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The aim of this study was to investigate the interprofessional socialisation experiences of health professional educators (HPEs) across five health science faculties in Perth, Australia. Evidence supported the importance of educators teaching and learning together, although there was minimal evidence with regard to the type of support HPEs received or required in order to socialise interprofessionally within higher education. Interview participants comprised 26 HPEs from various health-related professions across Western Australia. An interpretive phenomenological framework was used to discover the phenomena of interprofessional socialisation. The examination of the data was undertaken via qualitative content analysis with the aid of NVivo 10 software. Content coding led to the development of categories, sub-categories, and then themes. Five themes were identified; however, only one of these themes, "interprofessional socialisation strategies within higher education," is explored within this article. Based on the data within this theme, 12 possible socialisation strategies (formal and informal) were identified for HPEs, which could be implemented within health science faculties, taking into account the organisation's culture and strategic intent towards interprofessional collaboration and education.

ImportanceCurrent treatments manage symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD), but no known treatment slows disease progression. Preclinical and epidemiological studies support the potential use of statins as disease-modifying therapy.ObjectiveTo determine whether simvastatin has potential as a disease-modifying treatment for patients with moderate PD.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis randomized clinical trial, a double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled futility trial, was conducted between March 2016 and May 2020 within 23 National Health Service Trusts in England. Participants aged 40 to 90 years with a diagnosis of idiopathic PD, with a modified Hoehn and Yahr stage of 3.0 or less while taking medication, and taking dopaminergic medication with wearing-off phenomenon were included. Data were analyzed from May 2020 to September 2020, with additional analysis in February 2021.InterventionsParticipants were allocated 1:1 to simvastatin or matched placebo via a computer-generated random sequence, stratified by site and Hoehn and Yahr stage. In the simvastatin arm, participants entered a 1-month phase of simvastatin, 40 mg daily, followed by 23 months of simvastatin, 80 mg daily, before a 2-month washout period.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe prespecified primary outcome was 24-month change in Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part III score measured while not taking medication (high scores indicate worse outcome). The primary futility analysis included participants who commenced the 80-mg phase and had valid primary outcome data. The safety analysis included all participants who commenced trial treatment and is reported by dose at time of event.ResultsOf 332 patients assessed for eligibility, 32 declined and 65 were ineligible. Of 235 recruited participants, 97 (41%) were female, 233 (99%) were White, and the mean (SD) age was 65.4 (9.4) years. A total of 216 patients progressed to the 80-mg dose. Primary outcome analysis (n = 178) indicated the simvastatin group had an additional deterioration in MDS-UPDRS III score while not taking medication at 24 months compared with the placebo group (1.52 points; 2-sided 80% CI, −0.77 to 3.80; 1-sided futility test P = .006). A total of 37 serious adverse events (AEs), including 3 deaths, and 171 AEs were reported for participants receiving 0-mg simvastatin; 37 serious AEs and 150 AEs were reported for participants taking 40 mg or 80 mg of simvastatin. Four participants withdrew from the trial because of an AE.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, simvastatin was futile as a disease-modifying therapy in patients with PD of moderate severity, providing no evidence to support proceeding to a phase 3 trial.Trial RegistrationISRCTN Identifier: 16108482

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. Her major research interests are in Vocational Education, Adult and Continuing Education and online learning. She has completed a PhD on factors which affect the institutionalisation of educational innovations in organisations and is also interested in the development and impact of national training initiatives and frameworks on the changing structure of higher education. Her current research involves an investigation into the delivery of Enterprise and Vocational Education in Western Australia and ongoing evaluation strategies for professional development for offshore Curtin University of Technology lecturers. Dr Lina PelliccioneFaculty of Education, Language Studies and Social Work Curtin University of Technology l.pelliccione@curtin.edu.au Dr Lina Pelliccione has completed a PhD in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related to the adoption and implementation of educational innovations in the learning and teaching process at the tertiary level. She is currently responsible for the coordination of the Bachelor of Education Primary Degree. Lina also coordinates and lectures a range of units which deal with the integration and effective use of ICT in learning and teaching. She has a primary teaching background and her teaching and research interests include: the adoption and implementation of ICT in teaching and learning; enhancing learning through the use of ICT with young children through to adults; electronic portfolios; online learning environments; innovation and change. Mr Robert Dixon Faculty of Education, Language Studies and Social Work Curtin University of Technology r.dixon@curtin.edu.auRobert Dixon is a lecturer in the Training and Development Program at Curtin University. He is currently completing his PhD on the development of professional portfolios for those in educational leadership positions. His other research interests include the development of pedagogical effectiveness indicators for online learning and adult and continuing education. DIFFERING STUDENT VIEWS OF ONLINE LEARNING MODES ACROSS TWO PROGRAMS IN AN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY AbstractThe sample for this study comprised 108 students who were enrolled in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in a Western Australian university. The focus areas for investigation included reactions to online delivery, student perceptions of the rates and depth of participation and levels of engagement with the learning process. The results indicated that while the students were technically competent overall, issues associated with equity and access varied between the groups and also between students enrolled in the same units. The sample had also re-conceptualised the notion of 'personal' which moved beyond simple physical proximity to enable the students to create their own community of learners.