PCs. As journals with APCs become more common, it is important to continue to evaluate the potential cost to researchers, especially on individuals who may not have the funding or institutional resources to cover these costs.

Apathy is a prevalent neuropsychiatric symptom for older adults residing in aged care. Left untreated, apathy has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline and increased risk of mortality. Reminiscence therapy is commonly used in aged care and has demonstrated to reduce apathy. Traditional methods of reminiscence use physical objects and more recently technology including tablets and laptop computers have demonstrated potential. Virtual reality (VR) has successfully been used to treat psychological disorders; however, there is little evidence on using VR for behavioural symptoms such as apathy in older adults. Using VR to deliver reminiscence therapy provides an immersive experience, and readily available applications provide access to a large range of content allowing easier delivery of therapy over traditional forms of therapy. This study aims to identify changes in apathy after a reminiscence therapy intervention using head-mounted displays (HMDs).

Participants will be allocated to one of three groups; reminiscence therapy using VR; an active control using a laptop computer or physical items and a passive control. A total of 45 participants will be recruited from residential aged care (15 in each group). The three groups will be compared at baseline and follow-up. The primary outcome is apathy, and secondary outcomes include cognition and depression. Side effects from using HMDs will also be examined in the VR group. Primary and secondary outcomes at baseline and follow-up will be analysed using linear mixed modelling.

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of South Australia Human Research Ethics Committee. The results from this study will be disseminated through manuscript publications and national/international conferences.

ACTRN12619001510134.

ACTRN12619001510134.

‘Task-shifting’ or ‘task-sharing’ is an effective strategy for delivering behavioural healthcare in lower resource communities. However, little is known regarding the actual steps (methods) in carrying out a task-shifting project. This paper presents a protocol for a systematic review that will identify steps in adapting an evidence-based psychological treatment for delivery by lay/non-licenced personnel.

A systematic review of peer-reviewed, published studies involving a non-licenced, non-specialist (eg, community health worker, promotor/a, peer and lay person) delivering an evidence-based psychological treatment for adults will be conducted. Sapitinib mouse Study design of selected articles must include a statistical comparison (eg, randomised controlled trials, quasiexperimental trials, pre-post designs and pragmatic trials). Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Contr only; thus, it will not require institutional board review. Findings will be presented at conferences, to the broader community via the Community Health Worker Translational Advisory Board and social media, and the final systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

To critically appraise the published comparative effectiveness studies on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Results were compared with expectations formulated on the basis of trial results with specific attention to the patient years in each study.

All studies that compared the effectiveness or safety between at least two NOACs in patients with NVAF were eligible. We performed a systematic literature review in Medline and EMbase to investigate the way comparisons between NOACs were made, search date 23 April 2019. Critical appraisal of the studies was done using among others ISPOR Good Research Practices for comparative effectiveness research.

We included 39 studies in which direct comparison between at least two NOACs were made. Almost all studies concerned patient registries, pharmacy or prescription databases and/or health insurance database studies using a cohort design. Corrections for differences in patient characteristics was applied anking NOAC treatment options.

Comparisons regarding effectiveness and safety between NOACs on the basis of observational data, even after correction for baseline characteristics, may not be reliable due to unmeasured confounders, channelling bias and insufficient sample size. These limitations should be kept in mind when results of these studies are used to decide on ranking NOAC treatment options.

To predict the cost and health effects of routine use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial pathogens compared with those of standard of care.

Budget impact analysis was performed over the following 5 years. Data were primarily from sequencing results on clusters of multidrug-resistant organisms across 27 hospitals. Model inputs were derived from hospitalisation and sequencing data, and epidemiological and costing reports, and included multidrug resistance rates and their trends.

Queensland, Australia.

Hospitalised patients.

WGS surveillance of six common multidrug-resistant organisms (

,

,

,

,

sp and

) compared with standard of care or routine microbiology testing.

Expected hospital costs, counts of patient infections and colonisations, and deaths from bloodstream infections.

In 2021, 97 539 patients in Queensland are expected to be infected or colonised with one of six multidrug-resistant organisms with standard of care testing. WGS surveillance strategy and earlier infecti and related deaths and save healthcare costs. Primary prevention through routine use of WGS is an investment priority for the control of serious hospital-associated infections.

To explore the relationship between symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and fibromyalgia (FM). The hypothesis predicated that there would be no significant differences between the group’s symptom experience.

A quasiexperimental design. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and invariance testing.

Males (M) and females (F) >16 with a confirmed diagnosis of CFS/ME or FM by a general practitioner or specialist. CFS/ME (n=101, F n=86, M n=15, mean (M) age M=45.5 years). FM (n=107, F n=95, M n=12, M=47.2 years).

Diagnostic criteria the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for CFS/ME and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for FM. Additional symptom questionnaires measuring pain, sleep quality, fatigue, quality of life, anxiety and depression, locus of control and self-esteem.

Invariance was confirmed with the exception of the American CDC Symptom Inventory, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (p<0.