Impact of COVID-19 control on lung, breast, and colorectal pathological cancer diagnoses. A comparison between the Netherlands, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Northern Ireland.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was managed in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) by a COVID-19 elimination policy, involving border closure and an initial national lockdown. This was different to most other countries including Northern Ireland (NI) and the Netherlands (NED). We quantify the effect of these policies on the diagnosis of three major cancers, comparing NZ with these two European countries.

The impact of COVID-19 on lung cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aim: The purpose of this article is to examine disparities in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to lung cancer diagnosis and access to clinical services between Māori and non-Māori.

Methods: Using national-level data, we examined age-standardised lung cancer registrations, diagnostic procedures (bronchoscopy) and lung surgeries separately by ethnic group for the years 2018-2020, as well as patterns of stage of diagnosis.

Results: We found a trend toward a reduction in rates of lung cancer registration in Māori (but not non-Māori/non-Pacific) New Zealanders in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019, but no apparent shift in the distribution of stage at diagnosis.

Maintaining cancer services during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Aotearoa New Zealand experience.

COVID-19 caused significant disruption to cancer services around the world. The health system in Aotearoa New Zealand has fared better than many other regions, with the country being successful, so far, in avoiding sustained community transmission. However, there was a significant initial disruption to services across the cancer continuum, resulting in a decrease in the number of new diagnoses of cancer in March and April 2020.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnosis and service access in New Zealand-a country pursuing COVID-19 elimination.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer services globally. New Zealand has pursued an elimination strategy to COVID-19, reducing (but not eliminating) this disruption. Early in the pandemic, our national Cancer Control Agency () began monitoring and reporting on service access to inform national and regional decision-making.

Pill for this and a pill for that: A cross-sectional survey of use and understanding of medication among adults with multimorbidity.

Objective: To understand the challenges managing medication use and knowledge of people living with multimorbidity.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 234 adults with multimorbidity, identified using retrospective hospital discharge data. Participants were recruited from two primary health organisations in New Zealand.

Effect of multimorbidity on health service utilisation and health care experiences.

INTRODUCTION Multimorbidity, the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions, is associated with poor quality of life, high health care costs and contributes to ethnic health inequality in New Zealand (NZ). Health care delivery remains largely focused on management of single diseases, creating major challenges for patients and clinicians. AIM To understand the experiences of people with multimorbidity in the NZ health care system.

The impact of multimorbidity on people's lives: a cross-sectional survey.

Aims: To describe the experiences of people living with multimorbidity in New Zealand.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults with multimorbidity enrolled in two primary health organisations in New Zealand. Potential participants with multimorbidity were identified using retrospective hospital discharge data coded for long-term conditions.

Epidemiology of multimorbidity in New Zealand: a cross-sectional study using national-level hospital and pharmaceutical data.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of multimorbidity (presence of two or more long-term health conditions) in the New Zealand (NZ) population, and compare risk of health outcomes by multimorbidity status.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis for prevalence of multimorbidity, with 1-year prospective follow-up for health outcomes.

Setting: NZ general population using national-level routine health data on hospital discharges and pharmaceutical dispensing.

Clinical guidelines: what happens when people have multiple conditions?

More people now live with multimorbidity than with a single long-term condition. Despite this, clinical guidelines remain focused on the management of individual conditions. When the treatment recommendations from multiple different disease-specific guidelines are combined for one individual it frequently leads to interactions between treatments, along with a high burden of treatment for patients.

A walking stick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other: patients' perspectives of living with multimorbidity.

Aims: Multimorbidity is common, yet there are major gaps in research, particularly among younger and indigenous populations. This research aimed to understand patients' perspectives of living with multimorbidity.

Methods: A qualitative study of 61 people living with multimorbidity, 27 of whom were Māori and a third aged under 65, from urban and rural regions in New Zealand.

Involving students in real-world research: a pilot study for teaching public health and research skills.

Background: There is some evidence that medical students consider population health issues less important than other domains in the health sciences and attitudes to this field may become more negative as training progresses. A need to improve research skills among medical students has also been suggested. Therefore we piloted an integrative teaching exercise that combined teaching of research skills and public health, with real-world research.