Australian and New Zealand journal of public health
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Aust N Z J Public Health · Apr 1998
Comparative StudyNurses' attitudes to active voluntary euthanasia: a survey in the ACT.
National public opinion polls show a large majority of Australians are in favour of active voluntary euthanasia (AVE). However, most members of the public have had only limited direct experience with dying people. For this reason, surveys of the opinions of medical practitioners and nurses on this issue are of great interest. ⋯ If AVE were legal, 66% of the nurses indicated they were willing to be involved in the procedure. Only 30% were willing to assist patients to give themselves the lethal dose, while 14% were willing to administer the lethal dose to the patient. Comparing these results with previous surveys, it appears that nurses are less in favour of AVE than the public, but more in favour than medical practitioners.
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Aust N Z J Public Health · Apr 1998
Voluntary euthanasia: responses of medical practitioners in NSW and the ACT to six open-ended questions.
Six open-ended questions from a survey of 1271 randomly selected medical practitioners on active voluntary euthanasia (AVE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) was examined. In spite of some extreme written views for and against the procedures, the majority of practitioners were considered, concerned, sympathetic and troubled about AVE and PAS.
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Aust N Z J Public Health · Feb 1998
Comparative StudyCoverage of cancer patients by hospice services, South Australia, 1990 to 1993.
A population-based observational study of South Australian cancer patients was used to identify: the level of coverage of cancer patients by hospice services; the types of patients who miss out on hospice care; and the place of death of hospice and other cancer patients. We reviewed patients who died in 1990 and 1993 using the Central Cancer Registry database together with an identifier of hospice involvement. In 1990, 56 per cent of cancer patients who died had care from a hospice service, and this proportion increased to 63 per cent in 1993. ⋯ Hospice involvement increased significantly between 1990 and 1993 for patients who died at home (59 to 73 per cent), in nursing homes (20 to 45 per cent), private hospitals (33 to 52 per cent) and public hospitals (48 to 55 per cent), but the proportion of patients with hospice involvement who died in country hospitals remained at 45 per cent. The increase in hospice coverage of terminal cancer patients reflects the continued integration of hospice care into the mainstream of health care delivery. The types of patients who miss out on hospice services should be given special consideration in the future planning of terminal care services.
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Aust N Z J Public Health · Dec 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEffectiveness of two strategies for dissemination of sun-protection policy in New South Wales primary and secondary schools.
With rising rates of skin cancer in Australia, there is a need to examine strategies to reduce sun exposure among children. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a multifaceted dissemination strategy compared with a simple mail-out strategy in promoting the adoption of comprehensive SunSmart skin protection policies and practices in primary and secondary schools in New South Wales. It also aimed to examine characteristics of the primary and secondary schools that adopted a comprehensive SunSmart policy before and after the intervention. ⋯ There was a strong intervention effect on adoption of a comprehensive sun-protection policy in primary schools (21 per cent for the 'mail' group compared with 44 per cent for 'mail and staff support' group) but not in high schools (6 per cent and 11 per cent). There was little relationship between adoption of a comprehensive sun-protection policy and sun-protection practices in primary or secondary schools. Further research is needed to determine the most effective ways of ensuring that adoption of a comprehensive sun-protection policy results in effective implementation of sun-protection practices in schools.