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FULL PUBLICATION: Samoa Medical Journal Volume 2 - Issue 3

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EDITORIAL: Raising the Bar

While congratulating OUM on achieving international accreditation, Dr Lameko also looks at the work required to maintain and improve the quality of the university.

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REVIEW: Benchmarking in Emergency Departments and Clinical Medicine - an Overview

Summarizes the benefits and possible risks of benchmarking Emergency Departments from different hospitals against one another, including validity of comparisons and competitiveness vs collaboration.

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RESEARCH: The Rotary 5000 Screening Project in Samoa: 1. Screening Study for Anemia in Children and Adolescents

This project has used a portable Point of Care Testing (POCT) protocol to assess anemia levels in children and adolescents in Samoa for the first time since a WHO study in 1999. These were found to be significant.

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RESEARCH: Exploratory Study Investigating Factors Influencing Mass Drug Administration (MDA) Compliance for Filariasis in Samoa

In Samoa, lymphatic filariasis persists in some areas despite years of Mass Drug Administrations (MDAs). This study looked at compliance, risk factors and awareness of the disease by individuals and recommends ongoing educational campaigns.

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CASE REPORT: 46 Year Old Woman with Worsening Pneumonia

A case of H1N1 influ-enza A virus 5 in Samoa . The clinical course, diagnostic stud-ies, and imaging studies are reviewed in this case presentation.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Medical Education and e-Learning Opportunities in the South Pacific

Reviews the current e-learning technologies used in medical education globally and discusses opportunities and challenges relating to the introduction of e-learning to medical education in the South Pacific.

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REVIEW: Management of Urolithiasis - a review

Urolithiasis is fairly common so is frequently managed in the acute setting by family practitioners and emergency specialists. This article provides a working understanding of the etiology and management of stone disease.

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FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE: OUM Establishes a New Multidisciplinary Laboratory in 2010

An overview of the new OUM laboratory and how it may be used to benefit university members and the broader health sector in Samoa.

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE: OUM Students on Elective Rotations at the Auckland Medical School in New Zealand

Students participating experienced how medicine is practiced out-side of Samoa, how to work in a clinical situation within the New Zealand Health System and use that experience to improve and make a difference in their practice of medicine in Samoa.

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CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate Health - a Wealth Opportunity for Samoa

Outlines some opportunities for mitigating climate change and supports climate related medical research in Samoa, putting the case for production of a National CRD (Climate Related Disease) Baseline Database.

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"CONFERENCE REPORT: Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Conference Report 8-10 September 2010, Auckland, New Zealand"

This year's theme was “Changing Our Future” for example meeting the challenges of a changing workforce in the Pacific island countries and evidence and policy developments in the health system and clinical practice.

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"CONFERENCE REPORT: Report on WHO-IUSMP 2nd International Seminar on Public Health Aspects of Non-Communicable Diseases, 11-18 August 2010"

The main aims were to provide participants representing their countries with an update on the current status of public health aspects of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the world and to enable participants to share experiences and NCD data from their own countries.

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OPINION: Anecdotes and Medical Maxims

A brief collection of anecdotes from Dr Atherton's own experience plus maxims of time honoured medical lore.