Care of women at risk of preterm birth: A survey of reported practice in Australia and New Zealand

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comA mail-out questionnaire on management of women considered at high risk of preterm birth was sent to all members and fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. While the survey suggested that there is general consensus among practitioners as to what constitutes an increased risk of preterm birth, there is some variation in investigations and treatment currently undertaken.Sue Jenkins-Manning, Vicki Flenady, Jodie Dodd, Rob Cincotta, Caroline Crowthe

The Returns From Cardiovascular Research: The Impact of the National Heart Foundation of Australia's Investment

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of the research investment of the National Heart Foundation of Australia (NHF). Design and setting: The NHF Research Evaluation Working Group was established in 2002 to oversee evaluation of research funding and outcomes data collected over a 5-year period. The evaluation included a bibliometric analysis conducted by the Research Evaluation and Policy Project at the Australian National University. Outcome measures: Level and leverage of research funding; funding levels across the disciplines of biomedical, clinical, and public health research; and visibility and knowledge impact of NHF-supported research in international cardiovascular journals. Results: The NHF’s investment in research increased by 27% from 2001 to 2005. This increase resulted from leveraged support for fellowships and scholarships of $1.5 million over this period, and$2.2 million from the pharmaceutical industry. There was an increase in fellowship and scholarship funding from 26% in 2001 to 46% in 2005. There was a 75% increase in the funding allocated to public health research from 2002 to 2004. NHF-funded research publications were found in high impact journals at levels above Australian and world averages, but received fewer citations than expected based on citation rates for all similar articles. Conclusions: The NHF has been successful in implementing a policy to allocate 50% of its research funding to people and 50% to projects. This strategy has led to an increase in funding support for public health research. NHF-funded research has performed very well in terms of knowledge impact. The NHF is now well placed to strategically fund relevant research in the future

Family member presence during resuscitation in the emergency department: an Australian perspective

Objective: The practice of family member presence during resuscitation in the ED has attracted widespread attention over the last few decades. Despite the recommendations of international organizations, clinical staff remain reluctant to engage in this practice in many EDs. This paper separates the evidence from opinion to determine the current state of knowledge about this practice.Methods: A search strategy was developed and used to locate research based publications, which were subsequently reviewed for the strength of evidence providing the basis for recommendations.Results: The literature was examined to reveal what patients and their family members want; the outcomes of family presence during resuscitation for patients and their family members; staff views and practices regarding family presence during resuscitation. Findings suggest that providing the opportunity to be with their critically ill family member is both important to and beneficial for families, however, disparity in staff views has been identified as a major obstacle to family presence during resuscitation. Examination of published guidelines and staff practices described in the literature revealed consistent elements.Conclusion: Although critics point to the lack of rigour in this body of literature, the current state of knowledge suggests merit in pursuing future research to examine and measure effects of family member presence during resuscitation on patients, family members and healthcare providers.<br /