Retrospective cross-sectional study on bronchiectasis in adult Aboriginal Australians: disease characteristics and comparison with ethnically diverse global bronchiectasis registry cohorts.

Background: Globally, adult Indigenous people, including Aboriginal Australians, have a high burden of chronic respiratory disorders, and bronchiectasis is no exception. However, literature detailing bronchiectasis disease characteristics among adult Indigenous people is sparse. This study assessed the clinical profile of bronchiectasis among adult Aboriginal Australians and compared against previously published international bronchiectasis registry reports.

Applicability and Validity of the "Bronchiectasis Severity Index" (BSI) and "FACED" Score in Adult Aboriginal Australians.

Background: The prevalence of bronchiectasis is significantly higher among adult Aboriginal Australians (the Indigenous peoples of Australia) compared to non-Aboriginal Australians. Currently, there is no well-established tool to assess bronchiectasis severity specific to Indigenous peoples. Nor has the applicability and validity of the two well-established bronchiectasis severity assessment tools - The "Bronchiectasis Severity Index" (BSI) and "FACED" scale been vigorously tested in an Indigenous population.

Lower Rates of Bloodstream Infection in Patients on Hemodialysis Receiving Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Melioidosis Prophylaxis.

Hemodialysis is a risk factor for bloodstream infection (SAB). In this single-center study, SAB rates were 56% lower during the monsoonal wet season when patients on hemodialysis receive supervised melioidosis prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. This intervention may reduce SAB rates in high-risk patients; however, further targeted studies are required.

Engagement and partnership with consumers and communities in the co-design and conduct of Research: Lessons from the INtravenous iron polymaltose for First Nations Australian patients with high FERRitin levels on haemodialysis (INFERR) clinical trial.

Background: Engagement and partnership with consumers and communities throughout research processes produces high quality research meeting community needs and promoting translation of research into improved policy and practice. Partnership is critical in research involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (First Nations Peoples) to ensure cultural safety. We present lessons from the design, implementation and progress of the National Health and Medical Research Council funded INtravenous iron polymaltose for First Nations Australian patients with high FERRitin levels on hemodialysis (INFERR) clinical trial.

Costs and healthcare use of patients with chronic kidney disease in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. This study aims to describe the healthcare use and associated costs of people at risk of CKD (e.g.

Developing an integrated clinical decision support system for the early identification and management of kidney disease-building cross-sectoral partnerships.

Background: The burden of chronic conditions is growing in Australia with people in remote areas experiencing high rates of disease, especially kidney disease. Health care in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT) is complicated by a mobile population, high staff turnover, poor communication between health services and complex comorbid health conditions requiring multidisciplinary care.

Aim: This paper aims to describe the collaborative process between research, government and non-government health services to develop an integrated clinical decision support system to improve patient care.

Bronchiectasis among Indigenous adults in the Top End of the Northern Territory, 2011-2020: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of bronchiectasis among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) adults in the Top End of the Northern Territory, and mortality among Indigenous adults with bronchiectasis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting, Participants: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults (18 years or older) living in the Top End Health Service region of the NT in whom bronchiectasis was confirmed by chest computed tomography (CT) during 1 January 2011 - 31 December 2020.

Socio-environmental and clinical features of invasive group A streptococcal disease in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Objective: To describe the socio-environmental profile and clinical features of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia over 10 years.

Methods: Cases of iGAS disease diagnosed between 1 May 2011 and 30 April 2021 were retrospectively identified from the NT Notifiable Diseases System and electronic health records accessed. Remoteness of residence, socio-economic index, seasonality and clinical characteristics were recorded.

Exploring the appropriateness of prescribing practice of inhaled pharmacotherapy among Aboriginal Australians in the Top End Northern Territory of Australia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Aboriginal Australians are reported to have a high burden of chronic airway diseases. However, prescribing patterns and related outcomes of airway directed inhaled pharmacotherapy, (short-acting beta agonists (SABA), short-acting muscarinic antagonists (SAMA), long-acting β-agonists (LABA), long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)) among Aboriginal Australian patients with chronic airway disease have been sparsely reported in the past.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, using clinical, spirometry data, chest radiology, primary healthcare (PHC) presentations and hospital admission rates among Aboriginal patients identified to have been prescribed inhaled pharmacotherapy in remote and rural communities referred to the respiratory specialist service in the Top End, Northern Territory of Australia.

Histopathology pattern and survival analysis of patients with kidney biopsy in the top end of Northern Australia from 2007 to 2020.

Aim: Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) is the main tertiary hospital that has performed more than 600 biopsies since its establishment. Although Indigenous people in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) has the highest rate of renal replacement therapy, the histopathology pattern of their renal diseases is still under discussed. We aimed to analyse the histopathology pattern of patients undergoing renal biopsy in RDH from June 2007 to June 2020.

Development and validation of algorithms to identify patients with chronic kidney disease and related chronic diseases across the Northern Territory, Australia.

Background: Electronic health records can be used for population-wide identification and monitoring of disease. The Territory Kidney Care project developed algorithms to identify individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and several commonly comorbid chronic diseases. This study aims to describe the development and validation of our algorithms for CKD, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Barriers and enablers to implementing and using clinical decision support systems for chronic diseases: a qualitative systematic review and meta-aggregation.

Background: Clinical decision support (CDS) is increasingly used to facilitate chronic disease care. Despite increased availability of electronic health records and the ongoing development of new CDS technologies, uptake of CDS into routine clinical settings is inconsistent. This qualitative systematic review seeks to synthesise healthcare provider experiences of CDS-exploring the barriers and enablers to implementing, using, evaluating, and sustaining chronic disease CDS systems.

Design, effectiveness, and economic outcomes of contemporary chronic disease clinical decision support systems: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Electronic health record-based clinical decision support (CDS) has the potential to improve health outcomes. This systematic review investigates the design, effectiveness, and economic outcomes of CDS targeting several common chronic diseases.

Material And Methods: We conducted a search in PubMed (Medline), EBSCOHOST (CINAHL, APA PsychInfo, EconLit), and Web of Science.

Induction therapy and outcome of proliferative lupus nephritis in the top end of Northern Australia - a single centre study retrospective study.

Background: Lupus nephritis is a common manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Mycophenolate is recommended by guidelines for induction therapy in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis and nephrotic range proteinuria Class V lupus nephritis. Indigenous Australians suffer disproportionally from systemic lupus erythematosus compared to non-Indigenous Australians (Anstey et al.

Benefit and harm of anticoagulation in the prevention of thromboembolic stroke for non-valvular atrial fibrillation in haemodialysis patients: a Top End of Northern Australia study.

Background: Warfarin for the prevention of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF)-related thromboembolic stroke in patients on maintenance haemodialysis is controversial. Despite the exclusion of haemodialysis patients in randomised control trials, the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology has recommended warfarin in high-risk AF patients.

Aims: To retrospectively examine the utility of warfarin anticoagulation therapy in our prevalent haemodialysis patients over 10 years of follow up.

Variations in clinical presentation and biomarkers among biopsy-proven lupus nephritis patients: a Top End retrospective cohort study.

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and affects 50% of patients with SLE. Racial differences in incidence and prevalence have been well documented worldwide. In Australia, higher incidence and prevalence of SLE had been previously reported in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

Top End Pulmonary Hypertension Study: Understanding Epidemiology, Therapeutic Gaps and Prognosis in Remote Australian Setting.

Introduction: The Top End of Australia has a high proportion of Indigenous people with a high burden of chronic cardiac and pulmonary diseases likely to contribute to pulmonary hypertension (PH). The epidemiology of PH has not been previously studied in this region.

Methods: Patients with PH were identified from the Northern Territory echocardiography database from January 2010 to December 2015 and followed to the end of 2019 or death.

Incident haemodialysis and outcomes in the Top End of Australia.

Objective The Northern Territory has the highest incidence of haemodialysis care for end-stage kidney disease in Australia. Although acute kidney injury (AKI) is a recognised risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), the effect of AKI causing incident haemodialysis (iHD) is unknown. Audits identifying antecedents of iHD may inform health service planning.