Cognitive remediation in residential substance use treatment: A randomized stepped-wedge trial.

Executive dysfunction is common in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and presents a barrier to treatment engagement. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive remediation (CR) for improving executive functioning and treatment retention in patients with SUD, using a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. The sample included 527 adults enrolled across ten residential SUD treatment providers in NSW, Australia.

Associations of the Initial COVID-19 Lockdown on Self-Reported Happiness and Worry about Developing Loneliness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Rural, Regional, and Urban Australian Communities.

Australia adopted hard lockdown measures to eliminate community transmission of COVID-19. Lockdown imposes periods of social isolation that contributes to increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and worry. We examined whether lockdowns have similar psychosocial associations across rural and urban areas and whether associations existed between happiness and worry of loneliness in the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Verification of administrative data to measure palliative care at terminal hospital stays.

Background: Administrative data and clinician documentation have not been directly compared for reporting palliative care, despite concerns about under-reporting.

Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the use of routinely collected administrative data for reporting in-hospital palliation and to examine factors associated with coded palliative care in hospital administrative data.

Method: Hospital administrative data and inpatient palliative care activity documented in medical records were compared for patients dying in hospital between 1 July 2017 and 31 December 2017.

Inequalities in end-of-life palliative care by country of birth in New South Wales, Australia: a cohort study.

Objective This study investigated variation in in-hospital palliative care according to the decedent's country of birth. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed of 73469 patients who died in a New South Wales public hospital between July 2010 and June 2015 and were diagnosed with a palliative care-amenable condition. Differences in receipt of palliative care by country of birth were examined using multilevel logistic regression models adjusted for confounding.

Feasibility of Using a Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Hospital Transfers or Death for Older People in Australian Residential Aged Care. A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Residents of Aged Care Facilities (RACF) experience burdensome hospital transfers in the last year of life, which may lead to aggressive and potentially inappropriate hospital treatments. Anticipating these transfers by identifying risk factors could encourage end-of-life discussions that may change decisions to transfer. The aim was to examine the feasibility of identifying an end-of-life risk profile among RACF residents using a predictive tool to better anticipate predictors of hospital transfers, death or poor composite outcome of hospitalisation and/or death after initial assessment.

Specialist Palliative Care Activity at an Acute Care Tertiary Hospital and Its Representation in Administrative Data.

Objective: To quantify and examine specialist palliative care (SPC) in-hospital activity and compare it to routinely collected administrative data on palliative care (PC).

Methods: All patients discharged from a large acute care tertiary hospital in New South Wales, Australia, between July 1 and December 31, 2017, were identified from the hospital's data warehouse. Administrative data were supplemented with information from the electronic medical record for hospital stays which were assigned the PC additional diagnosis code (Z51.

Temporal trend of diabetes in pregnant women and its association with birth outcomes, 2011 to 2017.

Aim: To assess changes in the prevalence of diabetes in pregnant women, and its association with selected birth outcomes (including caesarean section, episiotomy, admission to the special care nursery/neonatal intensive care unit, postpartum haemorrhage and neonatal birth weight) from 2011 to 2017.

Methods: In a single-centre, retrospective cohort study, we examined records of pregnant women who attended an Australian tertiary hospital between 2011 and 2017, identifying women with gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-existing diabetes mellitus, and examined trends associated with diabetes and their effects on birth outcomes.

Results: The average incidence of women with diabetes increased by 9% annually (RR = 0.

Detailed characterisation of the tuberculosis epidemic in Western Sydney: a descriptive epidemiological study.

Traditional tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology reports rarely provide a detailed analysis of TB incidence in particular geographic locations and among diverse population groups. Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) has one of the highest TB incidence rates in Australia, and we explored whether more detailed epidemiological analysis could provide a better overview of the local disease dynamics. Using multiple relevant data sources, we performed a retrospective descriptive study of TB cases diagnosed within the WSLHD from 2006 to 2015 with a specific focus on geographic hotspots and the population structure within these hotspots.

Variation in Hospital Use at the End of Life Among New South Wales Residents Who Died in Hospital or Soon After Discharge.

Hospital use increases in the last 3 months of life. We aimed to examine its association with where people live and its variation across a large health jurisdiction. We studied a number of emergency department presentations and days spent in hospital, and in-hospital deaths among decedents who were hospitalized within 30 days of death across 153 areas in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, during 2010-2015.

Falls in Hospital Causing Injury.

Aims: To describe falls causing injury, types of injuries, and the reporting of these falls.

Methods: Administrative and incident reporting datasets between July 2012 and June 2017 were analyzed.

Results: Using both datasets, 5,653 falls were identified (3.

Caesarean section by country of birth in New South Wales, Australia.

Objective: To determine rates of caesarean section by country of birth and by obstetric risks.

Methods: We analysed the New South Wales Perinatal Data Collection data of women giving birth between January 2013 and December 2015. Obstetric risk was classified using the Robson's 10-group classification.

Variations in hospital inpatient palliative care service use: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Use of palliative care in hospitals for people at end of life varies. We examined rate and time of in-hospital palliative care use and associated interhospital variations.

Methods: We used admissions from all hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, within a 12-month period, for a cohort of adults who died in 73 public acute care hospitals between July 2010 and June 2014.

Monitoring tuberculosis contact tracing outcomes in Western Sydney, Australia.

Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an important component of strategies to achieve global tuberculosis (TB) elimination, but implementation is rarely monitored. This is a retrospective review of TB contact tracing outcomes at one of the busiest TB clinics in Australia, measured against the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention performance indicators. In total, 45 of 53 (85%) pulmonary TB cases had 171 close contacts, of whom 139 (81%) were evaluated with a tuberculin skin test (TST); 58 of 139 (42%) were positive at baseline.

Variation in the incidence and timing of diagnosis of hospital-associated venous thromboembolism using linked administrative data.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially preventable adverse effect of hospitalisation. Inter-hospital variation in the incidence of hospital-associated VTE (HA-VTE) and timing of diagnosis (in-hospital or post-discharge) in New South Wales public hospitals were examined. Large variations in incidence (22% risk difference) and post-discharge diagnosis (115% odds difference) were evident after adjustment for case mix, which only explained 59% and 32% of inter-hospital variation respectively.

Inpatient palliative care of people dying in New South Wales hospitals or soon after discharge.

Background: Palliative care can benefit all patients with life-limiting diseases.

Aim: To describe hospital use in the final year of life, timing of palliative care and variations by age and disease for patients receiving inpatient palliative care.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all New South Wales residents aged 50 years and older who died (decedents) between July 2010 and June 2015 in hospital or within 30 days of discharge.

Variation in out-of-hospital death among palliative care inpatients across public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Place of death is an important indicator in palliative care, as out-of-hospital death is often preferred by patients and is less costly for the healthcare system.

Aim: To examine variation and contributing factors in out-of-hospital death after receiving palliative care in hospital to inform improvement in transition of care between hospitals and communities.

Methods: Using hospital linked data (July 2010, June 2015) we followed individuals aged 50 or older who received palliative care in hospital and within 3 months to death who were last admitted to a public acute-care hospital in New South Wales, Australia (73 hospitals).

Adapting to Sydney's local government boundaries changes: a population health perspective.

The territory of a Local Health District (LHD) comprises multiple local government areas (LGAs). The recent amalgamation of several LGAs in metropolitan Sydney has resulted in two new LGAs being expanded across multiple LHDs, resulting in nonconcordance of boundaries. Here, we discuss the implications for planning health activities and service delivery, and ways to address them.

Caesarean section among immigrants with different obstetrical risks.

Aim: To determine the variation in caesarean section rates among immigrant populations.

Background: Australia is one of the most multicultural in the world and is also among those with the highest caesarean section rates.

Design: Secondary data analysis.

Accuracy of inter-hospital transfer information in Australian hospital administrative databases.

Inter-hospital transfers improve care delivery for which sending and receiving hospitals both accountable for patient outcomes. We aim to measure accuracy in recorded patient transfer information (indication of transfer and hospital identifier) over 2 years across 121 acute hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Accuracy rate for 127,406 transfer-out separations was 87 per cent, with a low variability across hospitals (10% differences); it was 65 per cent for 151,978 transfer-in admissions with a greater inter-hospital variation (36% differences).

Incidence of in-hospital and post-discharge diagnosed hospital-associated venous thromboembolism using linked administrative data.

Background: Hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) is a serious adverse event, preventable with appropriate care during and post-admission. Accurate measurement of in-hospital and post-discharge incidences is essential for implementation and evaluation of prevention strategies and monitoring.

Aims: To estimate in-hospital and post-discharge diagnosed VTE, trends and risk factors.

Validity of routinely collected data in identifying hip fractures at a major tertiary hospital in Australia.

Objectives: To examine the validity of routinely collected data in identifying hip fractures (HFs) and to identify factors associated with incorrect coding.

Method: In a prospective cohort study between January 2014 and June 2016, HFs were identified using physician diagnosis and diagnostic imaging and were recorded in a Registry. Records of HFs in the health information exchange (HIE) were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification/Australian Classification of Health Interventions/Australian Coding Standards codes.

Toxicity after post-prostatectomy image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy using Australian guidelines.

Introduction: We evaluated single institution toxicity outcomes after post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (PPRT) via image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) with implanted fiducial markers following national eviQ guidelines, for which late toxicity outcomes have not been published.

Methods: Prospectively collected toxicity data were retrospectively reviewed for 293 men who underwent 64-66 Gy IG-IMRT to the prostate bed between 2007 and 2015.

Results: Median follow-up after PPRT was 39 months.

The impact of post-operative sepsis on mortality after hospital discharge among elective surgical patients: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Our aim in the present study was to assess the mortality impact of hospital-acquired post-operative sepsis up to 1 year after hospital discharge among adult non-short-stay elective surgical patients.

Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study of all elective surgical patients admitted to 82 public acute hospitals between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2012 in New South Wales, Australia. All adult elective surgical admission patients who stayed in hospital for ≥4 days and survived to discharge after post-operative sepsis were identified using the Admitted Patient Data Collection records linked with the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.