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GPs were willing to provide clinical services in a pandemic. However, appropriate education, training and supply of equipment were necessary to support them in this role. This information will inform further planning for the public health response to pandemic influenza.

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Background: To increase recognition of airflow obstruction in primary care, we compared two models of spirometry delivery in a target group at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A 6 month qualitative/quantitative cluster randomised study in eight practices compared opportunistic spirometry by ''visiting trained nurses'' (TN) with optimised ''usual care'' (UC) from general practitioners (GPs) for smokers and ex-smokers, aged over 35 years. Outcomes were: spirometry uptake and quality, new diagnoses of COPD and GPs' experiences of spirometry. Results: In the eligible target population, 531/904 (59%) patients underwent spirometry in the TN model and 87/ 1130 (8%) patients in the UC model (p,0.0001). ATS spirometry standards for acceptability and reproducibility were met by 76% and 44% of tests in the TN and UC models, respectively (p,0.0001). 125 (24%) patients tested with the TN model and 38 (44%) with the UC model reported a pre-existing respiratory diagnosis (p,0.0001). Three months after spirometry, when the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) was ,0.7 and no prior COPD diagnosis was reported, nine (8%) participants had a new doctor recorded COPD diagnosis in practices with the TN model and two (8%) participants in practices with the UC model. Mislabelling of participants with a diagnosis of COPD when FEV 1 /FVC was >0.7 was present in both models prior to and after spirometry. GPs valued high quality spirometry and increased testing of patients at risk of COPD in the TN model. They identified limitations, including the need for better systematic follow-up of abnormal spirometry and support with interpretation, which may explain persisting underdiagnosis of COPD in practice records. Conclusions: Although opportunistic testing by visiting trained nurses substantially increased and improved spirometry performance compared with usual care, translating increased detection of airflow obstruction into diagnosis of COPD requires further development of the model.

Nihilistic attitudes to COPD may explain the disappointing results from promotion of spirometry in primary care. Education about COPD for doctors in primary care is needed and action to increase awareness and understanding of COPD in the community.

BackgroundFathers’ attitudes and actions can positively or negatively affect mothers’ intentions to breastfeed, breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. In-depth information about fathers’ perspectives on breastfeeding are largely absent in the literature about infant feeding. The objective of this research was to investigate how fathers view breastfeeding.MethodsThis mixed method study recruited Tasmanian fathers with children < 24 months of age. Fathers completed a questionnaire and participated in either semi structured one-on-one or group interviews. Transcripts were analysed using a process of iterative thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty-six fathers participated in the study. They had a mean age of 34 years and just over half were first time fathers. A total of 13 fathers lived in areas classified by SEIFA as disadvantaged. Twenty-one reported they had decided as a couple to breastfeed their current child. Fathers’ views on breastfeeding are complex, multi-layered and change over time: as babies get older, as fathers get more familiar with feeding babies, when feeding practices change and when family circumstances change. Four thematic categories related to how fathers view breastfeeding were identified; Breastfeeding as healthy and natural, the value of breast feeding and breastmilk, a pragmatic approach to breastfeeding and Breastfeeding as something achieved or imposed.ConclusionFathers in our study valued breastfeeding and saw it as healthy and natural for babies. However, many of the fathers in our study had seen their partners struggle with breastfeeding. As a result some also viewed breastfeeding as a potentially harmful practice for mothers. Their accounts demonstrated that breastfeeding problems affect families, not just mothers and infants. There is scope for improvement in the care of women during and after birth to reduce breastfeeding problems and for fathers to learn more about breastfeeding prior to the birth of their child.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12884-018-1827-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundTo investigate and examine the factors associated with initiation of, and exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge of, late preterm (34 0/7 - 36 6/7 weeks) compared to 37 week gestation (37 0/7 - 37 6/7 week) mother and baby pairs.MethodsA retrospective population-based cohort study using a Perinatal National Minimum Data Set and clinical medical records review, at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, Australia in 2006.ResultsLate preterm and 37 week gestation infants had low rates of initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, 31 (21.1%) and 61 (41.5%) respectively. After multiple regression analysis, late preterm infants were less likely to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth (OR 0.3 95% CI 0.1, 0.7 p = 0.009) and were less likely to be discharged exclusively breastfeeding from hospital (OR 0.4 95% CI 0.1, 1.0 p = 0.04) compared to 37 week gestation infants.ConclusionA late preterm birth is predictive of breastfeeding failure, with late preterm infants at greater risk of not initiating breastfeeding and/or exclusively breastfeeding at hospital discharge, compared with those infants born at 37 weeks gestation. Stratifying breastfeeding outcomes by gestational age groups may help to identify those sub-populations at greatest risk of premature cessation of breastfeeding.

Creative activities have been used as a therapeutic tool since the inception of occupational therapy. The role of creative activities has varied over time due to the changing focus of treatment in favour of kinesiological, neurological and psychodynamic approaches (Perrin 2001). Although the literature reflects a resurgence of interest in creative activities and occupation (Harris 2008), few studies address their value in physical rehabilitation today.Rehabilitation is a process 'intended to enable people with disabilities to reach and maintain optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and /or social function' (World Health Organisation 2009). To locate studies on the use of art in rehabilitation, the Medline, Psychlit and CINAHL databases were searched using the following key terms: art as therapy, physical rehabilitation, chronic illness and creativity. Further terms were searched in relation to themes during the data analysis process, such as self-esteem and time use.Aims: The aims of this study were to understand the experience of participation in visual art from the perspective of adults undergoing outpatient physical rehabilitation and to determine whether art has a place in this context.Method: This qualitative study involved interviewing adults who attended a weekly art class run by a qualified art teacher and occupational therapists in an outpatient physical rehabilitation setting. Nine participants with neurological conditions discussed their experience of the programme and the goals they were working towards or had achieved through painting.Findings: The themes that emerged from the study show that art contributed to the participants meeting their individual rehabilitation goals. It also assisted the participants in using time, increasing enjoyment, regaining confidence and planning for engagement in future activities. All these achievements were seen by the participants to contribute to their rehabilitation or recovery. The identified themes align with the aims of rehabilitation and are similar to findings from many other studies investigating the use of art by people affected by illness or disability.Conclusion: The findings of this study inform clinical practice in the use of visual art with clients in rehabilitation and validate its place in a physical rehabilitation programme.