Issue

Vol 130 No 1462: 22 September 2017

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

Local and regional smokefree and tobacco-free action in New Zealand: highlights and directions

George Thomson, Nick Wilson

There has been progress in the areas of smokefree dining, large smokefree outdoor worksites and ski fields, and parts of downtown areas such as squares and streets. The local activity is particularly important in providing models for smokefree outdoor hospitality areas. Action by central Government is needed to help make it easier for councils to have local smokefree bylaws. Government also needs to provide minimum outdoor smokefree laws.

SUMMARY

Assessment and modelling of general practice and community setting capacity for medical trainees in northern New Zealand

Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Abbas Al-Murrani

Increasing population and demand for general practice services, combined with more GPs working part-time and many reaching retirement age, means that New Zealand needs to train more GPs. Medical students need time in general practice. Hospital doctors spend three months in a community attachment during their first two years, and doctors in GP registrar training programmes also need to be working in practices. There is insufficient capacity for general practices to accommodate all these trainees, and when some practices take on postgraduate doctors, they have no room for medical student placements. There are a number of strategies which may help increase capacity, including assistance for practices to add consulting rooms and incentivising non-training practices to participate. The proposed combined University of Auckland and University of Otago School of Rural Health would help address capacity issues in rural areas, including support of integrated vertical approaches whereby postgraduate doctors help train their more junior colleagues.

SUMMARY

Seasonal influenza and vaccination strategies is a paradigm shift needed? A synopsis of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2016

Nadia A Charania, Diana Murfitt, Nikki Turner

There is a need for better influenza surveillance and country-specific data to guide policy-makers and healthcare providers to improve population health outcomes. This was one of the key conclusions of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium (NZiS) hosted by the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) in November 2016. Seasonal outbreaks of influenza cause substantial illness and death that burdens healthcare services every year. International and national participants discussed current issues in influenza prevention and management. One of the key topics discussed at the symposium was the use of novel vaccines and antiviral prophylaxis to protect young children and the elderly. Another area of focus was on examples of seasonal influenza vaccination strategies, particularly those that could reduce community transmission and provide individual protection, which would have great potential to reduce the burden of influenza.

SUMMARY

New Zealand women have suboptimal intakes of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy—a cross sectional study

Michele Eickstaedt, Kathryn L Beck, Cathryn A Conlon

Adequate dietary intakes of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) such as omega 3 and omega 6 are required during pregnancy to support both the mother and growing baby. An important omega 3 fatty is docasahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is mainly found in fish and seafood, however women may restrict their intake of fish and seafood during pregnancy due to concerns regarding food safety and foetotoxic effects of environmental contaminants such as mercury. Most of the 500-plus women in their third trimester of pregnancy who completed an online food frequency questionnaire had low intakes of omega 3 fatty acids including DHA during pregnancy. Women who are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant should aim to eat a variety of foods from the four food groups every day, including cooked fish. There is little concern with canned tuna, canned salmon, mackerel or sardines, farmed salmon, terakihi, blue cod, hoki, john dory, monkfish, warehou, whitebait and flat fish like flounder, as the mercury levels in these fish are seen as low risk.

SUMMARY

Assessment of training capacity in New Zealand general practices: a stocktake in the lower North Island and South Island

Samantha A Murton, Susan RH Pullon

Most general practices in the lower North Island and South Island are already involved in training doctors and nurses. There is little room for increasing the number of trainees in the current teaching practices using current models. Recruiting and training new practices, better supporting existing teaching practices, coordinating placements, training more supervisors and supporting teaching in different ways will help to make more room for quality teaching in general practice.

SUMMARY

Cutaneous melanoma: an audit of management timeliness against New Zealand guidelines

Tess Brian, Brandon Adams, Michael Jameson

Increasing population and demand for general practice services, combined with more GPs working part-time and many reaching retirement age, means that New Zealand needs to train more GPs. Medical students need time in general practice. Hospital doctors spend three months in a community attachment during their first two years, and doctors in GP registrar training programmes also need to be working in practices. There is insufficient capacity for general practices to accommodate all these trainees, and when some practices take on postgraduate doctors, they have no room for medical student placements. There are a number of strategies which may help increase capacity, including assistance for practices to add consulting rooms and incentivising non-training practices to participate. The proposed combined University of Auckland and University of Otago School of Rural Health would help address capacity issues in rural areas, including support of integrated vertical approaches whereby postgraduate doctors help train their more junior colleagues.

SUMMARY

Family planning unmet need and access among iTaukei women in New Zealand and Fiji

Radilaite Cammock, Peter Herbison, Sarah Lovell, Patricia Priest

The study compares a group of indigenous Fijian or iTaukei women in New Zealand and Fiji to ascertain differences in family planning unmet need and access. The study found there was no difference in unmet need and the lower unmet need levels statistically reported in New Zealand do not reflect iTaukei women s experience. Although more women in Fiji reported concerns for a lack of female providers, this was also reported to be a problem for a third of the women in New Zealand, indicating similar cultural sensitivities between both countries. Cost was again reported to be a problem among women in both countries. More needs to be done to identify family planning needs among minority Pacific ethnic groups in New Zealand.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Authors response: Legionnaires disease following the Christchurch earthquakes

Frances Graham, David Harte

Local and regional smokefree and tobacco-free action in New Zealand: highlights and directions

George Thomson, Nick Wilson

Dr Campbell Munro Hockin

Christine Revell

Leptospirosis in three workers on a dairy farm with unvaccinated cattle

Jacqueline Benschop, Julie Collins-Emerson, Allie Maskill, Patrick O Connor, Margaret Tunbridge, Yuni Yupiana, Jenny Weston

Assessment and modelling of general practice and community setting capacity for medical trainees in northern New Zealand

Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Abbas Al-Murrani

Qualitative study: the experience and impact of living with Behcet s syndrome

Vicky Tai, Karen Lindsay, Joanne Sims, Fiona McQueen

Seasonal influenza and vaccination strategies is a paradigm shift needed? A synopsis of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2016

Nadia A Charania, Diana Murfitt, Nikki Turner

New Zealand women have suboptimal intakes of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy—a cross sectional study

Michele Eickstaedt, Kathryn L Beck, Cathryn A Conlon

Alcohol Injection in Obstinate Pruritus Ani

Impact of total knee replacement practice

Policy brief: a sugary drink tax for New Zealand and 10,000-strong petition snubbed by Minister of Health and National Government

Gerhard Sundborn, Simon Thornley, Rob Beaglehole, Niki Bezzant

Assessment of training capacity in New Zealand general practices: a stocktake in the lower North Island and South Island

Samantha A Murton, Susan RH Pullon

Impact of ethnicity on outcomes after pulmonary embolism: an observational study in South Auckland

Chinthaka B Samaranayake, Elaine Yap

Is melanoma treatment failing national standards?

Jeremy Simcock

Cutaneous melanoma: an audit of management timeliness against New Zealand guidelines

Tess Brian, Brandon Adams, Michael Jameson

Family planning unmet need and access among iTaukei women in New Zealand and Fiji

Radilaite Cammock, Peter Herbison, Sarah Lovell, Patricia Priest

SUMMARY

Local and regional smokefree and tobacco-free action in New Zealand: highlights and directions

George Thomson, Nick Wilson

There has been progress in the areas of smokefree dining, large smokefree outdoor worksites and ski fields, and parts of downtown areas such as squares and streets. The local activity is particularly important in providing models for smokefree outdoor hospitality areas. Action by central Government is needed to help make it easier for councils to have local smokefree bylaws. Government also needs to provide minimum outdoor smokefree laws.

SUMMARY

Assessment and modelling of general practice and community setting capacity for medical trainees in northern New Zealand

Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Abbas Al-Murrani

Increasing population and demand for general practice services, combined with more GPs working part-time and many reaching retirement age, means that New Zealand needs to train more GPs. Medical students need time in general practice. Hospital doctors spend three months in a community attachment during their first two years, and doctors in GP registrar training programmes also need to be working in practices. There is insufficient capacity for general practices to accommodate all these trainees, and when some practices take on postgraduate doctors, they have no room for medical student placements. There are a number of strategies which may help increase capacity, including assistance for practices to add consulting rooms and incentivising non-training practices to participate. The proposed combined University of Auckland and University of Otago School of Rural Health would help address capacity issues in rural areas, including support of integrated vertical approaches whereby postgraduate doctors help train their more junior colleagues.

SUMMARY

Seasonal influenza and vaccination strategies is a paradigm shift needed? A synopsis of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2016

Nadia A Charania, Diana Murfitt, Nikki Turner

There is a need for better influenza surveillance and country-specific data to guide policy-makers and healthcare providers to improve population health outcomes. This was one of the key conclusions of the 3rd New Zealand Influenza Symposium (NZiS) hosted by the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) in November 2016. Seasonal outbreaks of influenza cause substantial illness and death that burdens healthcare services every year. International and national participants discussed current issues in influenza prevention and management. One of the key topics discussed at the symposium was the use of novel vaccines and antiviral prophylaxis to protect young children and the elderly. Another area of focus was on examples of seasonal influenza vaccination strategies, particularly those that could reduce community transmission and provide individual protection, which would have great potential to reduce the burden of influenza.

SUMMARY

New Zealand women have suboptimal intakes of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy—a cross sectional study

Michele Eickstaedt, Kathryn L Beck, Cathryn A Conlon

Adequate dietary intakes of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) such as omega 3 and omega 6 are required during pregnancy to support both the mother and growing baby. An important omega 3 fatty is docasahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is mainly found in fish and seafood, however women may restrict their intake of fish and seafood during pregnancy due to concerns regarding food safety and foetotoxic effects of environmental contaminants such as mercury. Most of the 500-plus women in their third trimester of pregnancy who completed an online food frequency questionnaire had low intakes of omega 3 fatty acids including DHA during pregnancy. Women who are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant should aim to eat a variety of foods from the four food groups every day, including cooked fish. There is little concern with canned tuna, canned salmon, mackerel or sardines, farmed salmon, terakihi, blue cod, hoki, john dory, monkfish, warehou, whitebait and flat fish like flounder, as the mercury levels in these fish are seen as low risk.

SUMMARY

Assessment of training capacity in New Zealand general practices: a stocktake in the lower North Island and South Island

Samantha A Murton, Susan RH Pullon

Most general practices in the lower North Island and South Island are already involved in training doctors and nurses. There is little room for increasing the number of trainees in the current teaching practices using current models. Recruiting and training new practices, better supporting existing teaching practices, coordinating placements, training more supervisors and supporting teaching in different ways will help to make more room for quality teaching in general practice.

SUMMARY

Cutaneous melanoma: an audit of management timeliness against New Zealand guidelines

Tess Brian, Brandon Adams, Michael Jameson

Increasing population and demand for general practice services, combined with more GPs working part-time and many reaching retirement age, means that New Zealand needs to train more GPs. Medical students need time in general practice. Hospital doctors spend three months in a community attachment during their first two years, and doctors in GP registrar training programmes also need to be working in practices. There is insufficient capacity for general practices to accommodate all these trainees, and when some practices take on postgraduate doctors, they have no room for medical student placements. There are a number of strategies which may help increase capacity, including assistance for practices to add consulting rooms and incentivising non-training practices to participate. The proposed combined University of Auckland and University of Otago School of Rural Health would help address capacity issues in rural areas, including support of integrated vertical approaches whereby postgraduate doctors help train their more junior colleagues.

SUMMARY

Family planning unmet need and access among iTaukei women in New Zealand and Fiji

Radilaite Cammock, Peter Herbison, Sarah Lovell, Patricia Priest

The study compares a group of indigenous Fijian or iTaukei women in New Zealand and Fiji to ascertain differences in family planning unmet need and access. The study found there was no difference in unmet need and the lower unmet need levels statistically reported in New Zealand do not reflect iTaukei women s experience. Although more women in Fiji reported concerns for a lack of female providers, this was also reported to be a problem for a third of the women in New Zealand, indicating similar cultural sensitivities between both countries. Cost was again reported to be a problem among women in both countries. More needs to be done to identify family planning needs among minority Pacific ethnic groups in New Zealand.

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