The effectiveness of a therapist-supported Internet intervention program for tinnitus distress in an industrial setting was evaluated using a cluster randomised design. Fifty-six Australian employees of two industrial organisations were randomly assigned, based on their work site (18 work sites from BP Australia and five from BHP Billiton), to either a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program or an information-only control program. Participants were assessed at pre- and post-program, measuring tinnitus distress, depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, and occupational health. The CBT program was not found to be superior to the information program for treating tinnitus distress. A high attrition rate and small sample size limit the generalisability of the findings, and further developments of the program and assessment process are needed to enhance engagement and compliance.

The number of domestic graduates from Australian medical schools is set to increase by 81% in 7 years, from 1348 in 2005 to 2442 by 2012. Including international students, medical school graduates will total almost 3000 by 2012. Planning must begin now to ensure that the significant flow‐on effects of these increases are managed effectively. Most urgently, postgraduate medical training will require a substantial injection of resources to expand opportunities for clinical training, without compromising quality. Patterns of career choice by medical graduates and workforce supply levels must be monitored to ensure responsiveness to the effects of substantially larger, and more diverse, graduate cohorts.

This study suggests that the group-based intervention reduces relapse risk in bipolar disorder.

Aims To perform a systematic review of studies that have assessed the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve healthcare professionals' care of patients with diabetes and to assess the effects of educational interventions targeted at general practitioners' diabetes management.Methods A computer search was conducted using the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Informit, Google scholar and ERIC from the earliest date of each database up until 2013. A supplementary review of reference lists from each article obtained was also carried out. Measured changes in general practitioners' satisfaction, knowledge, practice behaviours and patient outcomes were recorded.Results Thirteen out of 1255 studies met the eligibility criteria, but none was specifically conducted in rural or remote areas. Ten studies were randomized trials. Fewer than half of the studies (5/13, 38.5%) reported a significant improvement in at least one of the following outcome categories: satisfaction with the programme, knowledge and practice behaviour. There was little evidence of the impact of general practitioner educational interventions on patient outcomes. Of the five studies that examined patient outcomes, only one reported a positive impact: a reduction in patient HbA 1c levels.Conclusions Few studies examined the effectiveness of general practitioner Type 2 diabetes education in improving general practitioner satisfaction, knowledge, practices and/or patient outcomes. Evidence to support the effectiveness of education is partial and weak. To determine effective strategies for general practitioner education related to Type 2 diabetes, further well designed studies, accompanied by valid and reliable evaluation methods, are needed.