Designing an Informatics Infrastructure for a National Aged Care Medication Roundtable.

In the residential aged care sector medication management has been identified as a major area of concern contributing to poor outcomes and quality of life for residents. Monitoring medication management in residential aged care in Australia has been highly reliant on small, internal audits. The introduction of electronic medication administration systems provides new opportunities to establish improved methods for ongoing, timely and efficient monitoring of a range of medication indicators, made more meaningful by linking medication data with resident characteristics and outcomes. Benchmarking contemporary medication indicators provides a further opportunity for improvement and is most effective when indicator data are adjusted to take account of confounding factors, such as residents' characteristics and health conditions. Roundtables provide a structure for sharing and discussing indicator data in a trusted and supportive environment and encourage the identification of strategies which may be effective in improving medication management. This paper describes a new project to establish, implement and evaluate a National Aged Care Medication Roundtable.

Stakeholder perspectives of a pilot multicomponent delirium prevention intervention for adult patients with advanced cancer in palliative care units: A behaviour change theory-based qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Theory-based and qualitative evaluations in pilot trials of complex clinical interventions help to understand quantitative results, as well as inform the feasibility and design of subsequent effectiveness and implementation trials. AIM: To explore patient, family, clinician and volunteer ('stakeholder') perspectives of the feasibility and acceptability of a multicomponent non-pharmacological delirium prevention intervention for adult patients with advanced cancer in four Australian palliative care units that participated in a phase II trial, the 'PRESERVE pilot study'. DESIGN: A trial-embedded qualitative study via semi-structured interviews and directed content analysis using Michie's Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine people involved in the trial: nurses (n = 17), physicians (n = 6), patients (n = 6), family caregivers (n = 4), physiotherapists (n = 3), a social worker, a pastoral care worker and a volunteer. RESULTS: Participants' perspectives aligned with the 'capability', 'opportunity' and 'motivation' domains of the applied frameworks. Of seven themes, three were around the alignment of the delirium prevention intervention with palliative care (intervention was considered routine care; intervention aligned with the compassionate and collaborative culture of palliative care; and differing views of palliative care priorities influenced perspectives of the intervention) and four were about study processes more directly related to adherence to the intervention (shared knowledge increased engagement with the intervention; impact of the intervention checklist on attention, delivery and documentation of the delirium prevention strategies; clinical roles and responsibilities; and addressing environmental barriers to delirium prevention). CONCLUSION: This theory-informed qualitative study identified multiple influences on the delivery and documentation of a pilot multicomponent non-pharmacological delirium prevention intervention in four palliative care units. Findings inform future definitive studies of delirium prevention in palliative care.Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617001070325; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373168.

Development and dissemination of the national strategic action plan for reducing inappropriate polypharmacy in older Australians.

A cohesive, national approach is needed to address inappropriate polypharmacy in older adults and promote deprescribing. We describe the dissemination of the Quality Use of Medicines to Optimise Ageing in Older Australians: Recommendations for a National Strategic Action Plan to Reduce Inappropriate Polypharmacy, and the initiatives taken to date that align with, and assist in operationalising this plan.

A Multicomponent Nonpharmacological Intervention to Prevent Delirium for Hospitalized People with Advanced Cancer: A Phase II Cluster Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial (The PRESERVE Pilot Study).

Background: Delirium is a common debilitating complication of advanced cancer. Objective: To determine if a multicomponent nonpharmacological delirium prevention intervention was feasible for adult patients with advanced cancer, before a phase III (efficacy) trial. Design: Phase II (feasibility) cluster randomized controlled trial. All sites implemented delirium screening and diagnostic assessment. Strategies within sleep, vision and hearing, hydration, orientation, mobility, and family domains were delivered to enrolled patients at intervention site admission days 1-7. Control sites then implemented the intervention ("waitlist sites"). Setting: Four Australian palliative care units. Measurements: The primary outcome was adherence, with an a priori endpoint of at least 60% patients achieving full adherence. Secondary outcomes were interdisciplinary care delivery, delirium measures, and adverse events, analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results: Sixty-five enrolled patients (25 control, 20 intervention, and 20 waitlist) had 98% delirium screens and 75% diagnostic assessments completed. Nurses (67%), physicians (16%), allied health (8.4%), family (7%), patients (1%), and volunteers (0.5%) delivered the intervention. There was full adherence for 5% patients at intervention sites, partial for 25%. Both full and partial adherence were higher at waitlist sites: 25% and 45%, respectively. One-third of control site patients (32%) became delirious within seven days of admission compared to one-fifth (20%) at both intervention and waitlist sites (p = 0.5). Mean (standard deviation) Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-1998 scores were 16.8 + 12.0 control sites versus 18.4 + 8.2 (p = 0.6) intervention and 18.7 + 7.8 (p = 0.5) waitlist sites. The intervention caused no adverse events. Conclusion: The intervention requires modification for optimal adherence in a phase III trial.

Implementation of a model of care for hospitalised older persons with cognitive impairment (the Confused Hospitalised Older Persons program) in six New South Wales hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implementation of a model of care known as the Confused Hospitalised Older Persons (CHOPs) program to improve recognition, assessment and management of older persons with cognitive impairment (delirium and/or dementia) admitted to acute hospitals. METHODS: The model of care was implemented in six selected hospitals across New South Wales. Pre- and postimplementation medical record audits, environmental audits, and staff knowledge and care confidence surveys were performed. Interviews with clinical leads postimplementation identified enablers and barriers. RESULTS: There were significant increases in cognitive screening within 24 hours (OR = 3.32 [2.50-4.91]), delirium risk identification (OR = 4.04 [2.89-5.64]), assessment of cognitive impairment (OR = 2.55 [1.90-3.43]) and interaction with families (OR = 2.81 [2.09-3.79]). Staff education and care confidence were improved, and positive environmental changes occurred in all hospitals. Barriers and enablers to implementation were identified. CONCLUSION: The CHOPs program improved identification, risk assessment and management of cognitive impairment in older hospitalised patients.

Multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention to prevent delirium for hospitalised people with advanced cancer: study protocol for a phase II cluster randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Delirium is a significant medical complication for hospitalised patients. Up to one-third of delirium episodes are preventable in older inpatients through non-pharmacological strategies that support essential human needs, such as physical and cognitive activity, sleep, hydration, vision and hearing. We hypothesised that a multicomponent intervention similarly may decrease delirium incidence, and/or its duration and severity, in inpatients with advanced cancer. Prior to a phase III trial, we aimed to determine if a multicomponent non-pharmacological delirium prevention intervention is feasible and acceptable for this specific inpatient group. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is a phase II cluster randomised wait-listed controlled trial involving inpatients with advanced cancer at four Australian palliative care inpatient units. Intervention sites will introduce delirium screening, diagnostic assessment and a multicomponent delirium prevention intervention with six domains of care: preserving natural sleep; maintaining optimal vision and hearing; optimising hydration; promoting communication, orientation and cognition; optimising mobility; and promoting family partnership. Interdisciplinary teams will tailor intervention delivery to each site and to patient need. Control sites will first introduce only delirium screening and diagnosis, later implementing the intervention, modified according to initial results. The primary outcome is adherence to the intervention during the first seven days of admission, measured for 40 consecutively admitted eligible patients. Secondary outcomes relate to fidelity and feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of the study intervention, processes and measures in this patient population, using quantitative and qualitative measures. Delirium incidence and severity will be measured to inform power calculations for a future phase III trial. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained for all four sites. Trial results, qualitative substudy findings and implementation of the intervention will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and reported at conferences, to study sites and key peak bodies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12617001070325; Pre-results.

Appropriate care for older people with cognitive impairment in hospital.

More than half of the patients in adult hospitals are over 65 years of age. Although not a normal part of ageing, many older people will present to hospital with cognitive impairment (dementia or delirium) along with other complex comorbidities. Older people, and particularly those with dementia, are also at increased risk of developing delirium during their hospital stay. Delirium has serious short and long term consequences, such as increased mortality, falls, accelerated functional and cognitive decline, and earlier entry to residential care. Appropriate delirium care consists of introducing evidence-based prevention strategies for all patients at risk. For patients with delirium, it is crucial that delirium is not missed and that the underlying causes are identified and treated. Screening, assessment and a systematic workup is vital. As well as treating the underlying medical and surgical causes, the involvement of family members and a calm, safe environment are important. Patients with cognitive impairment should receive person-centred, goal-directed care so that their particular risks of harm are identified and minimised, and their care is aligned with their preferences and is medically appropriate for their circumstances. Three de-identified, composite case scenarios illustrate, respectively, the role of medicines in causing delirium, how family members can assist in evaluation, and the importance of the appropriate management of post-operative delirium.

Dementia services in Australia.

AIM: To describe dementia services in Australia. METHOD: Limited review of current government policies and relevant papers. RESULTS: Australians with dementia, currently estimated at 220 000, are expected to number 1.13 million by 2050. In response, Commonwealth and State Australian governments have developed comprehensive plans and systems including expansion of community care services and packages, improvement in quality of residential care and initiatives to address behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Alzheimer's Australia, which continues to be a powerful advocate for improvement in services, has pioneered a prevention programme to delay dementia onset. CONCLUSION: Further developments should aim to increase awareness, reduce stigma, enhance carer support improve timely diagnosis and support for special population groups, notably those from Indigenous and non-English speaking communities and those with younger onset dementia and correct relative underfunding for dementia research. Dementia care in Australia is well developed but gaps remain.

A decade of parent and infant relationship support group therapy programs.

A 10-year experience with a unique, short-term community group therapy program, Parent and Infant Relationship Support (PAIRS) for high risk infants and their parents is discussed. The program offers ten, 2-hour closed weekly group therapy sessions for mothers and their babies, following a parallel conjoint model of group work. The aims of the PAIRS group program are threefold: to increase positive parent-infant interaction and secure attachment, to decrease maternal postnatal depression, and to foster optimal infant development. Evaluation of the program has shown promising results in comparison with a control group. Clinical case material is used to illustrate therapeutic processes underlying the positive outcomes.