Are recessions bad for loneliness?

Loneliness is a pressing public health concern with significant economic, health and social consequences. This paper examines the impact of economic downturns, particularly unemployment and job loss perception, on loneliness in Australia. Using a fixed-effects panel regression applied to 19 waves of data, we find that unemployment is significantly linked to an increased likelihood of experiencing loneliness and other dimensions of social health, with the effects of unemployment on loneliness persisting for several years.

The risks of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and mortality on public holidays and weekends: A time-series study.

Background: Public holidays and weekends are periods with changes in lifestyle and capacity of healthcare services, and there may be impact on the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and OHCA outcomes.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the association of public holidays and weekends on the risk of OHCA and mortality in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore.

Methods: We included all nationally reported cases of OHCA from 1 April 2010 to 31 December 2021.

Accuracy of site benchmarking in clinical quality registries of varying size.

There is increasing interest in the public reporting of health provider benchmarking within clinical registries to identify underperforming sites (also known as outliers). As such, research into the optimal methods and ideal conditions for outlier detection is important. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of benchmarking and outlier classification methods for different values of clinical registry sizes and case volume minimums.

The PCOS Phenotypes in Unselected Populations (P-PUP) study: participant clinical features and data harmonization on analysis of individual participant data.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifaceted condition with diagnostic challenges and clinical heterogeneity across populations. Research priorities include enhanced accuracy in defining cut-offs for diagnostic features. Here, we aim to describe participant clinical features and data harmonization in the international PCOS Phenotype in Unselected Populations (P-PUP) study.

The BREAST-Q Implant Surveillance Module (BREAST-Q IS) as a Predictor of Breast Implant Revision Surgery.

Background: The Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR) records breast implant surgeries Australia-wide. In addition to clinical data, the ABDR has collected Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), to better understand patient outcomes following implant surgery.

Objectives: Our objective was to assess the association between postoperative PROMs and revision surgery due to complications for reconstructive and cosmetic breast implant patients.

Evaluating methods to detect variation in hospital level mortality and renal insufficiency within an Australian cardiac surgery registry.

Background: Although clinical quality registries have been established worldwide to monitor cardiothoracic surgery outcomes through benchmarking to detect underperforming hospitals (outliers) and improve quality of care, the accuracy of such analyses remains unclear. This study aimed to compare and evaluate methods of outlier classification when applied to real-world and simulated data.

Methods: Data relating to isolated coronary artery bypass graft procedures were obtained from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons Cardiac Surgery Database registry.

Randomised clinical trial investigating memory training for recovery-adolescents in addressing psychiatric concerns among adolescents in Iraq.

Background: In this randomised clinical trial, we investigated the efficacy of MEmory Training for Recovery-Adolescent (METRA) in improving psychiatric symptoms among adolescents in Iraq.

Methods: In the study, we included adolescents aged 10-19 years with heightened psychiatric distress living in Kirkuk. It was a parallel-group trial comparing METRA with treatment as usual (TAU), with a three-month follow-up.

The management of cardiovascular risk in people with diabetes: Insights from an audit of health services providing diabetes care.

Aims: To assess cardiovascular risk management among Australians with diabetes.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical audit data collected from diabetes centres participating in the Australian National Diabetes Audit in 2022. Adults (≥18 years) with type 1 or type 2 were included.

The PCOS Phenotype in Unselected Populations study: ethnic variation in population-based normative cut-offs for defining hirsutism.

Objective: Hirsutism, a diagnostic feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is often defined using arbitrary percentile cutoffs, rather than normative cutoffs from population-based data. We aimed to define normative cutoffs for hirsutism in diverse populations.

Design: Unselected population-based cluster analysis of individual participant data (IPD).

Comparing International Revision Incidence of Commonly Used Breast Implants.

Importance: Despite the widespread use of breast implants, to date, no large-scale international studies on long-term revision incidence of different implant types have been conducted.

Objective: To determine whether international data could be combined using a harmonized dataset to increase power and investigate clinically relevant differences in complication-related revision incidence between breast implant types.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter, population-based cohort study used data from the Australian Breast Device Registry and the Dutch Breast Implant Registry from 2016 to 2021.

Machine learning techniques to predict diabetic ketoacidosis and HbA1c above 7% among individuals with type 1 diabetes - A large multi-centre study in Australia and New Zealand.

Background And Aims: Type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have a significant impact on individuals and society across a wide spectrum. Our objective was to utilize machine learning techniques to predict DKA and HbA1c>7 %.

Methods And Results: Nine different models were implemented and model performance evaluated via the Area under the Curve (AUC).

Timeliness of Lung Cancer Care and Area-Level Determinants in Victoria: A Bayesian Spatiotemporal Analysis.

Background: The reports have stated that the timeliness of lung cancer care varies significantly across different regions. According to the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry report, the timeliness of lung cancer care in Victoria has changed over time. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the extent of these spatial inequalities over time and to identify area-level determinants contributing to these changes.

Patient- and Areal-Level Risk Factors Associated With Lung Cancer Mortality in Victoria, Australia: A Bayesian Spatial Survival Analysis.

Background: In Australia, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In Victoria, the mortality risk is assumed to vary across Local Government Areas (LGAs) due to variations in socioeconomic advantage, remoteness, and healthcare accessibility. Thus, we applied Bayesian spatial survival models to examine the geographic variation in lung cancer survival in Victoria.

Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of androgen measurement in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis to inform evidence-based guidelines.

Background: Biochemical hyperandrogenism is a hallmark and diagnostic feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the most accurate androgen measurement for assessing biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS diagnosis remains uncertain.

Objective And Rationale: This systematic review aimed to assess different androgen measures [including total testosterone (TT), calculated free testosterone (cFT), free androgen index (FAI), androstenedione (A4), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)] for accuracy in diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS, to inform the 2023 International PCOS Evidence-based Guidelines.

Utilization and cost of non-insulin glucose-lowering drugs in Australia from 2013 to 2023.

Objectives: To investigate the utilization and costs of non-insulin glucose-lowering drugs (GLDs) in Australia from 2013 to 2023.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) administrative dataset of 118 727 494 GLD prescriptions. The main outcome measures were the annual number of GLD prescriptions dispensed, accounting for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence and healthcare system costs, adjusted for inflation.

Bayesian Spatio-Temporal Multilevel Modelling of Patient-Reported Quality of Life following Prostate Cancer Surgery.

Background: Globally, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among males. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. The quality of life of prostate cancer patients is poorer when compared to the general population due to the disease itself and its related complications.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in High-Risk Medical Device Registries: A Scoping Review.

Little is known about the methods and outcomes of patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) use among high-risk medical device registries. The objective of this scoping review was to assess the utility and predictive ability of PROMs in high-risk medical device registries. We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, APA PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases for published literature.

Machine Learning Techniques to Predict Timeliness of Care among Lung Cancer Patients.

Delays in the assessment, management, and treatment of lung cancer patients may adversely impact prognosis and survival. This study is the first to use machine learning techniques to predict the quality and timeliness of care among lung cancer patients, utilising data from the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry (VLCR) between 2011 and 2022, in Victoria, Australia. Predictor variables included demographic, clinical, hospital, and geographical socio-economic indices.

Examining MEmory Training for Recovery-Adolescent among Afghan adolescent boys: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

To conduct a pilot randomised controlled trial examining the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of MEmory Training for Recovery-Adolescent (METRA) in improving psychological symptoms among Afghan adolescent boys following a terrorist attack. A pilot randomised controlled trial compared METRA to a Control Group, with a three-month follow-up. The study occurred in Kabul (June-November 2022).

Evaluations of statistical methods for outlier detection when benchmarking in clinical registries: a systematic review.

Objectives: Benchmarking is common in clinical registries to support the improvement of health outcomes by identifying underperforming clinician or health service providers. Despite the rise in clinical registries and interest in publicly reporting benchmarking results, appropriate methods for benchmarking and outlier detection within clinical registries are not well established, and the current application of methods is inconsistent. The aim of this review was to determine the current statistical methods of outlier detection that have been evaluated in the context of clinical registry benchmarking.

A Systematic Review of Areal Units and Adjacency Used in Bayesian Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Conditional Autoregressive Models in Health Research.

Advancements in Bayesian spatial and spatio-temporal modelling have been observed in recent years. Despite this, there are unresolved issues about the choice of appropriate spatial unit and adjacency matrix in disease mapping. There is limited systematic review evidence on this topic.