Hospital and emergency department discharge against medical advice in Western Australian Aboriginal children aged 0-4 years from 2002 to 2018: A cohort study.

Background: Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) is a priority issue for the health system. Little is known about the factors associated with DAMA for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) children in Australia.

Objectives: Investigate the associations between DAMA for hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) presentations and: (i) child, family and episode of service characteristics and (ii) 30-day readmission/ re-presentation.

Cumulative incidence of child protection system contacts among a cohort of Western Australian Aboriginal children born 2000 to 2013.

Background: Reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal children in the child protection system is a key target for the Australian government.

Objective: We aimed to provide more recent evidence on the population-level cumulative incidence of contacts for Aboriginal children with child protective services (CPS) in Western Australia (WA).

Participants And Setting: Linked administrative data was provided for WA CPS between 2000 and 2015 for 33,709 Aboriginal children born in WA between 2000 and 2013.

Ear Portal: An urban-based ear, nose, and throat, and audiology referral telehealth portal to improve access to specialist ear health services for children.

Introduction: Shortage of ear, nose, and throat specialists in public hospitals can result in delays in the detection and management of otitis media. This study introduced a new hospital-based telehealth service, named the Ear Portal, and investigated its role in improving access to specialist care.

Methods: The study included 87 children (aged 6 months to 6 years) referred to a tertiary children's hospital due to otitis media-related concerns.

Enabling social care services for older adults during periods of long-term social isolation: Service provider perspectives.

Objective: To investigate how small, local organisations were impacted by and responded to COVID-19 in their delivery of social care services to older adults (70 years and older). Lessons learnt and future implications are discussed.

Methods: Six representatives from four social care services (five females and one male) participated in individual semistructured interviews.

Effect of early childhood development interventions delivered by healthcare providers to improve cognitive outcomes in children at 0-36 months: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the effect of early childhood development interventions delivered by healthcare providers (HCP-ECD) on child cognition and maternal mental health.

Design: Systematic review, meta-analysis.

Setting: Healthcare setting or home.

Perspectives of health service providers in delivering best-practice care for Aboriginal mothers and their babies during the postnatal period.

Background: Evidence suggests that Aboriginal babies in Western Australia are not receiving adequate primary health care in their first 3 months of life, leading to questions about enablers and constraints to delivering such care. This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project investigating health providers' perceptions and experiences of best and current practice in discharge planning, postnatal care and health education for Aboriginal mothers and their newborn babies.

Methods: Constructivist grounded theory guided this research involving 58 semi-structured interviews conducted with health providers who deliver care to Aboriginal mothers and infants.

Mother's Own Milk Compared With Formula Milk for Feeding Preterm or Low Birth Weight Infants: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: We assessed the effect of feeding preterm or low birth weight infants with infant formula compared with mother's own milk on mortality, morbidity, growth, neurodevelopment, and disability.

Methods: We searched Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Studies to October 1, 2021.

Results: Forty-two studies enrolling 89 638 infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

Temporal Trends in Renal Replacement Therapy in Community-Based People with or without Type 2 Diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study.

Background: Although rates of cardiovascular disease complicating type 2 diabetes are declining, equivalent data for renal replacement therapy (RRT) are conflicting. The aim of this study was to characterize temporal changes in RRT incidence rates (IRs) in Australians with or without type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Participants with type 2 diabetes from the Fremantle Diabetes Study Phases I (FDS1; = 1291 recruited 1993-1996) and II (FDS2; = 1509 recruited 2008-2011) were age-, sex- and postcode-matched 1:4 to people without diabetes and followed for first hospitalization for/with RRT.

Healthy lifestyle initiatives for increasing fruit and vegetable intake among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Adequate fruit and vegetable intake is key to reducing chronic disease risk among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This rapid review collated evidence on healthy lifestyle initiatives that focused on increasing fruit and vegetable intake among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples residing in major cities. Due to limited studies conducted within major cities, we extended our inclusion criteria to regional and remote areas.

Australian First Nations response to the pandemic: A dramatic reversal of the 'gap'.

Until the recent death in Dubbo of an Aboriginal man, there have been no deaths from Covid 19 in Australia. The extraordinary success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in controlling the effects of this pandemic has been a global role model. Until early 2021, in spite of their high risk status, dispersed population and fear of health services due to racism, Indigenous outcomes were better than those for non-Indigenous.

Differences in retinopathy prevalence and progression between Anglo-Celt and Aboriginal Australians: the Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II.

Background: Indigenous populations have higher rates of diabetes and diabetic complications, yet there is a paucity of contemporary data on diabetic retinopathy (DR) prevalence and incidence in urban dwelling Aboriginal Australians.

Aims: The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of DR and incidence of new or worsening DR between Aboriginal Australians and Anglo-Celts with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Participants from the community-based Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II (817 Anglo-Celts, 94 Aboriginal people) recruited between 2008 and 2011 underwent fundus photography at baseline and biennial reviews.

Understanding an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child's journey through paediatric care in Western Australia.

Objective: To explore caregiver perspectives of their children's journey through the specialist paediatric service, the Aboriginal Ambulatory Care Coordination Program (AACC), and non-AACC services at the Perth Children's Hospital.

Methods: Eighteen semi-structured interviews with families of Aboriginal children were completed. Indigenous research methodology and a phenomenological approach guided data collection and analysis.

Modelling factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child neurodevelopment outcomes: A latent class analysis.

Background: The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) provides a measure of early child development upon school entry. Understanding which combination of factors influences Aboriginal child neurodevelopment is important to inform policy and practice.

Objective: The primary objective was to use latent class analysis (LCA) to model AEDC profiles and identify the highest need profiles.

Assessing the quality, efficiency and usefulness of the Western Australian population-based Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers (IDEA) surveillance system: a surveillance system evaluation.

Objectives: Our overall aim was to evaluate the Western Australian Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers (IDEA) surveillance system. The primary objective was to evaluate the attributes of the system. The secondary objective was to provide recommendations to data custodians and stakeholders to strengthen the system.

Anemia in disadvantaged children aged under five years; quality of care in primary practice.

Background: Anemia rates are over 60% in disadvantaged children yet there is little information about the quality of anemia care for disadvantaged children.

Methods: Our primary objective was to assess the burden and quality of anemia care for disadvantaged children and to determine how this varied by age and geographic location. We implemented a cross-sectional study using clinical audit data from 2287 Indigenous children aged 6-59 months attending 109 primary health care centers between 2012 and 2014.

Understanding the structure and processes of primary health care for young indigenous children.

INTRODUCTION Primary health care organisations need to continuously reform to more effectively address current health challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations. There is growing evidence that optimal health service structures are essential for producing positive outcomes. AIM To determine if there is an association between process of care indicators (PoCIs) for important young indigenous child health and social issues and: (i) primary health-care service and child characteristics; and (ii) organisational health service structures.

Improving developmental care in primary practice for disadvantaged children.

Our primary objective was to assess if sustained participation in continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities could improve delivery of 'basic developmental care' to disadvantaged children in primary care settings. Secondary objectives were to assess if delivery of developmental care differed by age and geographic location.Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression and generalised estimating equations.

Implementation of continuous quality improvement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care in Australia: a scoping systematic review.

Background: Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs have been taken up widely by Indigenous primary health care (PHC) services in Australia and there has been national policy commitment to support this. However, international evidence shows that implementing CQI is challenging, impacts are variable and little is known about the factors that impede or enhance effectiveness. A scoping review was undertaken to explore uptake and implementation in Indigenous PHC, including barriers and enablers to embedding CQI in routine practice.

Exploring factors impacting early childhood health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities: protocol for a population-based cohort study using data linkage (the 'Defying the Odds' study).

Introduction: Empirical evidence on family and community risk and protective factors influencing the comparatively high rates of potentially preventable hospitalisations and deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and children is limited. As is evidence on geographical variation in these risks. The 'Defying the Odds' study aims to explore the impact of perinatal outcomes, maternal social and health outcomes and level of culturally secure service availability on the health outcomes of Western Australian (WA) Aboriginal infants and children aged 0-5 years.

Quality of social and emotional wellbeing services for families of young Indigenous children attending primary care centers; a cross sectional analysis.

Background: The quality of social and emotional wellbeing services for Indigenous families of young children is not known, in many settings especially services provided by primary care centers.

Methods: Our primary objective was to assess delivery of social and emotional wellbeing services to the families of young (3-11 months) and older (12-59 months) Indigenous children attending primary care centers. Our secondary objective was to assess if delivery differed by geographic location.

Sustained participation in annual continuous quality improvement activities improves quality of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Aim: To determine whether participation in the continuous quality improvement (CQI) Audit and Best Practice for Chronic Disease programme improved care and outcomes for Indigenous children.

Methods: Data were collected from 59 Australian primary health-care centres providing services to Indigenous people and participating in the programme (February 2008 and December 2013). Indigenous children aged less than 2 years and centres that completed three or more consecutive annual audits within the 6-year study period were included.

Effect of socioeconomic disadvantage, remoteness and Indigenous status on hospital usage for Western Australian preterm infants under 12 months of age: a population-based data linkage study.

Objectives: Our primary objective was to determine the incidence of hospital admission and emergency department presentation in Indigenous and non-Indigenous preterm infants aged postdischarge from birth admission to 11 months in Western Australia. Secondary objectives were to assess incidence in the poorest infants from remote areas and to determine the primary causes of hospital usage in preterm infants.

Design: Prospective population-based linked data set.

Indicators for continuous quality improvement for otitis media in primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Otitis media is a common, generally self-limiting childhood illness that can progress to severe disease and have lifelong sequelae, including hearing loss and developmental delays. Severe disease is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Primary health care is at the frontline of appropriate prevention and treatment.

Furthering the quality agenda in Aboriginal community controlled health services: understanding the relationship between accreditation, continuous quality improvement and national key performance indicator reporting.

A rapidly expanding interest in quality in the Aboriginal-community-controlled health sector has led to widespread uptake of accreditation using more than one set of standards, a proliferation of continuous quality improvement programs and the introduction of key performance indicators. As yet, there has been no overarching logic that shows how they relate to each other, with consequent confusion within and outside the sector. We map the three approaches to the Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care, demonstrating their key differences and complementarity.