Sociodemographic and Health-Service Precursors of Local-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnosis: A Population-Based Study in New South Wales, Australia.

To investigate sociodemographic associations with medicated health conditions, general practitioner (GP) contacts, and computed tomography (CT) scans of the lung, as 12-month precursors of diagnosis of lung cancer at a local stage (cancers localized to the primary site of bronchus and lung). Cancer Registry data for New South Wales (NSW) adults diagnosed with lung cancer (ICD-10 C33-34) since the Census of August 2016 (n = 6160) were linked at person level with census and other administrative data. These included residents diagnosed with lung cancer from September 2016 to December 2018.

Demographic, health, and prognostic characteristics of Australians with liver cancer: a cohort study of linked data in New South Wales for informing cancer control.

Background: Australian age-standardized incidence and death rates for liver cancer are lower than world averages, but increasing as in other economically advanced western countries. World Health Organization emphasizes the need to address sociodemographic disparities in cancer risk. A more detailed sociodemographic risk profiling was undertaken for liver cancer in New South Wales (NSW) by diagnostic stage, than possible with NSW Cancer Registry (NSWCR) alone, by incorporating linked data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The fraction of life years lost after diagnosis (FLYLAD): a person-centred measure of cancer burden.

Background: Cancer control initiatives are informed by quantifying the capacity to reduce cancer burden through effective interventions. Burden measures using health administrative data are a sustainable way to support monitoring and evaluating of outcomes among patients and populations. The Fraction of Life Years Lost After Diagnosis (FLYLAD) is one such burden measure.

The effect of general practice contact on cancer stage at diagnosis in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents of New South Wales.

Purpose: Older age, risks from pre-existing health conditions and socio-economic disadvantage are negatively related to the prospects of an early-stage cancer diagnosis. With older Aboriginal Australians having an elevated prevalence of these underlying factors, this study examines the potential for the mitigating effects of more frequent contact with general practitioners (GPs) in ensuring local-stage at diagnosis.

Methods: We compared the odds of local vs.

Cancer treatment and the risk of cancer death among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians: analysis of a matched cohort study.

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have poorer cancer outcomes than other Australians. Comparatively little is known of the type and amount of cancer treatment provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the consequences for cancer survival. This study quantifies the influence of surgical, systemic and radiotherapy treatment on risk of cancer death among matched cohorts of cancer cases and, the comparative exposure of cohorts to these treatments.

Disparities in breast screening, stage at diagnosis, cancer treatment and the subsequent risk of cancer death: a retrospective, matched cohort of aboriginal and non-aboriginal women with breast cancer.

Background: Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have poorer survival and twice the disease burden from breast cancer compared to other Australian women. These disparities are influenced, but not fully explained, by more diagnoses at later stages. Incorporating breast screening, hospital and out of hospital treatment and cancer registry records into a person-linked data system can improve our understanding of breast cancer outcomes.

How much emergency department use by vulnerable populations is potentially preventable?: A period prevalence study of linked public hospital data in South Australia.

Objectives: To quantify emergency department (ED) presentations by individuals within vulnerable populations compared with other adults and the extent to which these are potentially preventable.

Design: Period prevalence study from 2005-2006 to 2010-2011.

Setting: Person-linked, ED administrative records for public hospitals in South Australia.

Health related quality of life (HRQoL) among Aboriginal South Australians: a perspective using survey-based health utility estimates.

Background: Australian health surveys occasionally include health utility measures in describing health related quality of life (HRQoL) across the general population. However, the HRQoL of specific population groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to as Aboriginal), are poorly understood. Our analysis describes HRQoL utility among Aboriginal South Australians by examining the characteristics of respondents completing HRQoL questioning, the relationship between HRQoL and respondent characteristics, then considers reported HRQoL utility in the wider population context.

Developing a comorbidity index for comparing cancer outcomes in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.

Background: Comorbidity is known to increase risk of death in cancer patients, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. The means of measuring comorbidity to assess risk of death has not been studied in any depth in Aboriginal patients in Australia. In this study, conventional and customized comorbidity indices were used to investigate effects of comorbidity on cancer survival by Aboriginal status and to determine whether comorbidity explains survival disparities.

Aboriginal experiences of cancer and care coordination: Lessons from the Cancer Data and Aboriginal Disparities (CanDAD) narratives.

Background: Aboriginal people with cancer experience worse outcomes than other Australians for a range of complex and interrelated reasons. A younger age at diagnosis, higher likelihood of more advanced cancer or cancer type with poorer prognosis, geographic isolation and cultural and language diversity mean that patient pathways are potentially more complex for Aboriginal people with cancer. In addition, variation in the quality and acceptability of care may influence cancer outcomes.

Comorbidities contribute to the risk of cancer death among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians: Analysis of a matched cohort study.

Background: Aboriginal Australians have poorer cancer survival than other Australians. Diagnoses at later stages and correlates of remote area living influence, but do not fully explain, these disparities. Little is known of the prevalence and influence of comorbid conditions experienced by Aboriginal people, including their effect on cancer survival.

Sociodemographic variations in the amount, duration and cost of potentially preventable hospitalisation for chronic conditions among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians: a period prevalence study of linked public hospital data.

Objectives: To determine disparities in rates, length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs of potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH) for selected chronic conditions among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians (SA), then examine associations with area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness.

Setting: Period prevalence study using linked, administrative public hospital records.

Participants: Participants included all SA residents in 2005-2006 to 2010-2011.

Disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians.

Background/aim: This study tested the utility of retrospectively staging cancer registry data for comparing stage and stage-specific survivals of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Differences by area level factors were also explored.

Methods: This test dataset comprised 950 Aboriginal cases and all other cases recorded on the South Australian cancer registry with a 1977-2010 diagnosis.

Cancer Data and Aboriginal Disparities (CanDAD)-developing an Advanced Cancer Data System for Aboriginal people in South Australia: a mixed methods research protocol.

Introduction: In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People carry a greater burden of cancer-related mortality than non-Aboriginal Australians. The Cancer Data and Aboriginal Disparities Project aims to develop and test an integrated, comprehensive cancer monitoring and surveillance system capable of incorporating epidemiological and narrative data to address disparities and advocate for clinical system change.

Methods And Analysis: The Advanced Cancer Data System will integrate routinely collected unit record data from the South Australian Population Cancer Registry and a range of other data sources for a retrospective cohort of indigenous people with cancers diagnosed from 1990 to 2010.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes in South Australia: comparison of burden of disease morbidity and survey-based health utility estimates.

Background: Global research shows a clear transition in health outcomes over the past two decades where improved survival was accompanied by lower health related quality of life (HRQoL) as measured by morbidity and disability. These trends suggest the need to better understand changes in population HRQoL. This paper compares two perspectives on population HRQoL change using burden of disease morbidity estimates from administrative data and self-reports from random and representative population surveys.

Practice nurse involvement in general practice clinical care: policy and funding issues need resolution.

In Australia, primary care-based funding initiatives have been implemented to encourage general practices to employ practice nurses. The aim of this paper is to discuss limitations of the current funding and policy arrangements in enhancing the clinical role of practice nurses in the management of chronic conditions. This paper draws on the results of a real-world economic evaluation, the Primary Care Services Improvement Project (PCSIP).

Practice nurse involvement in primary care depression management: an observational cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Most evidence on the effect of collaborative care for depression is derived in the selective environment of randomised controlled trials. In collaborative care, practice nurses may act as case managers. The Primary Care Services Improvement Project (PCSIP) aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative models of practice nurse involvement in a real world Australian setting.

An equity-effectiveness framework linking health programs and healthy life expectancy.

South Australia's Strategic Plan includes a target to improve the population's healthy life expectancy. A common question among health policy and service planners is: 'How do health programs and services in the community relate to healthy life expectancy?' In response, this paper outlines an effectiveness and equity framework (EEF) for evaluating health interventions in applied settings. Using the example of coronary heart disease (CHD) management in general practice in South Australia, the EEF: (1) applies an internally consistent approach to accounting for population healthy life expectancy at state and smaller geographic levels; (2) estimates average population health gains from health programs, and gains across different socioeconomic subgroups within the community; (3) conducts economic evaluation by equating health gains against health system costs in population subgroups; (4) summarises relevant information about candidate intervention programs within a multi-criteria performance matrix for presentation to decision makers; (5) reassesses outcomes (and processes) following the implementation of a program and iteratively adds to the relevant knowledge and evidence base.

Healthy life gains in South Australia 1999-2008: analysis of a local Burden of Disease series.

Background: The analysis describes trends in the levels and social distribution of total life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in South Australia from 1999 to 2008.

Methods: South Australian Burden of Disease series for the period 1999-2001 to 2006-2008 and across statistical local areas according to relative socioeconomic disadvantage were analyzed for changes in total life expectancy and healthy life expectancy by sex and area level disadvantage, with further decomposition of healthy life expectancy change by age, cause of death, and illness.

Results: Total life expectancy at birth increased in South Australia for both sexes (2.

Aboriginal premature mortality within South Australia 1999-2006: a cross-sectional analysis of small area results.

Background: This paper initially describes premature mortality by Aboriginality in South Australia during 1999 to 2006. It then examines how these outcomes vary across area level socio-economic disadvantage and geographic remoteness.

Methods: The retrospective, cross-sectional analysis uses estimated resident population by sex, age and small areas based on the 2006 Census, and Unit Record mortality data.

Recognising potential for preventing hospitalisation.

To identify the incidence and distribution of public hospital admissions in South Australia that could potentially be prevented with appropriate use of primary care services, analysis was completed of all public hospital separations from July 2006 to June 2008 in SA. This included those classified as potentially preventable using the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare criteria for selected potentially preventable hospitalisations (SPPH), by events and by individual, with statistical local area geocoding and allocation of relative socioeconomic disadvantage quintile. A total of 744 723 public hospital separations were recorded, of which 79 424 (10.

Identification, course, and treatment of depression after admission for a cardiac condition: rationale and patient characteristics for the Identifying Depression As a Comorbid Condition (IDACC) project.

Background: Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the high rates of depression among cardiac patients, there is a need to develop practical ways to identify this population and provide pragmatic general-practitioner-based interventions for managing depression as a comorbid condition.

Method: The Identifying Depression As a Comorbid Condition (IDACC) study employed a hybrid design, incorporating a randomized controlled trial nested within a prospective cohort study. IDACC screened for depression in patients hospitalized in South Australia for a range of cardiac conditions, with outcome measures monitored for 12 months after discharge.

Effect of feedback regarding urinary cotinine and brief tailored advice on home smoking restrictions among low-income parents of children with asthma: a controlled trial.

Background: Since most smoker parents of children with asthma are unable to quit, an alternative measure that would reduce their children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is to ban smoking in the home.

Methods: Compared with 136 usual-care controls, 128 intervention-group parents recruited from South Australian pediatric hospital outpatient waiting rooms were given written and verbal feedback about their 1- to 11-year-old child's urinary cotinine-to-creatinine level, information booklets, and two telephone calls encouraging a ban on smoking at home.

Results: At 6 months, 49.