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Biomedical subjects

Elizabeth Harris

Publications and source records attributed to Elizabeth Harris.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Relationship between mental health disorders and unemployment status in Australian adults.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence of anxiety and affective disorders among employed and unemployed patients and to compare the type of treatment received between the two groups for these disorders. METHOD: A secondary analysis of the 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of Adults cross-sectional study was undertaken. RESULTS: Unemployed adults were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 2.80-3.41) or an affective disorder (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.95-2.27) or anxiety and/or affective disorders (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 2.37-2.69). Unemployed participants with symptoms were less likely to have seen a general practitioner for treatment but when they did they received similar care to employed participants. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm studies reported elsewhere that the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and/or affective disorders is higher for unemployed people. The data provide further evidence that people with an anxiety and/or affective disorder who are unemployed are not seeking medical treatment. However, unlike previous research undertaken by our group, these results indicate that symptomatic adults who seek help receive comparable treatment in general practice irrespective of their employment status.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The inverse care law revisited: impact of disadvantaged location on accessing longer GP consultation times.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the rate of provision of longer consultations per head of population across practice locations categorised by socioeconomic status. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of Medicare data for all consultations for all general practitioners in Australia for the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 financial years, grouped by postcode of practice location. Postcodes were categorised by the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage score. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of consultations and number of brief, standard, long and prolonged consultations per capita in each postcode grouping. RESULTS: The absolute number of long plus prolonged consultations showed no trend across postcode groups, but the rate ratio per person was significantly higher in more advantaged postcode areas. This represents an example of care provision in inverse relationship to need. DISCUSSION: Despite higher rates of chronic disease and lower rates of preventive care uptake, patients in low socioeconomic status areas receive longer GP consultations at a lower rate than patients in more advantaged areas. Possible strategies to overcome this inverse care provision include increased numbers of GPs in disadvantaged communities, removal of financial disincentives to longer consultations, and strengthening health promotion and community health services in disadvantaged areas.

Family Practice↗
PubMed2002

A decade of change in a community health service: a shift to acute and short-term care.

There have been major policy changes impacting on community health services such as early discharge and hospital in the home initiatives. The effects of such policies on the client profile of community health services are not well known. Administrative data was used to explore a decade of changes in South Western Sydney Area Health Service community health services. There is a clear shift from a service primarily focused on child health screening to one that is increasingly providing acute and shorter-term care to adults with physical health problems. The changes are reflective of policies that are moving acute treatment services into the community.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sustained nurse home visiting in early childhood: exploring Australian nursing competencies.

Abstract There is strong evidence that a comprehensive model of sustained nurse home visiting (SNHV) in early childhood can improve child and family outcomes for vulnerable and at-risk families. There is also evidence that nurse home visitors experience challenges in delivering SNHV. This article aims to identify the nursing competencies needed for delivering a comprehensive model of SNHV and highlight the areas where further competency development is required. Qualitative analysis compared the content and language of published registered generalist and child and family nursing competency statements for Australian nurses with the work experiences of a team of community-based nurses delivering SNHV. Development of competencies is needed in the areas of (a) enhanced knowledge of child development, social determinants of health, and broader outcomes for individuals and populations; (b) advanced skills in fine observation, anticipatory guidance, negotiating, modelling and experimentation, holistic case management, and working in interdisciplinary teams; and (c) attitudinal competency for working "with" and supporting risk taking. The current published competencies for general and child and family nurses do not encompass the different and advanced competencies required for performing SNHV. Competency development and associated nurse training and support are needed for delivery of quality SHNV services.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies in a multicultural, disadvantaged community.

AIM: This study assessed levels of maternal knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies in a socio-economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse population. METHODS: Pregnant women (n=233) were asked to name three things they could do to reduce the risk of cot death. Answers were marked in accordance with the US National Institute of Child Health and Development guide-lines. RESULTS: Of women 51.5% could correctly name two or more strategies that could reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. There was significant difference by the woman's country of birth: 68.2% of Australian-born women were able to correctly identify two or more strategies, compared with only 37.3% of those born overseas (P<0.001). Most of the small number of Indigenous women included in the study were able to correctly identify two or more strategies. Year of arrival in Australia, number of previous children, age and level of education were not significantly related to women's knowledge. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention strategies was poorer in overseas-born women. Practitioners working with disadvantaged, overseas-born women should give consideration to women's knowledge of sudden infant death syndrome prevention if current low rates of sudden infant death syndrome deaths are to be maintained.

Adult↗