Long-term quality of life outcomes of women treated for early-stage endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare long-term quality of life in women treated for early-stage endometrial cancer with population norms, and to compare quality of life outcomes of patients who had total laparoscopic or total abdominal hysterectomy. METHODS: Once the last enrolled patient had completed 4.5 years of follow-up after surgery, participants in the Laparoscopic Approach to Cancer of the Endometrium (LACE) clinical trial were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Two instruments-EuroQol 5 Dimension 3-level (EQ-5D-3L) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-General Population (FACT-GP)-were used to determine quality of life. The mean computed EQ-5D-3L index scores for LACE participants at different age categories were compared with Australian normative scores; and the FACT-GP scores were compared between patients treated with surgical treatments. RESULTS: Of 760 women originally enrolled in the LACE trial, 259 (50.2%) of 516 women consented to provide long-term follow-up data at a median of 9 years (range 6-12) after surgery. On the EQ-5D-3L, long-term endometrial cancer survivors reported higher prevalence of anxiety/depression than normative levels across all age groups (55-64 years, 30% vs 14.9%; 65-74 years, 30.1% vs 15.8%; ≥75 years, 25.9% vs 10.7%). For women ≥75 years of age, the prevalence of impairment in mobility (57.6% vs 43.3%) and usual activities (58.8% vs 37.9%) was also higher than for population norms. For the FACT-GP, the physical (effect size: -0.28, p<0.028) and functional (effect size: -0.30, p<0.015) well-being sub-scale favored the total laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with total abdominal hysterectomy recipients. CONCLUSION: Compared with population-based norms, long-term endometrial cancer survivors reported higher prevalence of anxiety/depression across all age groups, and deficits in mobility and usual activities for women aged ≥75 years. Physical and functional well-being were better among women who were treated with total laparoscopic hysterectomy than among those receiving total abdominal hysterectomy.

Comparative effectiveness of physical exercise interventions for chronic non-specific neck pain: a systematic review with network meta-analysis of 40 randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of different physical exercise interventions for chronic non-specific neck pain. DESIGN: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases: AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, PsycINFO, Scopus and SPORTDiscus. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) describing the effects of any physical exercise intervention in adults with chronic non-specific neck pain. RESULTS: The search returned 6549 records, 40 studies were included. Two networks of pairwise comparisons were constructed, one for pain intensity (n=38 RCTs, n=3151 participants) and one for disability (n=29 RCTs, n=2336 participants), and direct and indirect evidence was obtained. Compared with no treatment, three exercise interventions were found to be effective for pain and disability: motor control (Hedges' g, pain -1.32, 95% CI: -1.99 to -0.65; disability -0.87, 95% CI: -1.45 o -0.29), yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi/Qigong (pain -1.25, 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.65; disability -1.16, 95% CI: -1.75 to -0.57) and strengthening (pain -1.21, 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.78; disability -0.75, 95% CI: -1.28 to -0.22). Other interventions, including range of motion (pain -0.98 CI: -2.51 to 0.56), balance (pain -0.38, 95% CI: -2.10 to 1.33) and multimodal (three or more exercises types combined) (pain -0.08, 95% CI: -1.70 to 1.53) exercises showed uncertain or negligible effects. The quality of evidence was very low according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) criteria. CONCLUSION: There is not one superior type of physical exercise for people with chronic non-specific neck pain. Rather, there is very low quality evidence that motor control, yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi/Qigong and strengthening exercises are equally effective. These findings may assist clinicians to select exercises for people with chronic non-specific neck pain. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019126523.

Retinopathy of prematurity: the high cost of screening regional and remote infants.

IMPORTANCE: Demand for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening is increasing for infants born at rural and regional hospitals where the service is not generally available. The health system cost for screening regional/remote infants has not been reported. BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate the cost of ROP screening at a large centralized tertiary neonatal service for infants from regional/rural hospitals. DESIGN: This is a retrospective study to establish the cost of transferring regional/rural infants to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for ROP screening over a 28-month period. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 131 infants were included in this study. METHODS: Individual infant costs were calculated from analysis of clinical and administrative records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Economic cost of ROP screening for all transfers from regional/rural hospitals to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. RESULTS: The average economic cost of ROP screening for this cohort was AUD$5110 per infant screened and the total cost was AUD$669 413. The average cost per infant screened was highest for infants from a regional centre with a population of 75 000 (AUD$14 856 per child), which was also geographically furthest from Brisbane. No infant in this cohort transferred from a regional nursery reached criteria for intervention for ROP by standard guidelines. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Health system costs for ROP screening of remote infants at a centralized hospital are high. Alternative strategies using telemedicine can now be compared with centralized screening.

Surgical approach to hysterectomy and barriers to using minimally invasive methods.

Minimally invasive approaches to hysterectomy have been shown to be safe, effective and have recovery advantages over open hysterectomy, yet in Australia 36% of hysterectomies are still conducted by open surgery. In 2006, a survey of Australian gynaecological specialists found the main impediment to increasing laparoscopic hysterectomy to be a lack of surgical skills training opportunities. We resurveyed specialists to explore contemporary factors influencing surgeons' approaches to hysterectomy; 258 (estimated ~19%) provided analysable responses. Despite >50% of surveyed specialists wishing to practise laparoscopic hysterectomy in the future, lack of surgical skills, arising from the lack of training opportunities, remains the main impediment.

Assessment of Self-Perceived Knowledge in e-Health Among Undergraduate Students.

OBJECTIVE: Growing research evidence shows the value of e-health in healthcare delivery. While efforts are made to implement e-health in mainstream healthcare, relatively modest attention has been paid to develop e-health knowledge and skills in health practitioners. Using a pre-post design, in this study, we aimed to examine self-reported knowledge and perception changes associated with an e-health course offered to university undergraduate students in Australia. METHODS: Pre- and postsurveys were used to examine self-reported knowledge and perception changes relating to e-health among undergraduate students. All students enrolled in an e-health course (n = 165) were asked to complete an identical survey in the first and last week of the semester. RESULTS: The response rates were 53% (n = 87) for the presurvey and 52% (n = 85) for the postsurvey. For all items, changes in self-reported knowledge and perception were statistically significant in pre/post median scores and dichotomized negative/positive proportions. CONCLUSIONS: Students believed the course helped them to improve their knowledge regarding key aspects of e-health. It is important to design an e-health curriculum targeting competencies to provide necessary knowledge and skills to help students practice e-health in their professional careers.

Examining the Influence of E-Health Education on Professional Practice.

e-Health is steadily integrating into modern health services, making significant changes in the way health services are traditionally delivered. To work in this new environment, healthcare workers are required to have new knowledge, skills and competencies specific to e-Health. The aim of this study was to understand the self-reported perceptions of graduates regarding the influence of an e-Health postgraduate program on their professional careers. In addition, this paper will provide an overview of the e-Health postgraduate program. All graduates from 2005 to 2015 were surveyed using an online questionnaire that consisted of a mixture of closed and open-ended questions. The number of participants in the study was 32. Response rate was 62%. The main motivating factors for studying e-Health were 'relevance to current practice' and 'e-Health is the future'. The participants noted that the opportunity to 'acquiring relevant knowledge' and 'having exposure' were key benefits offered by the e-Health education program. The majority of graduates (n = 23, 72%) thought that the postgraduate e-Health program had an influence on their professional practice. A similar number of participants (n = 23, 72%) mentioned that they had worked in the field of e-Health since their graduation. Their professional roles mainly involved 'implementation of e-Health in health service settings' and the 'use of e-Health in clinical practice'. While e-Health may be steadily integrating into modern health services, e-Health specific job opportunities are still relatively limited. e-Health workforce development must be given priority.

Effect of Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy vs Total Abdominal Hysterectomy on Disease-Free Survival Among Women With Stage I Endometrial Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Standard treatment for endometrial cancer involves removal of the uterus, tubes, ovaries, and lymph nodes. Few randomized trials have compared disease-free survival outcomes for surgical approaches. Objective: To investigate whether total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) is equivalent to total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) in women with treatment-naive endometrial cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Laparoscopic Approach to Cancer of the Endometrium (LACE) trial was a multinational, randomized equivalence trial conducted between October 7, 2005, and June 30, 2010, in which 27 surgeons from 20 tertiary gynecological cancer centers in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong randomized 760 women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer to either TLH or TAH. Follow-up ended on March 3, 2016. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to undergo TAH (n = 353) or TLH (n = 407). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was disease-free survival, which was measured as the interval between surgery and the date of first recurrence, including disease progression or the development of a new primary cancer or death assessed at 4.5 years after randomization. The prespecified equivalence margin was 7% or less. Secondary outcomes included recurrence of endometrial cancer and overall survival. Results: Patients were followed up for a median of 4.5 years. Of 760 patients who were randomized (mean age, 63 years), 679 (89%) completed the trial. At 4.5 years of follow-up, disease-free survival was 81.3% in the TAH group and 81.6% in the TLH group. The disease-free survival rate difference was 0.3% (favoring TLH; 95% CI, -5.5% to 6.1%; P = .007), meeting criteria for equivalence. There was no statistically significant between-group difference in recurrence of endometrial cancer (28/353 in TAH group [7.9%] vs 33/407 in TLH group [8.1%]; risk difference, 0.2% [95% CI, -3.7% to 4.0%]; P = .93) or in overall survival (24/353 in TAH group [6.8%] vs 30/407 in TLH group [7.4%]; risk difference, 0.6% [95% CI, -3.0% to 4.2%]; P = .76). Conclusions and Relevance: Among women with stage I endometrial cancer, the use of total abdominal hysterectomy compared with total laparoscopic hysterectomy resulted in equivalent disease-free survival at 4.5 years and no difference in overall survival. These findings support the use of laparoscopic hysterectomy for women with stage I endometrial cancer. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00096408; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: CTRN12606000261516.

The Development of a Telemedicine Planning Framework Based on Needs Assessment.

Providing equitable access to healthcare services in rural and remote communities is an ongoing challenge that faces most governments. By increasing access to specialty expertise, telemedicine may be a potential solution to this problem. Regardless of its potential, many telemedicine initiatives do not progress beyond the research phase, and are not implemented into mainstream practice. One reason may be that some telemedicine services are developed without the appropriate planning to ascertain community needs and clinical requirements. The aim of this paper is to report the development of a planning framework for telemedicine services based on needs assessment. The presented framework is based on the key processes in needs assessment, Penchansky and Thomas's dimensions of access, and Bradshaw's types of need. This proposed planning framework consists of two phases. Phase one comprises data collection and needs assessment, and includes assessment of availability and expressed needs; accessibility; perception and affordability. Phase two involves prioritising the demand for health services, balanced against the known limitations of supply, and the implementation of an appropriate telemedicine service that reflects and meets the needs of the community. Using a structured framework for the planning of telemedicine services, based on need assessment, may help with the identification and prioritisation of community health needs.

Telemedicine--is the cart being put before the horse?

A large literature base on telemedicine exists, but the evidence base for telemedicine is very limited. There is little practical or useful information to guide clinicians and health policymakers. Telemedicine is often implemented based on limited or no prior formal analysis of its appropriateness to the circumstances, and adoption of telemedicine by clinicians has been slow and patchy. Formal analysis should be conducted before implementation of telemedicine to identify the patients, conditions and settings that it is likely to benefit. Primary studies of telemedicine tend to be of insufficient quality to enable synthesis of formal evidence. Methods typically used to assess effectiveness in medicine are often difficult, expensive or impractical to apply to telemedicine. Formal studies of telemedicine should examine efficacy, effectiveness, economics and clinician preferences. Successful adoption and sustainable integration of telemedicine into routine care could be improved by evidence-based implementation.

Paediatric palliative care by video consultation at home: a cost minimisation analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the vast state of Queensland, Australia, access to specialist paediatric services are only available in the capital city of Brisbane, and are limited in regional and remote locations. During home-based palliative care, it is not always desirable or practical to move a patient to attend appointments, and so access to care may be even further limited. To address these problems, at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Brisbane, a Home Telehealth Program (HTP) has been successfully established to provide palliative care consultations to families throughout Queensland. METHODS: A cost minimisation analysis was undertaken to compare the actual costs of the HTP consultations, with the estimated potential costs associated with face-to face-consultations occurring by either i) hospital based consultations in the outpatients department at the RCH, or ii) home visits from the Paediatric Palliative Care Service. The analysis was undertaken from the perspective of the Children's Health Service. The analysis was based on data from 95 home video consultations which occurred over a two year period, and included costs associated with projected: clinician time and travel; costs reimbursed to families for travel through the Patients Travel Subsidy (PTS) scheme; hospital outpatient clinic costs, project co-ordination and equipment and infrastructure costs. The mean costs per consultation were calculated for each approach. RESULTS: Air travel (n = 24) significantly affected the results. The mean cost of the HTP intervention was $294 and required no travel. The estimated mean cost per consultation in the hospital outpatient department was $748. The mean cost of home visits per consultation was $1214. Video consultation in the home is the most economical method of providing a consultation. The largest costs avoided to the health service are those associated with clinician time required for travel and the PTS scheme. CONCLUSION: While face-to-face consultations are the gold standard of care, for families located at a distance from the hospital, video consultation in the home presents an effective and cost efficient method to deliver a consultation. Additionally video consultation in the home ensures equity of access to services and minimum disruption to hospital based palliative care teams.

The effectiveness of telemedicine for paediatric retrieval consultations: rationale and study design for a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In many health systems, specialist services for critically ill children are typically regionalised or centralised. Studies have shown that high-risk paediatric patients have improved survival when managed in specialist centres and that volume of cases is a predictor of care quality. In acute cases where distance and time impede access to specialist care, clinical advice may be provided remotely by telephone. Emergency retrieval services, attended by medical and nursing staff may be used to transport patients to specialist centres. Even with the best quality retrieval services, stabilisation of the patient and transport logistics may delay evacuation to definitive care. Several studies have examined the use of telemedicine for providing specialist consultations for critically ill children. However, no studies have yet formally examined the clinical effectiveness and economic implications of using telemedicine in the context of paediatric patient retrieval. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is a pragmatic, multicentre randomised controlled trial running over 24 months which will compare the use of telemedicine with the use of the telephone for paediatric retrieval consultations between four referring hospitals and a tertiary paediatric intensive care unit. We aim to recruit 160 children for whom a specialist retrieval consultation is required. The primary outcome measure is stabilisation time (time spent on site at the referring hospital by the retrieval team) adjusted for initial risk. Secondary outcome measures are change in patient's physiological status (repeated measure, two time points) scored using the Children's Emergency Warning Tool; change in diagnosis (repeated measure taken at three time points); change in destination of retrieved patients at the tertiary hospital (general ward or paediatric intensive care unit); retrieval decision, and length of stay in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for retrieved patients. The trial has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Children's Health Services Queensland and The University of Queensland, Australia. DISCUSSION: Health services are adopting telemedicine, however formal evidence to support its use in paediatric acute care is limited. Generalisable evidence is required to inform clinical use and health system policy relating to the effectiveness and economic implications of the use in telemedicine in paediatric retrieval. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000156886 .

Home telehealth and paediatric palliative care: clinician perceptions of what is stopping us?

BACKGROUND: Advances in technology have made the use of telehealth in the home setting a feasible option for palliative care clinicians to provide clinical care and support. However, despite being widely available and accessible, telehealth has still not been widely adopted either in Australia or internationally. The study aim was to investigate the barriers, enablers and perceived usefulness for an established home telehealth program in paediatric palliative care from the perspective of clinicians. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were undertaken with palliative care clinicians in a tertiary paediatric hospital to identify attitudes to, satisfaction with, and perceived benefits and limitations of, home telehealth in palliative care. Iterative analysis was used to thematically analyse data and identify themes and core concepts from interviews. RESULTS: FOUR THEMES ARE REPORTED: managing relationships; expectations of clinicians; co-ordination, and the telehealth compromise. Core concepts that emerged from the data were the perceived ability to control clinical encounters in a virtual environment and the need to trust technology. These concepts help explain the telehealth compromise and low utilisation of the home telehealth program. CONCLUSIONS: Effective communication between caregivers and clinicians is recognised as a core value of palliative care. Home telehealth has the potential to provide a solution to inequity of access to care, facilitate peer support and maintain continuity of care with families. However, significant limitations and challenges may impede its use. The virtual space creates additional challenges for communication, which clinicians and families may not intuitively understand. For home telehealth to be integrated into routine care, greater understanding of the nature of communication in the virtual space is required.

Serum Vitamin D and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study of 349,221 Adults in the UK.

Insufficient and deficient vitamin D may be associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, but study findings are conflicting, and few account for important confounding factors. This cross-sectional study explored the association between serum vitamin D status and chronic musculoskeletal pain in various body sites, adjusting for a wide range and a number of potential confounding factors. Data collected at the baseline assessments of 349,221 UK Biobank participants between 2006 and 2010 were analyzed. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured and categorized as <25.0 nmol/L (severe deficiency), 25.0 to 49.9 nmol/L (deficiency), 50.0 to 74.9 nmol/L (insufficiency), and ≥75.0 nmol/L (sufficiency). The outcome was self-reported chronic musculoskeletal pain at any site, neck/shoulder, back, hip, knee, or widespread pain that interfered with usual activities. Potential confounders were identified using directed acyclic graphs and included sociodemographic, lifestyle, psychological factors, and medical comorbidities. Simple models adjusted for age and sex showed significant associations between suboptimal vitamin D status and chronic pain across all sites (odds ratios [ORs] ranged 1.07-2.85). These associations were weakened or became insignificant after accounting for all confounding factors (ORs ≤ 1.01) for chronic regional musculoskeletal pain. Severe vitamin D deficiency remained a significant and positive association with chronic widespread pain after adjusting for all confounding factors (OR [95% confidence interval]: 1.26 [1.07, 1.49]). This study suggests that, while vitamin D status is not a key independent determinant of chronic regional musculoskeletal pain, severe vitamin D deficiency may be associated with chronic widespread pain. PERSPECTIVES: After accounting for various confounders, vitamin D deficiency was not associated with regional musculoskeletal pain. However, the relationship between chronic widespread pain severe vitamin D deficiency remained after confounder adjustment. Use of vitamin D supplements in individuals with chronic widespread pain and severe vitamin D deficiency warrants further exploration.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is Associated With Chronic Pain Independently of Biopsychosocial Factors.

Inflammation is linked with chronic pain but the extent to which this relationship is associated with biopsychosocial factors is not known. We investigated relationships between blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and regional chronic pain conditions adjusting for a large range and number of potential confounders. We performed cross-sectional analyses using the UK Biobank (N = 415,567) comparing CRP in people reporting any of 9 types of regional chronic pain with pain-free controls. Using logistic regression modelling, we explored relationships between CRP and the presence of chronic pain, with demographic, socioeconomic, psychological/lifestyle factors, and medical comorbidities as covariates. CRP was higher in chronic pain at any site compared with controls (Females: median [interquartile range] 1.60 mg/L [2.74] vs 1.17 mg/L [1.87], P < .001; Males: 1.44 mg/L [2.12] vs 1.15 mg/L [1.65], P < .001). In males, associations between CRP and all types of chronic pain were attenuated but remained significant after adjustment for biopsychosocial covariates (OR range 1.08-1.49, P ≤ .001). For females, adjusted associations between CRP and pain remained significant for most chronic pain types (OR range 1.07-1.34, P < .001) except for facial pain (OR 1.04, P = .17) and headache (OR 1.02, P = .07)-although these non-significant findings may reflect reduced sample size. The significant association between CRP and chronic pain after adjustment for key biopsychosocial confounders implicates an independent underlying biological mechanism of inflammation in chronic pain. The presence of yet unknown or unmeasured confounding factors cannot be ruled out. Our findings may inform better-targeted treatments for chronic pain. PERSPECTIVE: Using a large-scale dataset, this article investigates associations between chronic pain conditions and blood C-reactive protein (CRP), to evaluate the confounding effects of a range of biopsychosocial factors. CRP levels were higher in those with chronic pain versus controls after adjusting for confounders-suggesting a possible independent biological mechanism.

The availability, spatial accessibility, service utilisation and retrieval cost of paediatric intensive care services for children in rural, regional and remote Queensland: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Specialist health services are often organised on a regionalised basis whereby clinical resources and expertise are concentrated in areas of high population. Through a high volume caseload, regionalised facilities may provide improved clinical outcomes for patients. In some cases, regionalisation may be the only economically viable way to organise specialist care. While regionalisation may have benefits, it may also disadvantage some population groups, particularly in circumstances where distance and time are impediments to access.Queensland is a large Australian state with a distributed population. Providing equitable access to specialist healthcare services to the population is challenging. Specialist care for critically ill or injured children is provided by the Queensland Paediatric Intensive Care Service which comprises two tertiary paediatric intensive care units. The two units are located 6 km (3.7 miles) apart by road in the state capital of Brisbane and provide state-wide telephone advice and specialist retrieval services. Services also extend into the northern area of the adjacent state of New South Wales. In some cases children may be managed locally in adult intensive care units in regional hospitals.The aim of this study is to describe the effect of geography and service organisation for children who need intensive care services but who present outside of metropolitan centres in Queensland. METHODS/DESIGN: Using health services and population data, the availability and spatial accessibility to paediatric intensive care services will be analysed. Retrieval utilisation and the associated costs to the health service will be analysed to provide an indication of service utilisation by non-metropolitan patients. DISCUSSION: While the regionalisation or centralisation of specialist services is recognised as an economical way to provide specialist health services, the extent to which these models serve critically ill children who live some distance from tertiary care has not been described. This study will provide new information on the effect of the regionalisation of specialist healthcare for critically ill children in Queensland and will have relevance to other regionalised health services. This study, which is focussed on describing the organisation, supply and demands on the health service, will provide the foundation for future work to explore clinical outcomes for non-metropolitan children who require intensive care.

The case for home based telehealth in pediatric palliative care: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade technology has rapidly changed the ability to provide home telehealth services. At the same time, pediatric palliative care has developed as a small, but distinct speciality. Understanding the experiences of providing home telehealth services in pediatric palliative care is therefore important. METHODS: A literature review was undertaken to identify and critically appraise published work relevant to the area. Studies were identified by searching the electronic databases Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar. The reference list of each paper was also inspected to identify any further studies. RESULTS: There were 33 studies that met the inclusion criteria of which only six were pediatric focussed. Outcome measures included effects on quality of life and anxiety, substitution of home visits, economic factors, barriers, feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction and readiness for telehealth. While studies generally identified benefits of using home telehealth in palliative care, the utilisation of home telehealth programs was limited by numerous challenges. CONCLUSION: Research in this area is challenging; ethical issues and logistical factors such as recruitment and attrition because of patient death make determining effectiveness of telehealth interventions difficult. Future research in home telehealth for the pediatric palliative care population should focus on the factors that influence acceptance of telehealth applications, including goals of care, access to alternative modes of care, perceived need for care, and comfort with using technology.

Objectively and subjectively measured physical activity levels in individuals with whiplash associated disorder and aged-matched healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) are the most common non-hospitalised injuries resulting from a motor vehicle crash. Half of individuals with WAD experience ongoing pain and disability. Furthermore, individuals with persistent WAD have lower levels of aerobic capacity and isometric strength compared with age-matched controls. It is not known whether these differences are associated with increased levels of pain and disability, or with reduced physical activity (PA) participation. OBJECTIVE: Our primary aim was to compare PA levels in individuals with persistent WAD with healthy controls. Secondary aims were to: compare objective and subjective measurements of PA; explore factors that may influence PA; and describe proportions of these populations meeting World Health Organisation PA guidelines. METHODS: Objective (ActiGraph accelerometer; seven days) and subjective (International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)) PA data were collected for n = 53 age-matched participants (WAD n = 28; controls n = 25). RESULTS: Independent sample t-tests showed no significant difference in objectively measured PA (p>0.05) between WAD and controls. For the subjective measure (IPAQ), controls reported more overall weekly PA (t = 0.219, p<0.05), while WAD participants reported more weekly walking minutes (t = -0.712, p<0.05). Linear regression showed mental health quality-of-life predicted objectively measured moderate intensity PA (R2 = 0.225, F (2, 44) = 6.379, p<0.004) and subjectively reported overall PA (R2 = 0.132, F (1, 41) = 6.226, p<0.017). Bland-Altman analyses indicated that subjects over-reported MVPA and under-reported sedentary time using the IPAQ. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with WAD had levels of physical and mental health quality-of-life significantly lower than controls and below population norms yet participated in similar levels of PA. Given that increased perceptions of mental health quality-of-life were positively associated with objectively measured MVPA and subjectively reported overall PA, strategies to help people with WAD achieve adequate doses of MVPA may be beneficial. ActiGraph-measured and IPAQ-reported PA were discordant. Hence, IPAQ may not be a reliable measure of habitual PA in WAD.

A cost-minimisation analysis comparing alternative telemedicine screening approaches for retinopathy of prematurity.

INTRODUCTION: Screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important procedure in the prevention of blindness in high-risk preterm infants. In the regionalised healthcare system of Queensland (Australia), outside of the major centres, some preterm infants are cared for in special care nurseries (SCNs). When necessary, infants in these nurseries who are at risk of ROP are transferred to a tertiary hospital for screening by paediatric ophthalmologists. The transport of preterm infants for eye examinations adds risk and incurs significant costs to the health system. Using a cost-minimisation approach, we aimed to compare the costs of the current ROP screening practice with two alternative telemedicine approaches. METHODS: We constructed a decision analytic model to estimate costs from a health service perspective with a five-year analysis horizon; activity data from a tertiary ROP screening service were used to inform the models. The three models assessed were: (a) a digital retinal photography (DRP)-equipped travelling nurse, (b) equipping SCNs with DRP, and providing training to local nurses, and (c) current practice of infant transfer. In all cases, the tertiary centre provides specialist ophthalmologic review. RESULTS: Of the three models, we estimated the most expensive option to be equipping SCNs with DRP and providing training to local nurses (AUD$4114/infant). We found that the current practice of transferring infants was the second most expensive (AUD$1021/infant). The most economical model was the specialist nurse travelling to each SCN with a portable DRP (AUD$363/infant). A sensitivity analysis, which assessed uncertainty and variability around the cost estimates, found that the ranking for the expected costs of the alternative models of care did not change. DISCUSSION: This is the first economic and cost-minimisation analysis in Australia to compare the costs of the current screening programme with two alternative telemedicine approaches for screening ROP. Telemedicine programmes that facilitate non-physician screening may improve the cost efficiency of the health system while maintaining the health outcomes for children, and reducing the risk associated with infant transport.

Implementation of a risk-stratified, guideline-based clinical pathway of care to improve health outcomes following whiplash injury (Whiplash ImPaCT): a multicentre, randomized, controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Current pathways of care for whiplash follow a "stepped care model," result in modest treatment outcomes and fail to offer efficient management solutions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a risk-stratified clinical pathway of care (CPC) compared with usual care (UC) in people with acute whiplash. We conducted a multicentre, 2-arm, parallel, randomised, controlled trial in primary care in Australia. Participants with acute whiplash (n = 216) were stratified for risk of a poor outcome (low vs medium/high risk) and randomised using concealed allocation to either the CPC or UC. In the CPC group, low-risk participants received guideline-based advice and exercise supported by an online resource, and medium-risk/high-risk participants were referred to a whiplash specialist who assessed modifiable risk factors and then determined further care. The UC group received care from their primary healthcare provider who had no knowledge of risk status. Primary outcomes were neck disability index (NDI) and Global Rating of Change (GRC) at 3 months. Analysis blinded to group used intention-to-treat and linear mixed models. There was no difference between the groups for the NDI (mean difference [MD] [95% confidence interval (CI)] -2.34 [-7.44 to 2.76]) or GRC (MD 95% CI 0.08 [-0.55 to 0.70]) at 3 months. Baseline risk category did not modify the effect of treatment. No adverse events were reported. Risk-stratified care for acute whiplash did not improve patient outcomes, and implementation of this CPC in its current form is not recommended.