Horizon scanning, rapid reviews and living evidence to support decision-making: lessons from the work of the Critical Intelligence Unit in New South Wales, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in rapidly disseminated scientific evidence and highlighted that traditional evidence synthesis methods, such as time and resource intensive systematic reviews, may not be successful in responding to rapidly evolving policy and practice needs. In New South Wales (NSW) Australia, the Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) was established early in the pandemic and acted as an intermediary organisation. It brought together clinical, analytical, research, organisational and policy experts to provide timely and considered advice to decision-makers.

Australian Women's Responses to Breast Density Information: A Content Analysis.

Unlabelled: Breast density (BD) is an independent risk factor for breast cancer and reduces mammographic sensitivity. This study explored women's responses and intentions if notified that they had dense breasts.

Methods: Content analysis was used to assess responses from a written questionnaire undertaken in conjunction with focus groups on BD involving 78 Australian women aged 40-74.

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Willingness: Cross-Sectional Survey in a Culturally Diverse Community in Sydney, Australia.

Objective: The current study examined patterns in COVID-19 testing and vaccination intentions across multiple language groups in Greater Western Sydney, Australia.

Methods: Participants completed a cross-sectional survey available from March 21 to July 9, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Surveys were available in English or translated (11 languages).

Collateral positives of COVID-19 for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Western Sydney, Australia.

Background: To investigate whether culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Western Sydney have experienced any positive effects during the COVID-19 pandemic, and if so, what these were.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey with ten language groups was conducted from 21st March to 9th July 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Participants were recruited through bilingual multicultural health staff and health care interpreter service staff and answered a question, 'In your life, have you experienced any positive effects from the COVID-19 pandemic?' Differences were explored by demographic variables.

Factors associated with women's supplemental screening intentions following dense breast notification in an online randomised experimental study.

Controversy surrounding recommendations for supplemental screening (ultrasound and magnetic resonance screening) in women with dense breasts exists, as the long-term benefits from these additional modalities may not outweigh the harms. This study aimed to examine factors associated with supplemental screening intentions following a hypothetical breast density notification in a population of women who have not been routinely notified. Australian women of breast screening age participated in an online randomised experimental study where they were presented with one of two breast density notifications (with or without health literacy-sensitive information) and asked their screening intentions.

Australian General Practitioners' Current Knowledge, Understanding, and Feelings Regarding Breast Density Information and Notification: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: There is a lack of evidence around Australian general practitioners' (GPs) views of issues surrounding breast density. The current study aimed to quantitatively assess GPs' current knowledge, understanding, and feelings around breast density information and notification.

Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional survey using an online platform to collect quantitative data from Australian GPs.

A systematic assessment of online international breast density information.

Background: Breast density has become a topic of international discussion due to its associated risk of breast cancer. As online is often a primary source of women's health information it is therefore essential that breast density information it is understandable, accurate and reflects the best available evidence. This study aimed to systematically assess online international breast density information including recommendations to women.

Australian Women's Intentions and Psychological Outcomes Related to Breast Density Notification and Information: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Whether the benefits of notifying women about breast density outweigh the potential harms to inform current and future mammogram screening practice remains unknown.

Objective: To assess the effect of mammographic breast density notification and information provision on women's intention to seek supplemental screening and psychological outcomes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A 3-arm online randomized clinical trial was conducted from August 10 to 31, 2021.

Psychological, social and financial impacts of COVID-19 on culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Sydney, Australia.

Objective: To explore the psychological, social and financial outcomes of COVID-19-and the sociodemographic predictors of those outcomes-among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Sydney, Australia.

Design: Cross-sectional survey informed by the Framework for Culturally Competent Health Research conducted between March and July 2021.

Setting: Participants who primarily speak a language other than English at home were recruited from Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales.

Acceptability and perceived feasibility of adapted encounter decision aids on contraceptive methods: An interview study with healthcare providers and Chinese migrant women.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the perceived acceptability, usefulness, and feasibility of a suite of encounter decision aids (DAs) on contraceptive methods with Chinese migrant women living in Australia and healthcare providers.

Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 22 Chinese migrant women and twenty healthcare providers were conducted. Transcribed data were analysed using the qualitative content analysis method.

Virtual care in end of life and palliative care: A rapid evidence check.

The purpose of this rapid evidence check was to identify virtual care modalities that are safe and effective in the delivery of end of life and palliative care. Thirty-three peer reviewed articles which were either review articles or interventional/evaluative studies presenting comparative data were identified through PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar searches. Extracted data was synthesized narratively and outcomes were categorised separately for patients, healthcare providers, caregivers and health system.

General practitioners' (GPs) understanding and views on breast density in Australia: a qualitative interview study.

Objectives: To understand general practitioners' (GPs') awareness and knowledge of mammographic breast density (BD) and their perspectives around information and potential notification of BD for women.

Design: Qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed and analysed using framework analysis.

"It's about our bodies… we have the right to know this stuff": A qualitative focus group study on Australian women's perspectives on breast density.

Objective: This study aimed to explore Australian women's current knowledge, perspectives and attitudes about breast density (BD); and information needs to inform effective evidence-based communication strategies.

Methods: Fourteen online focus group sessions with a total of 78 women in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia aged 40-74 years without a personal diagnosis of breast cancer were conducted. Audio-recorded data was transcribed and analysed thematically.

'Every medicine is part poison': a qualitative inquiry into the perceptions and experiences of choosing contraceptive methods of migrant Chinese women living in Australia.

Background: In Australia, ethnic Chinese people are one of the largest, youngest and fastest growing overseas-born groups. Yet, little is known about their perceptions of contraceptive methods and their experiences with choosing one. Decisions about contraceptive methods are preference sensitive.

Communication Experiences in Primary Healthcare with Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Literature Review and Narrative Synthesis.

Refugee and asylum seeker population numbers are rising in Western countries. Understanding the communication experiences, within healthcare encounters, for this population is important for providing better care and health outcomes. This review summarizes the literature on health consultation communication experiences of refugees and asylum seekers living in Western countries.

Healthcare providers' perceptions of the challenges and opportunities to engage Chinese migrant women in contraceptive counselling: a qualitative interview study.

Unlabelled: Background In Australia, there are many culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Chinese migrants make up one of the largest. Yet, little is known about healthcare providers' (HCPs) unique experiences in providing contraceptive care for Chinese migrant women. There is minimal research into the HCPs' perceptions of challenges or opportunities in engaging Chinese migrant women in informed and shared decision-making processes during contraceptive counselling.

Culture, Self, and Medical Decision Making in Australia and China: A Structural Model Analysis.

To explore and compare the influences of individual-level cultural values and personal attitudinal values on the desire for medical information and self-involvement in decision making in Australia and China. A total of 288 and 291 middle-aged adults from Australia and China, respectively, completed an online survey examining cultural and personal values, and their desired level of self-influence on medical decision making. Structural equation modeling was used to test 15 hypotheses relating to the effects of cultural and personal antecedents on the individual desire for influence over medical decision making.

Interventions to improve participation in health-care decisions in non-Western countries: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Background: Patients' participation in medical decision making is an important aspect of patient-centred care. However, there is often uncertainty about its applicability and feasibility in non-Western countries.

Objective: To provide an overview and assessment of interventions that aimed to improve patients' participation in decision making in non-Western countries.