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Biomedical subjects

D Broom

Publications and source records attributed to D Broom.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Consulting about consulting: challenges to effective consulting about public health research.

OBJECTIVE: To understand barriers to obtaining input from consumers in developing public health research. METHODS: Documentation of a failed attempt at consumer consultation supplies information on barriers to effective involvement and conditions that must prevail to improve consultation. RESULTS: People are keen to be heard in the formulation of health research. However, competing demands and limited resources make it difficult for community groups to allocate scarce resources to consultation. Sometimes research issues may seem 'academic' and thus remote from the urgent priorities of the people with whom researchers wish to consult. Consultation may require more time than researchers on limited budgets can afford. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a general public health commitment to involving consumers in research development, obstacles to consultation make it difficult to incorporate it into the research agenda. IMPLICATIONS: Researchers and funding bodies will need to allocate resources to consumer consultation if it is to become the rule rather than the exception in public health research.

Australia↗
PubMed2001

Public health, private body.

A number of comparatively recent epistemological shifts draw attention to the body, among them developments in social (including feminist) theory and gender studies. In many social science and humanities disciplines, there is now considerable research and debate about notions of embodiment. Yet despite the fact that our subject matter is, ultimately, the life and death of human bodies, public health has remained largely silent on the question of what bodies are and how our public health work, whether academic or applied, is shaped by ideas about embodiment. Consequently, public health notions of the body remain implicit, ambiguous, often contradictory and incoherent. In this discussion, I strive to make explicit what some of our implicit ideas might be, to speculate on why bodies are excluded from most public health discourse, how that exclusion is achieved, and the consequences for public health research and practice. In an active consideration of the fundamental subject matter of public health, I invite attention to where and how greater self-consciousness about embodiment and its consequences might instigate shifts in public health thinking and action.

Biology↗
PubMed2000

Realities of practice. Engaging parents and GPs in developing clinical practice guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: To integrate evidence based medicine with the experience and expectations of consumers and GPs in the development of clinical practice guidelines for acute respiratory infections (ARI) in young children. METHOD: Focus groups and workshops were held with 21 GPs and 27 patients of young children involved in a 2 year randomised controlled trial. RESULTS: The acceptability of the guideline development process for participants was determined. Barriers were identified which would impede clinical change, including: inadequate time; lack of knowledge; fear of patient dissatisfaction; and fear of poor health outcome. CONCLUSION: This paper details a process of guideline development that addresses the realities of general practice in Australia and the concerns of consumers. We identified potential barriers to change and integrated intervention strategies with the evidence to produce realistic clinical practice guidelines.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Mixed feelings: satisfaction and disillusionment among Australian GPs.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Medical practitioners' satisfaction with their work impacts on quality of care for their patients and on their own sense of fulfillment. Reforms introduced in the early 1990s into Australian general practice have led to concerns over the morale of GPs. This study examines satisfaction and dissatisfaction of GPs with regard to the reform strategy. METHOD: GPs throughout Australia were approached via a popular GP magazine to express their views in a questionnaire comprising closed-end and open-ended questions enquiring about satisfaction with their current role and sources of satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) of working in general practice. Factor analysis was used to identify different sources of satisfaction (and dissatisfaction), which were intercorrelated and which together represented underlying factors. Logistic regression modelling was used to determine which sources were most strongly associated with being satisfied (or not satisfied), and to explore GP characteristics associated with satisfaction. RESULTS: A total of 2186 questionnaires were returned, representing the opinions of 14-18% of Australian GPs. Two-thirds (68%) of respondents reported being satisfied, most frequently with the variety of work and establishing relationships with patients and their families. Six satisfaction factors were identified on factor analysis, the most important characterizing social and interpersonal roles. Leading sources of dissatisfaction related to perceived interference by the government. Six dissatisfaction factors were identified on factor analysis, the most important characterizing governmental issues. However, on logistic regression other sources of dissatisfaction (reflecting disillusionment) were most strongly associated with not being satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: The main sources of satisfaction are those which typify the long-term caring role of the community GP. While the reform strategy aimed to address problems with the organization and financing of general practice, the resulting intervention is the focus of dissatisfaction. Among dissatisfied GPs these attitudes may arise primarily from a sense of disillusionment.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Weight-control practices of adults in a rural community.

Obesity is recognised as a significant public health problem, and health authorities are concerned with promoting a healthy weight for all adults. However, there is a paucity of data about community weight-control practices. We surveyed weight-control behaviour, strategies and goals in a population-based sample of 1342 adults living in rural Victoria. In addition to the 20 per cent of adults who were attempting to lose weight, 22 per cent were actively trying to maintain their present weight or to avoid weight gain. Those taking action for their weight most often did so for health-related reasons, and most of the strategies used were those recommended by health authorities. However, some adults, particularly women, adopted potentially unhealthy weight-control practices. One in four women whose weight was acceptable was trying to lose weight, and 14 per cent of women had a weight goal that was below the acceptable range. Conversely, 50 per cent of men had a weight goal higher than that currently considered acceptable. Additional research is required to assess more accurately the specific nature of community weight-control practices.

Adolescent↗