medicine in Australia. Participants are also required to study English and communication skills throughout the program. Acceptance into the program is based on a number of criteria including successful completion of a screening test and an interview. Progression to the Clinical Course requires that candidates pass the MCQ Course and undertake to work in the area. The program has been funded jointly by State and Commonwealth Government bodies. Results obtained by program participants in the MCQ and clinical examinations conducted by the AMC have been well ahead of the national average.

Postural stability and associated physiological factors in a population of aged persons.

A battery of 13 visual, vestibular, sensorimotor, and balance tests was administered to 95 elderly persons (mean age 82.7 years) to examine the relationships between specific sensorimotor functions and measures of postural stability. When subjects stood on a firm surface, increased body sway was associated with poor tactile sensitivity and poor joint position sense. When subjects stood on a compliant surface (which reduced peripheral sensation) with their eyes open, increased body sway was associated with poor visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, reduced vibration sense, and decreased ankle dorsiflexion strength as well as reduced joint position sense. Increased body sway with eyes closed on the compliant surface was associated with poor tactile sensation, reduced quadriceps and ankle dorsiflexion strength, and increased reaction time. Poor performance in two clinical measures of postural stability was associated with reduced sensation in the lower limbs as measured by joint position sense, tactile sensitivity and vibration sense, reduced quadriceps and ankle dorsiflexion strength, and slow reaction times. The prevalence of vestibular impairments was high in this group, but vestibular function was not significantly associated with sway under any of the test conditions. The results suggest that reduced sensation, muscle weakness in the legs, and increased reaction time are all important factors associated with postural instability. An analysis of the percentage increases in sway under conditions where visual and peripheral sensation systems are removed or diminished, compared with sway under optimal conditions, indicated that peripheral sensation is the most important sensory system in the maintenance of static postural stability.

Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in relation to falls in an elderly population.

Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured in 95 residents of a hostel for the aged (mean age = 83 years) using a dual-contrast letter chart and the Melbourne Edge Test (MET). Vision (as measured by visual acuity, the MET, low-contrast visual acuity, and difference between high- and low-contrast acuity) decreased significantly with age and all four measures were significantly correlated. Subjects with a clinical eye disorder had poorer vision than those without a disorder although the differences were not significant. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were not associated with body sway when subjects were standing on a firm base. However, when the subjects were placed in a situation which provided reduced support (standing on a compliant surface), body sway was associated with poor visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. There was also a difference in contrast sensitivity between those who fell one or more times in a year of follow-up and those who did not fall. It appears that reduced vision may be a predisposing factor to postural imbalance and falls in elderly persons.

Goals for medical education on drugs and alcohol for the year 2000.

The issues involved in teaching about drug and alcohol issues in medical schools incorporate a wide range of concerns. Any attempt to raise the proficiency of doctors in dealing with drug and alcohol problems must begin during their basic training, and impart the skills to continue learning after graduation. The principles of community medicine are especially relevant to education in drug and alcohol problems, and basic teaching techniques must be examined as well as course content when reviewing current ideas about drug and alcohol education in medical schools.