Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio Variability in People With Type 2 Diabetes: Clinical and Research Implications.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Evidence has demonstrated that albuminuria is a key diagnostic and prognostic marker of diabetic chronic kidney disease, but the impact of its day-to-day variability has not been adequately considered. This study quantified within-individual variability of albuminuria in people with type 2 diabetes to inform clinical albuminuria monitoring. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional analysis. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: People with type 2 diabetes (n=826, 67.1 [IQR, 60.3-72.4] years, 64.9% male) participating in the Progression of Diabetic Complications (PREDICT) cohort study. EXPOSURE: Four spot urine collections for measurement of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) within 4 weeks. OUTCOME: Variability of UACR. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: We characterized within-individual variability (coefficient of variation [CV], 95% limits of random variation, intraclass correlation coefficient), developed a calculator displaying probabilities that any observed difference between a pair of UACR values truly exceeded a 30% difference, and estimated the ranges of diagnostic uncertainty to inform a need for additional UACR collections to exclude or confirm albuminuria. Multiple linear regression examined factors influencing UACR variability. RESULTS: We observed high within-individual variability (CV 48.8%; 95% limits of random variation showed a repeated UACR to be as high/low as 3.78/0.26 times the first). If a single-collection UACR increased from 2 to 5mg/mmol, the probability that UACR actually increased by at least 30% was only 50%, rising to 97% when 2 collections were obtained at each time point. The ranges of diagnostic uncertainty were 2.0-4.0mg/mmol after an initial UACR test, narrowing to 2.4-3.2 and 2.7-2.9mg/mmol for the mean of 2 and 3 collections, respectively. Some factors correlated with higher (female sex; moderately increased albuminuria) or lower (reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker treatment) within-individual UACR variability. LIMITATIONS: Reliance on the mean of 4 UACR collections as the reference standard for albuminuria. CONCLUSIONS: UACR demonstrates a high degree of within-individual variability among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Multiple urine collections for UACR may improve capacity to monitor changes over time in clinical and research settings but may not be necessary for the diagnosis of albuminuria. PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Albuminuria (albumin in urine) is a diagnostic and prognostic marker of diabetic chronic kidney disease. However, albuminuria can vary within an individual from day to day. We compared 4 random spot urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) samples from 826 participants. We found that a second UACR collection may be as small as a fourth or as large as almost 4 times the first sample's UACR level. This high degree of variability presents a challenge to our ability to interpret changes in albuminuria. Multiple collections have been suggested as a solution. We have constructed tools that may aid clinicians in deciding how many urine collections are required to monitor and diagnose albuminuria. Multiple urine collections may be required for individual monitoring but not necessarily for diagnosis.

Breast cancer screening motivation and behaviours of women aged over 75 years.

OBJECTIVE: In Australia, breast screening is offered free every two years to women aged 50-74 years. Women aged ≥75 are eligible to receive a free mammogram but do not receive an invitation. This study aimed to explore the motivations and behaviours of women living in Australia aged ≥75 years regarding ongoing breast cancer screening given the public health guidance. METHODS: Sixty women aged ≥75 were recruited from metropolitan, regional, and rural areas across Australia to participate in a descriptive qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were used to seek reflection on women's experience of screening, any advice they had received about screening beyond 75, their understanding of the value of screening and their intention to participate in the future. Thematic analysis of transcripts led to the development of themes. RESULTS: Themes resulting from the study included: reasons to continue and discontinue screening, importance of inclusivity in the health system and availability of information. Regular screeners overwhelmingly wished to continue screening and had strong beliefs in the benefits of screening. Women received limited information about the benefits or harms of screening beyond age 75 and very few had discussed screening with their Primary Healthcare Provider. No longer receiving an invitation to attend screening impacted many women's decision-making. CONCLUSION: More information via structured discussion with health professionals is required to inform women about the risks and benefits of ongoing screening. No longer being invited to attend screening left many women feeling confused and for some this led to feelings of discrimination.

Breast cancer screening motivation and behaviours of women aged over 75 years: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: This scoping review aimed to identify and present the evidence describing key motivations for breast cancer screening among women aged ≥ 75 years. Few of the internationally available guidelines recommend continued biennial screening for this age group. Some suggest ongoing screening is unnecessary or should be determined on individual health status and life expectancy. Recent research has shown that despite recommendations regarding screening, older women continue to hold positive attitudes to breast screening and participate when the opportunity is available. METHODS: All original research articles that address motivation, intention and/or participation in screening for breast cancer among women aged ≥ 75 years were considered for inclusion. These included articles reporting on women who use public and private breast cancer screening services and those who do not use screening services (i.e., non-screeners). The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was used to guide this review. A comprehensive search strategy was developed with the assistance of a specialist librarian to access selected databases including: the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Web of Science and PsychInfo. The review was restricted to original research studies published since 2009, available in English and focusing on high-income countries (as defined by the World Bank). Title and abstract screening, followed by an assessment of full-text studies against the inclusion criteria was completed by at least two reviewers. Data relating to key motivations, screening intention and behaviour were extracted, and a thematic analysis of study findings undertaken. RESULTS: A total of fourteen (14) studies were included in the review. Thematic analysis resulted in identification of three themes from included studies highlighting that decisions about screening were influenced by: knowledge of the benefits and harms of screening and their relationship to age; underlying attitudes to the importance of cancer screening in women's lives; and use of decision aids to improve knowledge and guide decision-making. CONCLUSION: The results of this review provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding the motivations and screening behaviour of older women about breast cancer screening which may inform policy development.

Medications and cognitive risk in Aboriginal primary care: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are ageing with high rates of comorbidity, yet little is known about suboptimal prescribing in this population. AIM: The prevalence of potentially suboptimal prescribing and associated risk factors were investigated among older patients attending primary care through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs). METHODS: Medical records of 420 systematically selected patients aged ≥50 years attending urban, rural and remote health services were audited. Polypharmacy (≥ 5 prescribed medications), potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) as per Beers Criteria and anticholinergic burden (ACB) were estimated and associated risk factors were explored with logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of polypharmacy, PIMs and ACB score ≥3 was 43%, 18% and 12% respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, polypharmacy was less likely in rural (odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.24-0.77) compared to urban patients, and more likely in those with heart disease (OR = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.62-4.25), atrial fibrillation (OR = 4.25, 95% CI = 1.08-16.81), hypertension (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.34-3.44), diabetes (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.69-4.39) or depression (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.19-3.06). PIMs were more frequent in females (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.03-3.42) and less frequent in rural (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.19-0.85) and remote (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.29-1.18) patients. Factors associated with PIMs were kidney disease (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.37-4.92), urinary incontinence (OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.02-8.83), depression (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.50-4.77), heavy alcohol use (OR = 2.83, 95% CI = 1.39-5.75) and subjective cognitive concerns (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.31-5.52). High ACB was less common in rural (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.03-0.34) and remote (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.25-1.04) patients and more common in those with kidney disease (OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.50-6.30) or depression (OR = 3.32, 95% CI = 1.70-6.47). CONCLUSION: Associations between potentially suboptimal prescribing and depression or cognitive concerns highlight the importance of considering medication review and deprescribing for these patients.

How is complexity measured and detected among community dwelling older people aged 65 years and over? A scoping review.

AIM: To identify and explore tools that measured and detected complexity of care among community dwelling people aged 65 years and older. DATA SOURCES: Databases were searched for articles published up to 23 September 2022 including CINAHL, EMBASE and MEDLINE, Cochrane database for trials and grey literature. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Eligible articles included those with participants aged over 65 years, living in the community and studies that included care complexity detection or assessment and how this related to care delivered. Covidence was used to screen titles, abstracts and full-text articles. RESULTS: Eighteen full texts were reviewed; four studies were included in the final review. All selected studies included people aged over 65 years living in the community. A high level of reliability for the items included in the interventions was found. The selected studies included tools for assessing older person's needs with nurses involved in the assessment. CONCLUSION: The review identified four tools for measuring complexity in community dwelling older people. Two tools have the capacity to objectively measure complexity due to the holistic nature of items included and appear easy to use to support clinical judgement decisions. IMPACT: The review places a spotlight on the concept of complexity and highlights the lack of definition of care complexity. The synthesized result highlights the need to explore detection of care complexity of older people further and consider ways of supporting clinical judgement and decision making of community nurses. The use of a validated tool may enhance clinical judgement regarding care complexity and may lead to a more consistent and timely approach to care. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: During the development phase, the study was presented to a consumer group from the researcher's workplace. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42022299336.

Weekend / holiday effect on stroke mortality in regional Australia: A ten-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: There is a deficiency in the evidence from rural and regional centres in Australia on the weekend effect following presentation with acute stroke. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between admission over a weekend/holiday and all-cause mortality 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month following acute stroke. METHODS: The records of stroke patients admitted to a main regional hospital in Australia from 2010 to 2020 were linked with the National Death Index. Time to death following ischaemic, haemorrhagic, and total stroke at different time points was modelled using Weibull, Exponential, or Gompertz regression based on best model fit determined by Akaike's information criterion. RESULTS: Of 1669 patients, 1273 (76.3%) were admitted on a weekday, and 396 (23.7%) on a weekend/ or holiday. After adjusting for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, stroke type and country of birth, admissions over a weekend/holiday following total stroke were significantly associated with an increased risk of dying within three days from admission [hazard ratio (HR): 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.50]. In haemorrhagic stroke, increased risk of death was significantly higher at three days (HR: 2.19, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-4.08), 14 days (HR: 1.73, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-2.93), and 1 month (HR: 1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.09-3.03) following admission on the weekend/ or holiday compared to those admitted during the weekdays. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a short-term adverse weekend/holiday effect following admission for haemorrhagic stroke or total stroke. No significant weekend/holiday effect was found in ischaemic stroke.

Professional care workforce: a rapid review of evidence supporting methods of recruitment, retention, safety, and education.

BACKGROUND: Across the care economy there are major shortages in the health and care workforce, as well as high rates of attrition and ill-defined career pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate current evidence regarding methods to improve care worker recruitment, retention, safety, and education, for the professional care workforce. METHODS: A rapid review of comparative interventions designed to recruit, retain, educate and care for the professional workforce in the following sectors: disability, aged care, health, mental health, family and youth services, and early childhood education and care was conducted. Embase and MEDLINE databases were searched, and studies published between January 2015 and November 2022 were included. We used the Quality Assessment tool for Quantitative Studies and the PEDro tools to evaluate study quality. RESULTS: 5594 articles were initially screened and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 studies were included in the rapid review. Studies most frequently reported on the professional nursing, medical and allied health workforces. Some studies focused on the single domain of care worker education (n = 11) while most focused on multiple domains that combined education with recruitment strategies, retention strategies or a focus on worker safety. Study quality was comparatively low with a median PEDro score of 5/10, and 77% received a weak rating on the Quality Assessment tool for Quantitative Studies. Four new workforce strategies emerged; early career rural recruitment supports rural retention; workload management is essential for workforce well-being; learning must be contextually relevant; and there is a need to differentiate recruitment, retention, and education strategies for different professional health and care workforce categories as needs vary. CONCLUSIONS: Given the critical importance of recruiting and retaining a strong health and care workforce, there is an immediate need to develop a cohesive strategy to address workforce shortfalls. This paper presents initial evidence on different interventions to address this need, and to inform care workforce recruitment and retention. Rapid Review registration PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022371721 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022371721.

Implementing a ward-based programme to improve care for older inpatients: process evaluation of the cluster randomised CHERISH trial.

BACKGROUND: Older inpatients are at high risk of hospital-associated complications, particularly delirium and functional decline. These can be mitigated by consistent attention to age-friendly care practices such as early mobility, adequate nutrition and hydration, and meaningful cognitive and social activities. Eat Walk Engage is a ward-based improvement programme theoretically informed by the i-PARIHS framework which significantly reduced delirium in a four-hospital cluster trial. The objective of this process evaluation was to understand how Eat Walk Engage worked across trial sites. METHODS: Prospective multi-method implementation evaluation on medical and surgical wards in four hospitals implementing Eat Walk Engage January 2016-May 2017. Using UK Medical Research Council guidance, this process evaluation assessed context, implementation (core components, implementation strategies and improvements) and mechanisms of impact (practice changes measured through older person interviews, structured mealtime observations and activity mapping) at each site. RESULTS: The four wards had varied contextual barriers which altered dynamically with time. One ward with complex outer organisational barriers showed poorer implementation and fewer practice changes. Two experienced facilitators supported four novice site facilitators through interactive training and structured reflection as well as data management, networking and organisational influence. Novice site facilitators used many implementation strategies to facilitate 45 discrete improvements at individual, team and system level. Patient interviews (42 before and 38 after implementation) showed better communication about program goals in three sites. Observations of 283 meals before and 297 after implementation showed improvements in mealtime positioning and assistance in all sites. Activity mapping in 85 patients before and 111 patients after implementation showed improvements in cognitive and social engagement in three sites, but inconsistent changes in mobility. The improvements in mealtime care and cognitive and social engagement are plausible mediators of reduced delirium observed in the trial. The lack of consistent mobility improvements may explain why the trial did not show reduction in functional decline. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-level enabling facilitation approach supported adaptive implementation to varied contexts to support mechanisms of impact which partly achieved the programme goals. Contexts changed over time, suggesting the need for adequate time and continued facilitation to embed, enhance and sustain age-friendly practices on acute care wards and optimise outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The CHERISH trial was prospectively registered with the ANZCTR ( http://www.anzctr.org.au ): ACTRN12615000879561.

Virtual reality to foster empathy in disability workers: A feasibility study during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Empathy is a critical skill required by disability workers. Virtual reality may increase access to staff training to foster empathy. METHOD: A mixed methods feasibility study investigated a custom-built virtual reality program, IMercyVE, which aimed to immerse a disability worker in a first-person perspective of having intellectual disability. Data were collected through online surveys (n = 9) completed before and after use of IMercyVE, and by videoconference focus groups (n = 6). RESULTS: Qualitative findings included that IMercyVE delivered a novel experience for participants and a distinctive mode of learning that assisted participants to deepen their levels of empathy. Descriptive analyses of the surveys indicated that participants' empathy increased after engaging with IMercyVE. CONCLUSIONS: IMercyVE has the potential to be offered as a remotely delivered and flexible staff training modality suitable for building empathy. Further research with a larger sample is warranted.

Cost-effectiveness of professional-mode flash glucose monitoring in general practice among adults with type 2 diabetes: Evidence from the GP-OSMOTIC trial.

AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of professional-mode flash glucose monitoring in adults with type 2 diabetes in general practice compared with usual clinical care. METHODS: An economic evaluation was conducted as a component of the GP-OSMOTIC trial, a pragmatic multicentre 12-month randomised controlled trial enrolling 299 adults with type 2 diabetes in Victoria, Australia. The economic evaluation was conducted from an Australian healthcare sector perspective with a lifetime horizon. Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) and total healthcare costs were compared between the intervention and the usual care group within the trial period. The 'UKPDS Outcomes Model 2' was used to simulate post-trial lifetime costs, life expectancy and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). RESULTS: No significant difference in health-related quality of life and costs was found between the two groups within the trial period. Professional-mode flash glucose monitoring yielded greater QALYs (0.03 [95% CI: 0.02, 0.04]) and a higher cost (A$3807 [95% CI: 3604, 4007]) compared with usual clinical care using a lifetime horizon under the trial-based monitoring frequency, considered not cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio = A$120,228). The intervention becomes cost-effective if sensor price is reduced to lower than 50%, or monitoring frequency is decreased to once per year while maintaining the same treatment effect on HbA1c . CONCLUSIONS: Including professional-mode flash glucose monitoring every 3 months as part of a management plan for people with type 2 diabetes in general practice is not cost-effective, but could be if the sensor price or monitoring frequency can be reduced.

Evaluation of IMproving Palliative care Education and Training Using Simulation in Dementia (IMPETUS-D) a staff simulation training intervention to improve palliative care of people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: People with dementia have unique palliative and end-of-life needs. However, access to quality palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia living in nursing homes is often suboptimal. There is a recognised need for nursing home staff training in dementia-specific palliative care to equip them with knowledge and skills to deliver high quality care. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation training intervention (IMPETUS-D) aimed at nursing home staff on reducing unplanned transfers to hospital and/or deaths in hospital among residents living with dementia. DESIGN: Cluster randomised controlled trial of nursing homes with process evaluation conducted alongside. SUBJECTS & SETTING: One thousand three hundred four people with dementia living in 24 nursing homes (12 intervention/12 control) in three Australian cities, their families and direct care staff. METHODS: Randomisation was conducted at the level of the nursing home (cluster). The allocation sequence was generated by an independent statistician using a computer-generated allocation sequence. Staff from intervention nursing homes had access to the IMPETUS-D training intervention, and staff from control nursing homes had access to usual training opportunities. The predicted primary outcome measure was a 20% reduction in the proportion of people with dementia who had an unplanned transfer to hospital and/or death in hospital at 6-months follow-up in the intervention nursing homes compared to the control nursing homes. RESULTS: At 6-months follow-up, 128 (21.1%) people with dementia from the intervention group had an unplanned transfer or death in hospital compared to 132 (19.0%) residents from the control group; odds ratio 1.14 (95% CI, 0.82-1.59). There were suboptimal levels of staff participation in the training intervention and several barriers to participation identified. CONCLUSION: This study of a dementia-specific palliative care staff training intervention found no difference in the proportion of residents with dementia who had an unplanned hospital transfer. Implementation of the intervention was challenging and likely did not achieve adequate staff coverage to improve staff practice or resident outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12618002012257 . Registered 14 December 2018.

Women, clinician and IT staff perspectives on telehealth for enhanced gestational diabetes mellitus management in an Australian rural/regional setting.

INTRODUCTION: Women in rural and regional areas encounter challenges when accessing care for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A telehealth initiative for GDM care in an urban setting demonstrated positive effects on achieving glycaemic targets without compromising quality of care, but consumer and health service staff perspectives have not been explored. This research aimed to identify the profiles of women accessing care for GDM in a large regional hospital with a rural catchment in Victoria, Australia as well as gain insight into the views of the women with GDM, clinicians and IT staff on the acceptability and feasibility of a GDM telehealth in this setting. METHODS: Clinical and demographic characteristics of women accessing the GDM service between October 2016 and October 2017 were audited. Semi-structured interviews were completed with nine patients, three clinical staff and two IT service staff. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively and thematically, respectively. RESULTS: Telehealth was viewed favourably by women and staff, with many perceived benefits identified around mitigating challenges of accessing care, and service capacity and provision. Concerns were raised around potential costs incurred by women and health services in accessing telehealth initiatives. Staff highlighted that moderation of workloads and coordination of telehealth services would be essential to the success of a future telehealth initiative. CONCLUSION: This article contributes important knowledge around GDM care in rural and regional settings and the perspectives of women with GDM, clinicians and technical support staff. Women and health services staff consider telehealth a feasible and acceptable alternative to current GDM care and address many of the barriers and impacts of attending care in person. Perceived benefits to patients and health services need to be balanced against the concerns around the work and costs to deliver GDM telehealth services.

Let's CHAT (community health approaches to) dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Documented rates of dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is 3-5 times higher than the rest of the population, and current evidence suggests this condition is under-diagnosed and under-managed in a clinical primary care setting. This study aims to implement and evaluate a culturally responsive best practice model of care to optimise the detection and management of people with cognitive impairment and/or dementia, and to improve the quality of life of carers and older Aboriginal and Torres Islander Peoples with cognitive impairment. METHODS/DESIGN: The prospective study will use a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial design working with 12 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) across four states of Australia. Utilising a co-design approach, health system adaptations will be implemented including (i) development of a best practice guide for cognitive impairment and dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (ii) education programs for health professionals supported by local champions and (iii) development of decision support systems for local medical software. In addition, the study will utilise a knowledge translation framework, the Integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARIHS) Framework, to promote long-term sustainable practice change. Process evaluation will also be undertaken to measure the quality, fidelity and contextual influences on the outcomes of the implementation. The primary outcome measures will be rates of documentation of dementia and CIND, and evidence of improved management of dementia and CIND among older Indigenous peoples attending Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care services through health system changes. The secondary outcomes will be improvements to the quality of life of older Indigenous peoples with dementia and CIND, as well as that of their carers and families. DISCUSSION: The Let's CHAT Dementia project will co-design, implement and evaluate a culturally responsive best practice model of care embedded within current Indigenous primary health care. The best practice model of care has the potential to optimise the timely detection (especially in the early stages) and improve the ongoing management of people with dementia or cognitive impairment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12618001485224. Date of registration: 04 of September 2019.

Therapeutic Dancing for Frail Older People in Residential Aged Care: A Thematic Analysis of Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation.

BACKGROUND: Adults who live in residential aged care can have reduced participation in physical activities and sit for prolonged periods. Therapeutic dancing aims to optimize movement, creative expression, well-being, and social interaction. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the benefits, challenges, and facilitators to implementing therapeutic dancing in residential aged care. METHODS: Thematic analysis of semistructured interviews of residential aged care staff and therapists. Interviews were digitally audio-recorded and thematically analyzed. Findings: Four main themes were identified: (a) despite frailty, dancing classes afforded motor and nonmotor benefits, (b) music and dance genre selections were key to success, (c) the skills of the dance instructor were associated with successful outcomes, and (d) there were modifiable and nonmodifiable facilitators and barriers to implementation. CONCLUSION: Enablers included support from management, resident supervision, age-appropriate music with a strong rhythmical beat, and a dance instructor skilled in comprehensive care. Barriers included multimorbidity, frailty, severe cognitive impairment, and funding.

Understanding ageing well in Australian rural and regional settings: Applying an age-friendly lens.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates how rural community-dwelling older adults' views on what is important in maintaining health and wellbeing align with the eight age-friendly domains proposed by the World Health Organisation, and which domains are most salient. DESIGN: Data were gathered through open-ended response postcards distributed using a whole-of-community approach. SETTING: The Rural City of Wangaratta, a rural local government area located in north-east Victoria. PARTICIPANTS: 262 postcards were returned by rural older adults, carers and family members. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Thematic analysis of open-ended responses to the following question: what is important to you as you grow older (or your loved one), in terms of keeping healthy and well? RESULTS: Even though all eight age-friendly domains were identified as important for health and wellbeing, community and health services was the most frequently discussed domain, followed by transportation and access to outdoor spaces and buildings. However, individual-level factors, inclusive of personal activities, attitudes and capacities, were also identified as important to rural older adults. CONCLUSION: Findings support the use of the World Health Organization's age-friendly city framework in assessing what is important to rural older adults' health and wellbeing, with the community and health services domain most salient. However, individual-level activities, attitudes and capacities must also be considered.

Identifying support needs to improve rural dementia services for people with dementia and their carers: A consultation study in Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: The support and service needs of people with dementia and their carers are not always addressed in rural regions, yet family carers play an important role in supporting the person living with dementia to remain living in their own home. This study sought to identify and prioritise service and support needs of people with dementia and carers. DESIGN: A two-phase mixed methods study involving qualitative focus groups and a survey. SETTING: A rural region in Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: People living with dementia, carers and health professionals. RESULTS: Focus groups identified 12 areas of need. A follow-up survey reached consensus on the priority areas for service improvement. These included diagnosis and information access, dementia training, community understanding and carer support. CONCLUSION: Living in a rural region imposes significant challenges on people with dementia and carers. We need to find ways to address gaps in service provision for carers and people with dementia in rural settings and examine their applicability in other rural regions more broadly.

Assessing the value of rural community health services.

Rural health services are challenging to manage, a situation perhaps exacerbated by necessity to comply with one-size-fits-all performance frameworks designed for larger services. This raises the questions: do we know what rural health services are doing that is valuable and how should that be evaluated? Twenty-eight qualitative interviews with CEOs and staff of seven Victorian rural health services were conducted, exploring what they value about their 'best practice'. Themes emergent from analysis were compared with 19 government-produced health planning and performance documents. It was found that most dimensions of rural services value aligned with current performance frameworks, but a significant theme about 'community' was missing. Highlighting the relevance of this theme, achieving community-oriented goals accounted for one-third of best practice case studies identified by health services personnel. It is concluded that generating community outcomes is a significant area of value aimed for by rural health services that is missing from current performance measurement frameworks applied to Victorian health services. In this study, a new Evaluative Framework is outlined and further steps needed are suggested.

Screening and diagnosis of chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes attending Australian general practice.

Australian guidelines recommend annual screening and monitoring of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A cross-sectional study utilising data from NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight program from June 2015 to May 2016 was undertaken to explore: (1) the proportion of patients with T2D attending general practice who have had screening for, or ongoing monitoring of, CKD; (2) the proportion of patients without a documented diagnosis of CKD who have pathology consistent with CKD diagnosis; and (3) the patient factors associated with screening and the recording of a diagnosis of CKD. Of 90550 patients with T2D, 44394 (49.0%) were appropriately screened or monitored. There were 8030 (8.9%) patients with a recorded diagnosis of CKD, whereas 6597 (7.3%) patients had no recorded diagnosis of CKD despite pathology consistent with a diagnosis. Older age and diagnosis of hypertension or hyperlipidaemia were associated with increased odds of CKD diagnosis being recorded. Older patients, males, those with recorded diagnoses of hypertension or hyperlipidaemia and those who had their medical record opened more frequently were more likely to be screened appropriately. Screening and monitoring of CKD appears suboptimal. Research to explore barriers to screening, recording and monitoring of CKD, and strategies to address these, is required.

CHERISH (collaboration for hospitalised elders reducing the impact of stays in hospital): protocol for a multi-site improvement program to reduce geriatric syndromes in older inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Older inpatients are at risk of hospital-associated geriatric syndromes including delirium, functional decline, incontinence, falls and pressure injuries. These contribute to longer hospital stays, loss of independence, and death. Effective interventions to reduce geriatric syndromes remain poorly implemented due to their complexity, and require an organised approach to change care practices and systems. Eat Walk Engage is a complex multi-component intervention with structured implementation, which has shown reduced geriatric syndromes and length of stay in pilot studies at one hospital. This study will test effectiveness of implementing Eat Walk Engage using a multi-site cluster randomised trial to inform transferability of this intervention. METHODS: A hybrid study design will evaluate the effectiveness and implementation strategy of Eat Walk Engage in a real-world setting. A multisite cluster randomised study will be conducted in 8 medical and surgical wards in 4 hospitals, with one ward in each site randomised to implement Eat Walk Engage (intervention) and one to continue usual care (control). Intervention wards will be supported to develop and implement locally tailored strategies to enhance early mobility, nutrition, and meaningful activities. Resources will include a trained, mentored facilitator, audit support, a trained healthcare assistant, and support by an expert facilitator team using the i-PARIHS implementation framework. Patient outcomes and process measures before and after intervention will be compared between intervention and control wards. Primary outcomes are any hospital-associated geriatric syndrome (delirium, functional decline, falls, pressure injuries, new incontinence) and length of stay. Secondary outcomes include discharge destination; 30-day mortality, function and quality of life; 6 month readmissions; and cost-effectiveness. Process measures including patient interviews, activity mapping and mealtime audits will inform interventions in each site and measure improvement progress. Factors influencing the trajectory of implementation success will be monitored on implementation wards. DISCUSSION: Using a hybrid design and guided by an explicit implementation framework, the CHERISH study will establish the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and transferability of a successful pilot program for improving care of older inpatients, and identify features that support successful implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12615000879561 registered prospectively 21/8/2015.

Identifying Risk for Diabetes in Adolescence (IRDA): A pilot study in general practice.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adolescents is increasing, particularly among those in lower socioeconomic areas, and of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Islander and Asian ethnicities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to test the acceptability and feasibility of a brief screening program for T2DM risk factors in young adolescents in a general practice in a high-risk, low socioeconomic area. METHODS: Twenty-two adolescents participated in the program over three months. Anthropometric measures, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids, diet and exercise data were collected. Parents completed a short survey. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics and frequency graphs, and brief qualitative data on acceptability were also collected. RESULTS: Nineteen out of the 22 adolescents had at least one risk factor for developing T2DM and 11 had three or more risk factors. Thirty-two per cent of the participants had a parent currently living with T2DM and five out of 22 had an HbA1c level >5.8%, suggesting increased risk for T2DM. DISCUSSION: Screening was feasible and acceptable in this setting. The findings suggest a need for extended screening in the future.