Wayne Tony Usher

Types of Social Media (Web 2.0) Used by Australian Allied Health Professionals to Deliver Early Twenty-First-Century Practice Promotion and Health Care

Types of social media (Web 2.0) usage associated with eight of Australias major allied health professions (AHPs, n = 935) were examined. Australian AHPs are interacting with Web 2.0 technologies for personal use but are failing to implement such technologies throughout their health professions to deliver health care. Australian AHPs are willing to undertake online educational courses designed to up skill them about how Web 2.0 may be used for practice promotion and health care delivery in the early twenty-first century. Participants in this study indicated that educational courses that were offered online would be the preferred mode of delivery.

Cyber-management of people with chronic disease: A potential solution to eHealth challenges

The evolving eHealth agenda presents a range of potential opportunities for the management and prevention of chronic disease. This paper identifies issues and barriers to the uptake of eHealth and describes a strategy (Healthy Outcomes for Australians© – HOFA) for creating a central knowledge filter and cyber space method for tracking health determinants through an interactive, social media platform. Discussion will be directed towards presenting contemporary interactive cyber platforms that are aimed at harnessing social media (Web 2.0) technologies in preparation for delivering effective early 21st century health care.

Persuasion and types of enticements offered by pharmaceutical companies to Gold Coast general practitioners in an attempt to encourage a health website recommendation

This study was undertaken to determine if pharmaceutical companies persuade and offer enticements to Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) general practitioners (GPs), in an attempt to encourage them to recommend health websites to the health consumer. A survey instrument consisting of seven single response questions was mailed to 250 (61%) out of 410 GPs. Questions were designed to measure the percentages (%) and proportions associated with levels of persuasion and types of enticements pharmaceutical companies are offering GPs, in an attempt to encourage them to recommend health websites to the health consumer. The survey instrument allowed participants to indicate their (1) gender, (2) age and (3) years of experience (less experienced <or= 10 years/more experienced >or= 10 years). One hundred and eight (43%) of the 250 GPs returned a completed survey. The return rate for male GPs was 72 (40%) and for female GPs, it was 36 (33%). Sixty-eight (63%) GPs indicated that they actively recommend health websites to their patients [male GPs--48 (71%), female GPs--20 (29%)]. This study highlights that female GPs (80%), those aged between 31 and 40 (77%) and GPs with < 10 years experience (72%) were more frequently targeted by pharmaceutical companies. This study reports that pharmaceutical companies are offering various types of enticements in an attempt to persuade Gold Coast GPs to recommend specific health websites to the health consumer. Further research should explore if similar levels of persuasion and types of enticements are being offered to GPs across Australia.

Giving the teacher a voice: Perceptions regarding the barriers and enablers associated with the implementation of Smart Moves (compulsory physical activity) within primary state schools

Abstract The specific focus of this study is to explore Queensland (Australia) state school generalist teachers’ perceptions regarding the barriers and enablers associated with the implementation of the Smart Moves (compulsory physical activity) policy in the primary classroom setting. This study sought to primarily add to the literature on, and understanding about, implementing compulsory physical activity policy by generalist primary teachers. More generally, this study also aimed to explore generalist primary teachers’ attitudes towards daily compulsory physical activity policy within the context of Smart Moves. Such a research undertaking was positioned within the interpretivist paradigm and a basic interpretive study methodology was employed. The research project involved semi-structured interviews with six generalist teachers from six Gold Coast State primary schools. Results of this study identify a cross section of both major thematic institutional and teacher-related barriers and enablers affecting the implementation of the Smart Moves policy. The sub-themes being: (1) crowded curriculum, (2) lack of priority, (3) ensured that children are physically active, (4) the importance of teacher confidence and (5) inadequate access to facilities and equipment. These factors are clearly affecting the implementation of Smart Moves sessions and need to be addressed to ensure teacher compliance for the benefit of students. This paper concludes by offering potential recommendations for the future adoption and implementation of compulsory physical activity programmes within a primary school setting.

Exploring the use of technology pathways to access health information by Australian university students: a multi-dimensional approach.

Objective: Mobile wireless communication technologies (MWCT) and social media (SM) networks create pathways for accessing widely available information that are favoured particularly by younger generations. The purpose of this study was to explore the way university students use these communication technologies to access health information. Method: Participants (n = 696), who were recruited via an email invitation, completed an online self-reported survey that collected multi-dimensional data consisting of quantitative, qualitative and spatial statistics. Results: The results indicate that technology was used extensively to search for health information and resulted in positive changes in participants’ behaviours; however they perceived lack of reliability of the information as a pressing issue. Conclusion: The results suggest that appealing, persuasive and reliable MWCT and SM can be used extensively to promote health amongst Australian youth.

The Connective Matrix of Emerging Health Technologies: E-Health Solutions for People with Chronic Disease

Modern communication systems (Web 1.0, Web 2.0, cloud computing) and mobile wireless technologies (smartphones, iPads, monitoring devices) have, as with all industries, progressed in healthcare over recent years from being a minor, to being a very significant component of the environment. This paper will discuss how advancements in information technology, wireless communication systems and sensor technology have provided new opportunities concerning practices for managing Chronic Disease (CD). This paper will also address future software, touching on Web 3.0 and how, combined with Web 2.0 and cloud computing, has the potential to produce the ultimate architecture of participation. Understanding the benefits of such systems, devices and their increasing emergence and connection with modern healthcare settings, is vital for implementing future successful e-health solutions for people with CD.

Positioning Australia’s contemporary health and physical education curriculum to address poor physical activity participation rates by adolescent girls

Background: Given the wealth of research identifying how schools are in a strong position to promote physical activity (PA) among children, it would be reasonable to suggest that initial experiences of physical education and school sport are critical factors influencing whether a student will develop a healthy relationship to PA. However, research in Australia equally identifies how secondary school-aged young people are increasingly failing to meet national guidelines concerning PA levels and participation rates, with adolescent girls displaying the most disturbing trends. Purpose: This paper examines how the recent Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Health and Physical Education (HPE) structure aims to address such concerns as poor PA levels and participation rates by adolescent girls. Methods: A theoretical approach, consisting of document and literature analysis, was undertaken to develop insights into the current developments surrounding the ACARA HPE implementation, in an attempt to address identified socio-cultural issues within contemporary HPE practices. Such an approach is aimed at heightening effective pedagogy. Conclusion: This paper provides a vision for supporting future student inclusion in HPE, by acknowledging potential barriers to the adoption of PA by adolescent girls and identifying strategies that will collectively promote curriculum priorities and classroom practices accordingly.

A health website recommendation from Gold Coast general practitioners to their patients: A mixed method approach

Introduction: To identify health website recommendation trends by Gold Coast (Australia) general practitioners (GPs) to their patients. Method: A mixed method approach to data collection and analysis was employed. Quantitative data were collected using a prepaid postal survey, consisting of 17 questions, mailed to 250 (61 per cent) of 410 GPs on the Gold Coast (Australia). The resulting empirical data and resulting themes were further used to design semi-structured interview questions. A total of 15 (8 male, 7 female) GPs volunteered to be interviewed. Results: Fifty-nine per cent of participating GPs recommend health websites to their patients during consultations. Male GPs (63 per cent), those aged 41–50 years (55 per cent), and those practising for < 10 years (60 per cent) were more inclined to recommend a health website to a patient. From the survey data, eight principle categories presented themselves as to GPs’ recommendation trends, these including; ‘Do not recommend websites’ – (1) Limited time, (2) Prefer to personally discuss, (3) Reliability issues, (4) Biased information – and ‘Do recommend health websites’ – (5) Helps to educate patient, (6) Enhances the doctor–patient relationship, (7) Age-appropriate technology, (8) Treatment orientated. The semi-structured interviews presented a further eight sub-categories and have been identified as: (1) Fewer female GPs than male GPs recommend health websites, (2) Age and years of experience of GPs affect internet prescription trends, (3) Patients more knowledgeable, (4) ‘Sweeteners’ offered by pharmaceutical companies, (5) A high influence by pharmaceutical companies on the WWW/internet, (6) A lack of knowledge pertaining to reliability issues – issues of trust, (7) Limited knowledge pertaining to interactivity and usability components, and (8) A need for further medical education for GPs. Conclusion: More than half of the surveyed GPs actively recommend websites to their patients, with a GP’s sex, age and years of experience influencing his or her recommendation decisions. There are numerous and varied reasons as to why GPs ‘do’ or ‘do not’ recommend health websites to their patients. Web-based continuing medical education courses or programmes in medical schools may help GPs develop the skills necessary for the delivery of effective e-health care.

Utilizing educational theoretical models to support effective physical education pedagogy

Abstract Physical education (PE) pedagogy has traditionally been viewed as drill-style teaching. Whilst this traditional pedagogical approach provides exposure to various skills, used within a school-based PE and sporting context, it does not demonstrate a student’s competence associated with their ability to apply these skills in complex game situations. Therefore, teacher practitioners must look to implementing educational theoretical models that go to support effective pedagogical approaches so as to ensure that authentic and effective learning and teaching takes place within the PE and sporting domains. With this in mind, this paper will discuss how effective learning and teaching can be achieved and heightened through the application of a number of theoretical models and approaches, namely; constructivism, inquiry-based learning, Moston’s guided discovery, and Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU).

Transforming school health education in Australia: enhancing the student experience through social media

Stemming from the social media (Web 2.0) phenomenon, this paper will discuss how such modern communication technologies have inadvertently caused a paradigm shift throughout the Australian school health education landscape. Furthermore, attention will be directed towards investigating the ensuing challenges, potentials and transformations occurring in the learner engagement and interaction processes these technologies have collectively promoted. In particular, this paper will present the wider repercussions such modern forms of communication will have on future issues relating to the national curriculum, pedagogy and epistemology. Moreover, deliberation will be directed towards presenting contemporary case studies which illustrate how early twenty-first century technologies are being implemented to heighten health information retrieval and support collaborative learning environments. This paper identifies that Web 2.0 adoption and absorption into the educational ecosystem is still very much in its infancy and will require a rigorous effort by educationalists if its full potential is to be realised and harnessed for future twenty-first century school health education settings.