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Background: There is limited evidence for use of the Research Capacity and Culture tool across multidisciplinary health professionals. We explored using the Research Capacity and Culture tool among multidisciplinary health professionals at an Australian secondary hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study where online and paper-based surveys of the Research Capacity and Culture tool were disseminated between November 2020 and January 2021. Descriptive analyses of demographic variables and Likert scale items were summarized using median and inter-quartile ranges. Differences between organization, team and individual domains were checked using a Friedman test. Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed rank tests determined specific differences between domains. Results: Seventy-six multidisciplinary health professionals (female, 89.3%) reported overall perceptions of research success/skills highest in the organization (median 6), followed by the team (median 5) and individual domains (median 3.5). Only 21.3% agreed that research activities were a part of their role description. Mean scores across professions were highest for Medicine (5.47), Midwifery (4.52), Nursing (4.47) and Allied Health (3.56), respectively, for the team domain. Individual domain scores across all professions were below 50%. Commonly reported barriers to research were "lack of time for research," "other work roles taking priority" and "a lack of skill." "Developing skills" was the most common personal motivator. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary health professionals reported the highest overall perception of research success/skills in the organization domain. Medical health professionals perceived research success/skills highest compared to nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals.

Notifications of 485 patients with culture-positive tuberculosis (TB) in Western Australia from 1980 to 1989 inclusive have been analysed. In 478 (98.6%) the disease was caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis hominis and in seven (1.4%) M. bovis. Most (78.5%) of the disease was pulmonary with 4.3% pleural and 17.2% extrapulmonary. The annual incidence decreased from 4.6 per 100,000 in 1980 to 2.5 in 1985 steadying thereafter around 3.3. The Aborigines had over four times the average incidence of the non-Aboriginal Australians but less than a quarter that of the Asians. In a total 297 migrants, 51% of 253 with data available had been in Australia for over five years. Initial drug resistance was found in 48 patients giving an overall rate of 9.9%. In 32 (66.7%), resistance was against a single drug, mainly isoniazid and in 11 (22.9%) against two drugs, predominantly isoniazid and streptomycin. The most disturbing finding was the occurrence of multiple-drug resistance including both isoniazid and rifampicin in five immigrants (10.4%). This study has provided useful baseline TB data, raised important issues such as chemoprophylaxis and drug resistance, and clearly indicates that the campaign against TB is far from over. Continual surveillance, monitoring and regular evaluation of existing policies should be maintained.

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