Integrating training in evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making: a qualitative study of junior doctors and consultants.

BACKGROUND: In the past, evidence-based medicine (EBM) and shared decision-making (SDM) have been taught separately in health sciences and medical education. However, recognition is increasing of the importance of EBM training that includes SDM, whereby practitioners incorporate all steps of EBM, including person-centered decision-making using SDM. However, there are few empirical investigations into the benefits of training that integrates EBM and SDM (EBM-SDM) for junior doctors, and their influencing factors. This study aimed to explore how integrated EBM-SDM training can influence junior doctors' attitudes to and practice of EBM and SDM; to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with junior doctors' EBM-SDM learning and practice; and to examine how supervising consultants' attitudes and authority impact on junior doctors' opportunities for EBM-SDM learning and practice. METHODS: We developed and ran a series of EBM-SDM courses for junior doctors within a private healthcare setting with protected time for educational activities. Using an emergent qualitative design, we first conducted pre- and post-course semi-structured interviews with 12 junior doctors and thematically analysed the influence of an EBM-SDM course on their attitudes and practice of both EBM and SDM, and the barriers and facilitators to the integrated learning and practice of EBM and SDM. Based on the responses of junior doctors, we then conducted interviews with ten of their supervising consultants and used a second thematic analysis to understand the influence of consultants on junior doctors' EBM-SDM learning and practice. RESULTS: Junior doctors appreciated EBM-SDM training that involved patient participation. After the training course, they intended to improve their skills in person-centered decision-making including SDM. However, junior doctors identified medical hierarchy, time factors, and lack of prior training as barriers to the learning and practice of EBM-SDM, whilst the private healthcare setting with protected learning time and supportive consultants were considered facilitators. Consultants had mixed attitudes towards EBM and SDM and varied perceptions of the role of junior doctors in either practice, both of which influenced the practice of junior doctors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that future medical education and research should include training that integrates EBM and SDM that acknowledges the complex environment in which this training must be put into practice, and considers strategies to overcome barriers to the implementation of EBM-SDM learning in practice.

Is it possible to make 'living' guidelines? An evaluation of the Australian Living Stroke Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Keeping best practice guidelines up-to-date with rapidly emerging research evidence is challenging. 'Living guidelines' approaches enable continual incorporation of new research, assisting healthcare professionals to apply the latest evidence to their clinical practice. However, information about how living guidelines are developed, maintained and applied is limited. The Stroke Foundation in Australia was one of the first organisations to apply living guideline development methods for their Living Stroke Guidelines (LSGs), presenting a unique opportunity to evaluate the process and impact of this novel approach. METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted to understand the experience of LSGs developers and end-users. We used thematic analysis of one-on-one semi-structured interview and online survey data to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and facilitators and barriers of the LSGs. Website analytics data were also reviewed to understand usage. RESULTS: Overall, the living guidelines approach was both feasible and acceptable to developers and users. Facilitators to use included collaboration with multidisciplinary clinicians and stroke survivors or carers. Increased workload for developers, workload unpredictability, and limited information sharing, and interoperability of technological platforms were identified as barriers. Users indicated increased trust in the LSGs (69%), likelihood of following the LSGs (66%), and frequency of access (58%), compared with previous static versions. Web analytics data showed individual access by 16,517 users in 2016 rising to 53,154 users in 2020, a threefold increase. There was also a fourfold increase in unique LSG pageviews from 2016 to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first evaluation of living guidelines, demonstrates that this approach to stroke guideline development is feasible and acceptable, that these approaches may add value to developers and users, and may increase guideline use. Future evaluations should be embedded along with guideline implementation to capture data prospectively.

Progress with the Learning Health System 2.0: a rapid review of Learning Health Systems' responses to pandemics and climate change.

BACKGROUND: Pandemics and climate change each challenge health systems through increasing numbers and new types of patients. To adapt to these challenges, leading health systems have embraced a Learning Health System (LHS) approach, aiming to increase the efficiency with which data is translated into actionable knowledge. This rapid review sought to determine how these health systems have used LHS frameworks to both address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, and to prepare for future disturbances, and thus transition towards the LHS2.0. METHODS: Three databases (Embase, Scopus, and PubMed) were searched for peer-reviewed literature published in English in the five years to March 2023. Publications were included if they described a real-world LHS's response to one or more of the following: the COVID-19 pandemic, future pandemics, current climate events, future climate change events. Data were extracted and thematically analyzed using the five dimensions of the Institute of Medicine/Zurynski-Braithwaite's LHS framework: Science and Informatics, Patient-Clinician Partnerships, Continuous Learning Culture, Incentives, and Structure and Governance. RESULTS: The search yielded 182 unique publications, four of which reported on LHSs and climate change. Backward citation tracking yielded 13 additional pandemic-related publications. None of the climate change-related papers met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-two publications were included after full-text review. Most were case studies (n = 12, 38%), narrative descriptions (n = 9, 28%) or empirical studies (n = 9, 28%). Science and Informatics (n = 31, 97%), Continuous Learning Culture (n = 26, 81%), Structure and Governance (n = 23, 72%) were the most frequently discussed LHS dimensions. Incentives (n = 21, 66%) and Patient-Clinician Partnerships (n = 18, 56%) received less attention. Twenty-nine papers (91%) discussed benefits or opportunities created by pandemics to furthering the development of an LHS, compared to 22 papers (69%) that discussed challenges. CONCLUSIONS: An LHS 2.0 approach appears well-suited to responding to the rapidly changing and uncertain conditions of a pandemic, and, by extension, to preparing health systems for the effects of climate change. LHSs that embrace a continuous learning culture can inform patient care, public policy, and public messaging, and those that wisely use IT systems for decision-making can more readily enact surveillance systems for future pandemics and climate change-related events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO pre-registration: CRD42023408896.

Integrated Care in Epilepsy Management: A Scoping Review of the Models and Components of Health and Social Care Delivery.

Introduction: Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition globally. Integrating health and social care is fundamental in epilepsy management, but the scope of progress in this area is unclear. This scoping review aimed to capture the range and type of integrated care components and models in epilepsy management. Methods: Four databases were searched for articles published since 2010 that reported on integrated care in epilepsy. Data were extracted and synthesised into components of integrated care that had been implemented or recommended only. Models of integrated care were identified, and their components tabulated. Results: Fifteen common and interrelated components of integrated care emerged that were aligned with four broad areas: healthcare staff and pathways (e.g., epilepsy nurses); tasks and services (e.g., care coordination); education and engagement (e.g., shared decision making); and technology for diagnosis and communication (e.g., telehealth). Twelve models of integrated care were identified; seven were implemented and five were recommended. Discussion: There is a growing evidence-base supporting integrated, person-centred epilepsy care, but implementation is challenged by entrenched silos, underdeveloped pathways for care, and deficits in epilepsy education. Conclusion: Integrating epilepsy care relies on changes to workforce development and policy frameworks to support whole-of-system vision for improving care.

Bolstering health systems to cope with the impacts of climate change events: A review of the evidence on workforce planning, upskilling, and capacity building.

BACKGROUND: As global CO2 emissions continue to rise and the 'era of global boiling' takes hold, the health workforce must cope with the challenge of providing care to increasing numbers of patients affected by climate change-related events (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires, floods). In this review, we describe the impacts of these events on the health workforce, and strategies responding to these challenges. METHODS: This rapid systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses and a registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42023433610). Eight databases were searched in May 2022 and again in June 2023. Empirical studies discussing climate change and workforce policy, planning, preparedness, and capacity were included. Inductive thematic analysis of extracted data was conducted. RESULTS: From the 60 included studies, two categories emerged: the impacts of climate events on the health workforce (n = 39), and workforce responses to and preparations for climate events (n = 58). Thirty-seven studies reported on both categories. Four impact themes were identified: absenteeism, psychological impacts, system breakdown, and unsafe working conditions; and six responses and preparations themes: training/skill development, workforce capacity planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, role flexibility, role incentivisation, and psychological support. CONCLUSION: This review provides an overview of some of the deleterious impacts of climate events on the health workforce, as well as potential strategies for the health workforce to prepare or respond to climate events. Future studies should assess the implementation and effectiveness of these strategies to ensure a continuously improving healthcare system, and a well-supported health workforce.

Consumer and provider perceptions of the specialist unit model of care: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Specialist care units cater to targeted cohorts of patients, applying evidence-based practice to people with a specific condition (e.g., dementia) or meeting other specific criteria (e.g., children). This paper aimed to collate perceptions of local consumers and health providers around specialist care units, as a model of care that may be considered for a new local healthcare facility. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using two-hour workshops and interviews to collect data. Participants were consumers and health providers in the planned facility's catchment: 49 suburbs in metropolitan Australia. Consumers and health providers were recruited through advertisements and emails. An initial survey collected demographic details. Consumers and health providers participated in separate two-hour workshops in which a scenario around the specialist unit model was presented and discussion on benefits, barriers and enablers of the model was led by researchers. Detailed notes were taken for analysis. RESULTS: Five consumer workshops (n = 22 participants) and five health provider workshops (n = 42) were conducted. Participants were representative of this culturally diverse region. Factors identified by participants as relevant to the specialist unit model of care included: accessibility; a perceived narrow scope of practice; coordination with other services; resources and infrastructure; and awareness and expectations of the units. Some factors identified as risks or barriers when absent were identified as strengths and enablers when present by both groups of participants. CONCLUSIONS: Positive views of the model centred on the higher perceived quality of care received in the units. Negative views centred on a perceived narrow scope of care and lack of flexibility. Consumers hinted, and providers stated explicitly, that the model needed to be complemented by an integrated model of care model to enable continuity of care and easy transfer of patients into and out of the specialist unit.

Determinants of women's agency in accessing and utilising reproductive healthcare services; a systematic review.

Women's agency is vital to access and use reproductive healthcare services, particularly in contexts where patriarchal beliefs and cultural norms limit women's desire to act on their goals or affect their access to essential resources. However, less is known about what resources enable women to exercise agency to access these services. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted to summarise existing evidence on the determinants of women's agency in accessing and using reproductive healthcare services. Various determinants were identified, including individual characteristics; household structure; reproductive health-related determinants; social relations; and economic factors. These determinants of women's agency in accessing reproductive healthcare services were strongly associated with social norms and cultural beliefs. Several gaps in the literature included inconsistent definitions and measurement of women's agency; lack of considering cultural sensitivities and socially acceptable practices in the conceptualisation and measurement of women's agency; a narrow focus on services related predominantly to pregnancy and birth, with other aspects of services including sexual health and safe abortion being largely unreported. The literature focused on developing countries in Africa and Asia, leaving a significant gap in knowledge about women's agency to access services in other geographical areas or among immigrant or refugee populations living in developed countries.

Built to last? Barriers and facilitators of healthcare program sustainability: a systematic integrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers and facilitators associated with the sustainability of implemented and evaluated improvement programs in healthcare delivery systems. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: Six academic databases were searched to identify relevant peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between July 2011 and June 2022. Studies were included if they reported on healthcare program sustainability and explicitly identified barriers to, and facilitators of, sustainability. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic integrative review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Study quality was appraised using Hawker's Quality Assessment Tool. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: A team of reviewers screened eligible studies against the inclusion criteria and extracted the data independently using a purpose-designed Excel spreadsheet. Barriers and facilitators were extracted and mapped to the Integrated Sustainability Framework (ISF). Frequency counts of reported barriers/facilitators were performed across the included studies. RESULTS: Of the 124 studies included in this review, almost half utilised qualitative designs (n = 52; 41.9%) and roughly one third were conducted in the USA (n = 43; 34.7%). Few studies (n = 29; 23.4%) reported on program sustainability beyond 5 years of program implementation and only 16 of them (55.2%) defined sustainability. Factors related to the ISF categories of inner setting (n = 99; 79.8%), process (n = 99; 79.8%) and intervention characteristics (n = 72; 58.1%) were most frequently reported. Leadership/support (n = 61; 49.2%), training/support/supervision (n = 54; 43.5%) and staffing/turnover (n = 50; 40.3%) were commonly identified barriers or facilitators of sustainability across included studies. Forty-six (37.1%) studies reported on the outer setting category: funding (n = 26; 56.5%), external leadership by stakeholders (n = 16; 34.8%), and socio-political context (n = 14; 30.4%). Eight studies (6.5%) reported on discontinued programs, with factors including funding and resourcing, poor fit, limited planning, and intervention complexity contributing to discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the importance of taking into consideration the inner setting, processes, intervention characteristics and outer setting factors when sustaining healthcare programs, and the need for long-term program evaluations. There is a need to apply consistent definitions and implementation frameworks across studies to strengthen evidence in this area. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/11/e018568 .

Evaluation of RuralkidsGPS; A Novel Integrated Paediatric Care Coordination Model of Care in Rural Australia - a Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Introduction: The Kids Guided Personalised Service (KidsGPS) is an integrated model of care coordination for children and young people (CYP) living with medical complexity. After successful implementation in an urban setting, the model of care will be rolled-out at scale to four rural regions in New South Wales, Australia to establish RuralKidsGPS. This paper describes the approach and methods for the outcome and implementation evaluation of RuralKidsGPS. Description: The evaluation aims to assess health, economic and implementation outcomes and processes whilst identifying barriers and enablers to inform future rollouts. Measures of health service utilisation (primary outcome), child health related quality of life and parent/carer experiences will be assessed. The implementation evaluation will occur alongside the outcomes evaluation and is underpinned by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and informed by validated quantitative measures and qualitative interviews with patients, families, healthcare providers and service managers. An economic analysis will determine incremental cost effectiveness ratios for the new model of care using health service utilisation data. Conclusion: RuralKidsGPS, if effective, has the potential to improve equity of access to integrated care for CYP and their families and this protocol may inform other evaluations of similar models of care delivered at scale.

Experience-based codesign approach to improve care in Australian emergency departments for complex consumer cohorts: the MyED project protocol, Stages 1.1-1.3.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency department (ED) care must adapt to meet current and future demands. In Australia, ED quality measures (eg, prolonged length of stay, re-presentations or patient experience) are worse for older adults with multiple comorbidities, people who have a disability, those who present with a mental health condition, Indigenous Australians, and those with a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. Strengthened ED performance relies on understanding the social and systemic barriers and preferences for care of these different cohorts, and identifying viable solutions that may result in sustained improvement by service providers. A collaborative 5-year project (MyED) aims to codesign, with ED users and providers, new or adapted models of care that improve ED performance, improve patient outcomes and improve patient experience for these five cohorts. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Experience-based codesign using mixed methods, set in three hospitals in one health district in Australia. This protocol introduces the staged and incremental approach to the whole project, and details the first research elements: ethnographic observations at the ED care interface, interviews with providers and interviews with two patient cohorts-older adults and adults with a CALD background. We aim to sample a diverse range of participants, carefully tailoring recruitment and support. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from the Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/PID02749-2022/ETH02447). Prior informed written consent will be obtained from all research participants. Findings from each stage of the project will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication. Project outputs will be disseminated for implementation more widely across New South Wales, Australia.

The impact of migration and settlement context on Iranian Women's agency in accessing and using reproductive healthcare services in Australia: A qualitative study.

This qualitative study aimed to understand how immigration and settlement context shape Iranian immigrants' agency in accessing and using reproductive healthcare services (RHCS). Twenty-one Iranian women of reproductive age (18-49 years) living in Australia were recruited in 2022 through social media platforms. The findings highlighted that although Iranian women's utilisation of RHCS in Australia is highly constrained by established sociocultural beliefs and values of their origin country, they become agents of making changes over their reproductive choices, reformulating beliefs and values, and taking control of reproductive health because of Australian sociocultural norms and context. This suggests a tension between the impacts of sociocultural contexts in their origin country and becoming agents of change after migrating to Australia. These findings need to be included in healthcare policy and practice to support greater consideration of cultural sensitivities and specific needs of immigrant women when accessing Australian RHCS.

Systems resilience in the implementation of a large-scale suicide prevention intervention: a qualitative study using a multilevel theoretical approach.

BACKGROUND: Resilience, the capacity to adapt and respond to challenges and disturbances, is now considered fundamental to understanding how healthcare systems maintain required levels of performance across varying conditions. Limited research has examined healthcare resilience in the context of implementing healthcare improvement programs across multiple system levels, particularly within community-based mental health settings or systems. In this study, we explored resilient characteristics across varying system levels (individual, team, management) during the implementation of a large-scale community-based suicide prevention intervention. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews (n=53) were conducted with coordinating teams from the four intervention regions and the central implementation management team. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo for analysis. A thematic analysis of eight transcripts involving thirteen key personnel was conducted using a deductive approach to identify characteristics of resilience across multiple system levels and an inductive approach to uncover both impediments to, and strategies that supported, resilient performance during the implementation of the suicide prevention intervention. RESULTS: Numerous impediments to resilient performance were identified (e.g., complexity of the intervention, and incompatible goals and priorities between system levels). Consistent with the adopted theoretical framework, indicators of resilient performance relating to anticipation, sensemaking, adaptation and tradeoffs were identified at multiple system levels. At each of the system levels, distinctive strategies were identified that promoted resilience. At the individual and team levels, several key strategies were used by the project coordinators to promote resilience, such as building relationships and networks and carefully prioritising available resources. At the management level, strategies included teambuilding, collaborative learning, building relationships with external stakeholders, monitoring progress and providing feedback. The results also suggested that resilience at one level can shape resilience at other levels in complex ways; most notably we identified that there can be a downside to resilience, with negative consequences including stress and burnout, among individuals enacting resilience. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of considering resilience from a multilevel systems perspective, as well as implications for theory and future research, are discussed.

Transition models of care for type 1 diabetes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Managing the care regimen for Type 1 Diabetes is challenging for emerging adults, as they take on greater responsibility for self-management. A diverse range of models of care have been implemented to improve safety and quality of care during transition between paediatric and adult services. However, evidence about acceptability and effectiveness of these is limited. Our aim was to synthesise the evidence for transition models and their components, examine the health related and psychosocial outcomes, and to identify determinants associated with the implementation of person-centred models of transition care. METHOD: We searched Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and Scopus. Peer reviewed empirical studies that focused on T1D models of care published from 2010 to 2021 in English, reporting experimental, qualitative, mixed methods, and observational studies were included. RESULTS: Fourteen studies reported on health and psychosocial outcomes, and engagement with healthcare. Three key models of care emerged: structured transition education programs (6 studies), multidisciplinary team transition support (5 studies) and telehealth/virtual care (3 studies). Compared with usual practice, three of the six structured transition education programs led to improvements in maintenance of glycaemic control, psychological well-being, and engagement with health services. Four MDT transition care models reported improved health outcomes, and improved engagement with health services, however, three studies reported no benefit. Reduced diabetes related stress and increased patient satisfaction were reported by two studies, but three reported no benefit. Telehealth and virtual group appointments improved adherence to self-management and reduced diabetes distress but did not change health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although some health and psychosocial benefits are reported, the results were mixed. No studies reported on T1D transition model implementation outcomes such as acceptability, adoption, and appropriateness among clinicians or managers implementing these models. This gap needs to be addressed to support future adoption of successful models.

What factors are considered in hospital funding models? A review of the literature on health services funding in organisation for economic co-operation and development countries.

BACKGROUND: One of the most difficult challenges in healthcare involves equitable allocation of resources. Our review aimed to identify international funding models in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for government-funded public hospitals and evidence underpinning their efficacy, via review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature. METHODS: Ovid-Medline, Ovid Embase, Scopus, and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed literature. Advanced Google searches and targeted hand searches of relevant organisational websites identified grey literature. Inclusion criteria were: English language, published between 2011 and 2022, and that the article: (1) focused on healthcare funding; (2) reported on or identified specific factors, indexes, algorithms or formulae associated with healthcare funding; and (3) referred to countries that are members of the OECD, excluding the United States (US). RESULTS: For peer-reviewed literature 1189 abstracts and 35 full-texts were reviewed; six articles met the inclusion criteria. For grey literature, 2996 titles or abstracts and 37 full-texts were reviewed; five articles met the inclusion criteria. Healthcare funding arrangements employed in 15 OECD countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom [UK; specifically, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland]) were identified, but papers reported population-based funding arrangements for specific regions rather than hospital-specific models. CONCLUSIONS: While some models adjusted for deprivation and ethnicity factors, none of the identified documents reported on health systems that adjusted funding allocation for social determinants such as health literacy levels.

Readability and beyond - Health literacy and numeracy and COVID-19 communications in early childhood education: Are we communicating effectively?

OBJECTIVE: Analyse the linguistic and numerical complexity of COVID-19-related health information communicated from Australian national and state governments and health agencies to national and local early childhood education (ECE) settings. METHODS: Publicly available health information (n = 630) was collected from Australian national and state governments and health agencies, and ECE agencies and service providers. A purposive sample of documents (n = 33) from 2020 to 2021 was analysed inductively and deductively combining readability, health numeracy and linguistic analyses and focusing on the most frequent actionable health advice topics. RESULTS: COVID-19 health advice most frequently related to hygiene, distancing and exclusion. Readability scores in 79% (n = 23) of documents were above the recommended grade 6 reading level for the public. Advice was delivered using direct linguistic strategies (n = 288), indirect strategies (n = 73), and frequent mitigating hedges (n = 142). Most numerical concepts were relatively simple, but lacked elaborative features (e.g., analogies) and/or required subjective interpretation. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 health advice available to the ECE sector included linguistic and numerical information open to mis/interpretation making it difficult to understand and implement. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Combining readability scores with measures of linguistic and numerical complexity offers a more holistic approach to assessing accessibility of health advice and improving health literacy among its recipients.

The place of digital triage in a complex healthcare system: An interview study with key stakeholders in Australia's national provider.

Background: Digital triage tools such as telephone advice and online symptom checkers are now commonplace in health systems internationally. Research has focused on consumers' adherence to advice, health outcomes, satisfaction, and the degree to which these services manage demand for general practice or emergency departments. Such studies have had mixed findings, leaving equivocal the role of these services in healthcare. Objective: We examined stakeholders' perspectives on Healthdirect, Australia's national digital triage provider, focusing on its role in the health system, and barriers to operation, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Key stakeholders took part in semi-structured interviews conducted online in the third quarter of 2021. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed. Results: Participants (n = 41) were Healthdirect staff (n = 13), employees of Primary Health Networks (PHNs; n = 12), clinicians (n = 9), shareholder representatives (n = 4), consumer representatives (n = 2) and other policymakers (n = 1). Eight themes emerged from the analysis: (1) information and guidance in navigating the system, (2) efficiency through appropriate care, (3) value for consumers? (4) the difficulties in triage at a distance, (5) competition and the unfulfilled promise of integration, (6) challenges in promoting Healthdirect, (7) monitoring and evaluating digital triage services and (8) rapid change, challenge and opportunity from COVID-19. Conclusion: Stakeholders varied in their views of the purpose of Healthdirect's digital triage services. They identified challenges in lack of integration, competition, and the limited public profile of the services, issues largely reflective of the complexity of the policy and health system landscape. There was acknowledgement of the value of the services during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an expectation of them realising greater potential in the wake of the rapid uptake of telehealth.

Characteristics of neonatal herpes simplex central nervous system disease in Australia (1997-2020).

BACKGROUND: Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) central nervous system (CNS) disease can occur in isolation or as part of disseminated infection. We sought to describe neonatal HSV CNS disease in Australia over 24 years. METHODS: Neonates (≤28 days) with confirmed HSV infection, reported prospectively to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (1997-2020), were evaluated for HSV CNS disease (laboratory confirmation with clinical evidence of encephalitis, e.g., lethargy, seizures, focal signs; and/or abnormalities on neuroimaging or electroencephalogram), and compared with neonates without CNS disease. CNS-restricted disease was compared with CNS-disseminated disease. FINDINGS: Of 195 neonates with HSV disease; 87 (45%) had CNS disease (1.29 cases/100,000 live births per year, 95% CI: 1·04-1·59). Neonates with CNS disease were significantly more likely to be male than neonates without CNS disease (60% versus 39%, OR=2·32, 95% CI 1·29-4·18). Of the neonates with CNS disease, those with CNS-restricted disease (52/87, 60%) presented later than neonates with CNS-disseminated disease (35/87, 40%), (mean 12 versus 6 days). Twenty (23%) neonates with CNS disease died, the majority with CNS-disseminated disease (n = 19). Most neonates received aciclovir therapy (94·3%), however five neonates with unrecognised CNS disseminated disease (diagnosed at autopsy) had not been treated. Survivors of CNS disease were significantly more likely to have adverse neurological sequelae, compared with those without CNS disease (30% versus 4%, OR: 9·60, 95% CI: 2·6-35·0). INTERPRETATION: Male neonates have a higher burden of HSV CNS disease. Despite the use of antiviral agents, morbidity following neonatal HSV CNS disease remains high. Evaluation of adjunctive therapies to improve outcomes is needed.

Vitamin D testing in children and adolescents in Victoria, Australia: are testing practices in line with global recommendations?

OBJECTIVE: To describe changing primary care ordering of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) tests in Australian children. DESIGN: Longitudinal, population-based descriptive study of 25OHD testing using a large administrative dataset of pathology orders and results, 2003-2018. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three primary health networks in Victoria, Australia. Patients aged ≤18 years with a serum 25OHD test ordered by the general practitioner (GP). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends over 15 years in the number of 25OHD tests ordered, proportion indicating low levels or vitamin D deficiency and details of repeat testing. RESULTS: Of 970 816 laboratory tests, 61 809 (6.4%) included an order for a 25OHD test. The 61 809 tests were performed in 46 960 children or adolescents. The odds of ordering a 25OHD test in 2018 was 30.4 times higher compared with 2003 (95%CI 22.6 to 40.8, p<0.001). The odds of detecting a low 25OHD (<50 nmol/L) compared with the baseline in 2003 remained steady (adjusted OR<1.5) over time. Repeat tests (14 849) were undertaken in 9626 patients (median intertest interval 357 days, IQR 172-669 days). A total of 4603 test results indicated vitamin D deficiency (<30 nmol/L), but in only 180 (3.9%) of these was a repeat test performed within 3 months as recommended. CONCLUSION: Testing volumes increased 30-fold, but the odds of detecting low 25OHD remained steady. Current Australian policy and the Global Consensus Recommendations for the prevention and management of nutritional rickets do not support routine 25OHD testing. Education and electronic pathology ordering tools may assist GPs to better align practice with current recommendations.

The Impact of Women's Agency on Accessing and Using Maternal Healthcare Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Agency, defined as the ability to identify one's goals and act upon them, has been recognized as a prominent strategy to access maternal healthcare services (MHS). The purpose of this study was to synthesize evidence of the association between women's agency and MHS utilization. A systematic review was performed on five academic databases, comprising Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and ProQuest. Meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects method using the STATA™ Version 17 software. A total of 82 studies were selected following the PRISMA guidelines. The meta-analysis demonstrated that an increase in women's agency was associated with a 34% increase in the odds of receiving skilled antenatal care (ANC) (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.18-1.52); 7% increase in the odds of initiating the first ANC visit during the first trimester of pregnancy (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.01-1.12); 20% increase in the odds of receiving at least one ANC visit (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.04-1.4); 16% increase in the odds of receiving more than four ANC visits during pregnancy (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12-1.21); 17% increase in the odds of receiving more than eight ANC visits (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.04-1.32); 13% increase in the odds of facility-based delivery (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.09-1.17); 16% increase in the odds of using skilled birth attendants (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.13-1.19); and 13% increase in the odds of receiving postnatal care (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.08-1.19) compared to low level of agency. Any efforts to improve MHS utilization and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality should include the promotion of women's agency.

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) and the pandemic: Predictors of patient activation among Australian health consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Preventative healthcare is crucial for improving individual patient outcomes and is integral to sustainable health systems. The effectiveness of prevention programs is enhanced by activated populations who are capable of managing their own health and are proactive to keep themselves well. However, little is known about the level of activation among people drawn from general populations. We used the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) to address this knowledge gap. METHODS: A representative, population-based survey of Australian adults was conducted in October 2021 during the Delta strain outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehensive demographic information was collected, and the participants completed the Kessler-6 psychological distress scale (K6) and PAM. Multinomial and binomial logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of demographic factors on PAM scores, which are categorised into four levels: 1-participants disengaged with their health; 2-becoming aware of how to manage their health; 3-acting on their health; and 4-engaging with preventative healthcare and advocating for themselves. RESULTS: Of 5100 participants, 7.8% scored at PAM level 1; 13.7% level 2, 45.3% level 3, and 33.2% level 4. The mean score was 66.1, corresponding to PAM level 3. More than half of the participants (59.2%) reported having one or more chronic conditions. Respondents aged 18 to 24 years old were twice as likely to score PAM level 1 compared with people aged 25-44 (p < .001) or people aged over 65 years (p < .05). Speaking a language other than English at home was significantly associated with having low PAM (p < .05). Greater psychological distress scores (K6) were significantly predictive of low PAM scores (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Overall, Australian adults showed high levels of patient activation in 2021. People with lower incomes, of younger age, and those experiencing psychological distress were more likely to have low activation. Understanding the level of activation enables targeting sociodemographic groups for extra support to increase the capacity to engage in prevention activities. Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, our study provides a baseline for comparison as we move out of the pandemic and associated restrictions and lockdowns. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study and survey questions were co-designed with consumer researchers from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) as equal partners. Researchers from CHF were involved in the analysis of data and production of all publications using data from the consumer sentiment survey.