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Biomedical subjects

M F Harris

Publications and source records attributed to M F Harris.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Elderly care. A pilot project on opportunistic geriatric assessments in general practice.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a pilot program for systematic assessment of functional status of the elderly in general practice. METHOD: The program was developed in consultation with local GPs and aged care services and introduced to GPs at a workshop. The program was piloted for seven general practitioners with 41 patients, 70 years or older. RESULTS: While many problems had been previously identified by GPs additional problems with: home and social life; activities of daily living and mobility; cognition and depression; general health and medication problems were found in up to 2.5% of patients. CONCLUSION: Opportunistic health assessment of the elderly in general practice is practical and useful in detecting health problems.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1996

Anxiety and depression in general practice patients: prevalence and management.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in general practice patients and assess management of these conditions by general practitioners (GPs). METHOD: A random sample of 212 GPs were approached to be interviewed and to conduct a patient survey and audit on 50 consecutive patient consultations during 1993. PARTICIPANTS: 117 GPs (55% response rate) and 4867 patients (85%) who completed questionnaires suitable for analysis. SETTING: General practices in two areas (divisions of general practice) in Sydney, New South Wales. RESULTS: Thirty-six per cent of patients had abnormal scores on a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); they were more likely to be women or to be unemployed. Twenty per cent of these patients had been treated for depression or anxiety in the previous 12 months; 52% were prescribed drug therapy, and were more likely to be older, male or unemployed. Seventy per cent of patients reported having been offered therapy by their GP that did not involve drugs. Twenty-four per cent had been referred to another health professional; they were more likely to be younger, or men, or patients attending their usual doctor. CONCLUSIONS: A brief screening instrument may improve GPs' detection rate of patients with anxiety or depression. The high prevalence of these conditions in unemployed people deserves particular attention by GPs. Both drug and non-drug therapies are being more appropriately applied in general practice than previously.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

How general practitioners store vaccines. A survey in south-western Sydney.

OBJECTIVE: To describe how general practitioners store vaccines. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of general practices and observation of storage procedures for vaccines. SETTING: South-western Sydney between September and December 1993. PARTICIPANTS: 232 randomly selected general practitioners working in south-western Sydney, of whom 76% responded to a questionnaire. Vaccine storage was observed in 20 general practices. RESULTS: At 80% of practices, one person was responsible for vaccine storage. Only 30% of respondents used a vaccine-only refrigerator. Only 16% of respondents had a means of measuring temperature, while 5% kept a record of refrigerator temperature. Of the general practices that were monitored, the measured temperature of 70% of the refrigerators used for storing vaccines was within the recommended range of 2 degrees C-8 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine storage would improve in general practices in south-western Sydney if vaccine-only refrigerators were used and temperature was monitored with maximum-minimum thermometers.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1995

Remote monitoring of health status of the elderly at home. A multidisciplinary project on aging at the University of New South Wales.

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a multidisciplinary research project and associated field trials to test the hypothesis that functional health status amongst the elderly can be accurately determined remotely by continuously monitoring relatively simple parameters that measure the interaction between participants and their environment. In this study we propose that changes in such simple measures as mobility, sleep patterns, and utilisation of cooking, washing and toilet facilities, can identify changes in functional health status. One of the primary end goals of the project will be to automatically prompt appropriate, timely and cost-effective intervention of medical and community based services to help reduce morbidity and maintain an independent high quality of life for the elderly. Targeted intervention will diminish the demand for high cost medical services. This will have large potential economic implications in helping to contain and reduce the increasing cost of providing health care services to the aged.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Are childhood immunization programmes in Australia at risk? Investigation of the cold chain in the Northern Territory.

Since vaccines may lose their potency if transported or stored outside the recommended temperature range (2-8 degrees C), we carried out a study in the Darwin area of the Northern Territory of Australia to determine the links in the cold chain, including the extent of vaccine monitoring, and whether the vaccines were being exposed to unsafe temperatures. Sabin oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) and recombinant hepatitis-B (HB) vaccine were selected for special monitoring. A total of 127 vials of OPV and 144 vials of HB vaccine were dispatched during October, November and December 1990 to the government, independent health services and general practitioner surgeries which routinely administer these vaccines. We distributed the two vaccines with MonitorMark time/temperature and Coldside indicator tags attached to cards for recording the date, location and temperature exposures each time the vaccines were moved or used. A total of 65% of the OPV and 41% of the HB vaccine monitor cards were returned for analysis. The vaccines were transported and stored at one to four locations prior to being administered. Some 23% of tagged OPV was exposed for 48 hours or more to a temperature > 10 degrees C; 47.5% of tagged HB vaccines were exposed to -3 degrees C or less, the majority of them during storage in health facilities or clinics. Exposures were independent of distance from the distribution centre, mode of transport, or type of facility. Our results show that the vaccines were often exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range during transport and storage, putting them at risk of loss of potency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Child↗
PubMed1993

General practice.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1993

Improving general practitioner involvement in urban hospitals. Departments or divisions of general practice.

OBJECTIVE: To discover what measures have been taken in urban Australian hospitals to involve general practitioners (GPs) in public hospital services. DESIGN: A descriptive study. Data were collected by postal survey. SETTING: Hospitals in urban areas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Appointment of GP affiliates or associates, existence of departments or divisions of general practice, appointed GP liaison positions and formal arrangements for GP shared care and discharge planning. RESULTS: Ninety-five of 102 hospitals (93%) responded to a postal survey. Sixty-five per cent of respondent hospitals had appointed GP affiliates or associates, 32% had a division or department of general practice and 41% had a designated GP liaison position. Forty per cent had formal GP shared care programs and 14% had formal GP involvement in discharge planning. CONCLUSION: There was a high level of adoption of measures to involve GPs in urban hospitals. However, only a minority of hospitals had comprehensive measures in place and sufficient support for this to occur.

Australia↗
PubMed1992

Epidemiology of blindness and visual impairment in Vanuatu.

A population-based survey of blindness was conducted in Vanuatu. Data were gathered on a sample of 3520 of the approximately 150,000 inhabitants of Vanuatu aged at least 6 years, in order to estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness among the whole population. An overall prevalence of blindness of 4.0 per 1000 was found, 85% of which was due to cataract, an avoidable cause of this disability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Management of acute lower respiratory infections.

Acute lower respiratory infections are important causes of mortality and morbidity in Australia. Assessment, diagnosis and management in general practice can be improved by using very simple clinical protocols to identify serious problems early, to reduce reliance on investigations and overuse of antibiotics, and to involve the patients more in their own management.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Anaesthesia for Proteus syndrome.

A 14-year-old boy with Proteus syndrome presented for orthopaedic surgery to his legs. No report in the literature exists on anaesthesia for this condition. Our patients posed airway problems that were managed by tracheal intubation under sedation using a fibreoptic bronchoscope. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with nitrous oxide and isoflurane in oxygen. His lungs were ventilated mechanically throughout surgery, which was uneventful.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1990

Change in aboriginal childhood morbidity and mortality in Bourke 1971-84.

In the early 1970s, the Aboriginal community of Bourke attempted to improve its socioeconomic and health status through a number of community development activities. As a result, markers of nutrition in early childhood, housing conditions and access to health care all improved, in spite of a deterioration in employment opportunities and adult health. Coincidentally, most markers of the health of Aboriginal children in Bourke improved over the period 1971-84. In particular, Aboriginal child admissions due to gastroenteritis, eye and ear infections and accidents, and the community prevalence of trachoma, middle ear disease and pneumonia among Aboriginal children, decreased. Skin infections were an exception to this general picture, becoming more prevalent over the period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The change in rural practice. Bourke 1968 to 1985.

This second part of a study comparing general practice consultations in Bourke in 1968 and 1985 examines attendances with non communicable diseases. Over the period, Aboriginal consultations for genitourinary diseases, diabetes, alcohol abuse, hypertension, and musculoskeletal disorders have increased. By 1985, most of these were more common among Aboriginal than non Aboriginal patients in the 30 to 50 year age group. This group also has a higher mortality. The role of the general practitioner is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Bridging the gap--health care for the homeless.

In Australia and other countries concern exists about the extent of homelessness. Because we live in a period in which access to adequate shelter is an increasing problem for many persons, we report on the health needs of long-term homeless persons. Little attention was given to their health needs during the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless in 1987.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Iron deficiency in Bourke children.

A study of 121 Aboriginal and 91 non-Aboriginal children aged 6 years and under was carried out in Bourke during 6 months of 1986. These children were selected either because they were admitted to hospital and had an incidental blood test or were screened at various childcare and preschool facilities in the town. A haemoglobin level of below 100 g/l was found in 12.4% of Aboriginal children compared with only 3.3% of non-Aboriginal children. A mean corpuscular volume of less than 80 was found in 15.7% of Aboriginal children and 3.3% of non-Aboriginal children. Of the total sample, 17.4% of Aboriginal children and 6.6% of non-Aboriginal children had a serum ferritin level of less than 10 ng/ml. These markers of iron deficiency were associated with low weight and crowded living conditions in Aboriginal children. The prevalence of haemoglobin below 100 g/l among Aboriginal children under 5 years has fallen from 24.7% in 1971 to 14.1% in 1986.

Child↗