Metabolic bariatric surgery generates substantial, sustained weight loss and health improvement in a real-world setting.

Background: To determine if the positive outcomes from clinical trials regarding the safety and efficacy of metabolic bariatric surgery are reproducible at a national level.

Methods: A longitudinal registry-based observation study with data collected from all persons undergoing metabolic bariatric surgery in Australia from 28 February 2012-31 December 2021 including data from 122,567 index patients who underwent 134,625 completed bariatric procedures.

Main Outcomes And Measures: Defined adverse outcomes at 90-days (unplanned readmission, intensive care admission and re-operation; death), annual change in weight (percent total body weight loss (TBWL)), diabetes treatment and need for re-operation.

A Core set of patient-reported outcome measures to measure quality of life in obesity treatment research.

The lack of standardization in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has made measurement and comparison of quality of life (QoL) outcomes in research focused on obesity treatment challenging. This study reports on the results of the second and third global multidisciplinary Standardizing Quality of life measures in Obesity Treatment (S.Q.

CMR to characterize myocardial structure and function in heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Despite remarkable progress in therapeutic drugs, morbidity, and mortality for heart failure (HF) remains high in developed countries. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) now accounts for around half of all HF cases. It is a heterogeneous disease, with multiple aetiologies, and as such poses a significant diagnostic challenge.

Core Set of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Measuring Quality of Life in Clinical Obesity Care.

Purpose: The focus of measuring success in obesity treatment is shifting from weight loss to patients' health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to select a core set of patient-reported outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures to be used in clinical obesity care.

Materials And Methods: The Standardizing Quality of Life in Obesity Treatment III, face-to-face hybrid consensus meeting, including people living with obesity as well as healthcare providers, was held in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 2022.

Integrated Genomic and Social Network Analyses of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the Healthcare Setting.

Background: Infection prevention (IP) measures are designed to mitigate the transmission of pathogens in healthcare. Using large-scale viral genomic and social network analyses, we determined if IP measures used during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic were adequate in protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients from acquiring SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We performed retrospective cross-sectional analyses of viral genomics from all available SARS-CoV-2 viral samples collected at UC San Diego Health and social network analysis using the electronic medical record to derive temporospatial overlap of infections among related viromes and supplemented with contact tracing data.

Exercise capacity following SARS-CoV-2 infection is related to changes in cardiovascular and lung function in military personnel.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, post-COVID syndrome (persistent symptoms/complications lasting >12 weeks) continues to pose medical and economic challenges. In military personnel, where optimal fitness is crucial, prolonged limitations affecting their ability to perform duties has occupational and psychological implications, impacting deployability and retention. Research investigating post-COVID syndrome exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary effects in military personnel is limited.

Associations Between Mental and Physical Illness Comorbidity and Hospital Utilization.

Objective: Characterize the prevalence of chronic physical illness types and mental illness and their comorbidity among adolescents and young adults (AYA) and assess the association of comorbidity on hospital utilization.

Methods: This study features a population-level sample of 61 339 insurance-eligible AYA with an analytic sample of 49 089 AYA (aged 12-21) in Vermont's 2018 all-payer database. We used multiple logistic regressions to examine the associations between physical illness types and comorbid mental illness and emergency department (ED) use and inpatient hospitalization.

Bariatric Surgery Efficiency, Safety and Health Outcomes in Government Versus Privately Funded Hospitals.

Purpose: This study aims to determine if the hospital efficiency, safety and health outcomes are equal in patients who receive bariatric surgery in government-funded hospitals (GFH) versus privately funded hospitals (PFH).

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of prospectively maintained data from the Australia and New Zealand Bariatric Surgery Registry of 14,862 procedures (2134 GFH and 12,728 PFH) from 33 hospitals (8 GFH and 25 PFH) performed in Victoria, Australia, between January 1st, 2015, and December 31st, 2020. Outcome measures included the difference in efficacy (weight loss, diabetes remission), safety (defined adverse event and complications) and efficiency (hospital length of stay) between the two health systems.

The SYMPTOM-upper gastrointestinal study: A mixed methods study exploring symptom appraisal and help-seeking in Australian upper gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Objective: There is limited evidence on the development of pancreatic and oesophagogastric cancer, how patients decide to seek help and the factors impacting help-seeking. Our study, the first in Australia, aimed to explore symptom appraisal and diagnostic pathways in these patients. A secondary aim was to examine the potential to recruit cancer patients through a cancer quality registry.

Coronary artery calcium scoring vs. coronary CT angiography for the assessment of occupationally significant coronary artery disease.

Background: Existing pathways for investigating coronary artery disease (CAD) in individuals undertaking high-hazard employment are currently guided by coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) or coronary CT angiography (CTA). The optimal pathway has not been established.

Aim: To compare the diagnostic outcome and occupational recommendations from two differing investigative pathways for the investigation of CAD in a cohort of high-hazard employees.

The association between quality care and outcomes for a real-world population of Australian patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Background: This study: (i) assessed compliance with a consensus set of quality indicators (QIs) in pancreatic cancer (PC); and (ii) evaluated the association between compliance with these QIs and survival.

Methods: Four years of data were collected for patients diagnosed with PC. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Assessing the Relationship Between Well-Care Visit and Emergency Department Utilization Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Purpose: To investigate the association between adolescent and young adult (AYA) well-care visits and emergency department (ED) utilization.

Methods: Vermont's all-payer claims data were used to evaluate visits for 49,089 AYAs (aged 12-21 years) with a health-care claim from January 1 through December 31, 2018. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses to determine the association between well-care visits and ED utilization, investigating potential moderating effects of age, insurance type, and medical complexity.

Assessment of well-being in the clinic: Using the state version of the short Scale of General Well-Being as a clinical outcome measure.

Objective: Interest in the concept of well-being within clinical and applied psychology settings has increased, highlighting a need to develop appropriate measures. The aim was to adapt and test the validity of the 14-item Scale of General Well-Being (14-SGWB) originally developed by Longo et al. (2018), as a clinical outcome measure.

Partnership transitions among the children of immigrants in Norway: The role of partner choice.

The family life courses of immigrants and their descendants have been widely studied as indicators of societal integration. But largely absent are investigations into the role of cohabitation in the family lives of these subpopulations. Using Norwegian register data on individuals who were either native born or who immigrated before age 18, we analyse the formation of first cohabiting and marital unions.

A Path to Clinical Quality Integration Through a Clinically Integrated Network: The Experience of an Academic Health System and Its Community Affiliates.

Introduction: Academic medical centers (AMCs) and community physicians seeking to establish a clinically integrated network (CIN) may benefit from a road map to navigate the opportunities and challenges of such an organizational structure. Creating and participating in a CIN requires careful consideration, investment of time, financial resources, alignment of a new quality infrastructure, shared governance, and vision.

Potential Benefits, Challenges, And Regulatory Considerations: Potential AMC benefits include geographic clinical expansion, the ability to provide care for a broader population of patients, a mechanism to collaborate with regional physician graduates, and an expansion of available teaching sites for trainees.

The Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry (UGICR): a clinical quality registry to monitor and improve care in upper gastrointestinal cancers.

Purpose: The Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry (UGICR) was developed to monitor and improve the quality of care provided to patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers in Australia.

Participants: It supports four cancer modules: pancreatic, oesophagogastric, biliary and primary liver cancer. The pancreatic cancer (PC) module was the first module to be implemented, with others being established in a staged approach.

Young carers in England: Findings from the 2018 BBC survey on the prevalence and nature of caring among young people.

Background: Many young people are involved in caring for parents, siblings, or other relatives who have an illness or disability. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of caring by young people in England.

Method: A national survey of 925 English young people was conducted using the 18-item survey version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities Checklist for Young Carers.

Improving readability of informed consents for research at an academic medical institution.

Introduction: The final rule for the protection of human subjects requires that informed consent be "in language understandable to the subject" and mandates that "the informed consent must be organized in such a way that facilitates comprehension." This study assessed the readability of Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent forms at our institution, implemented an intervention to improve the readability of consent forms, and measured the first year impact of the intervention.

Methods: Readability assessment was conducted on a sample of 217 Institutional Review Board-approved informed consents from 2013 to 2015.

Medical referrals: introducing a GP-priority clerking shift to ensure equitable patient care.

The Society of Acute Medicine (SAM) guidelines indicate that all medical patients should be assessed within 4 hours of referral. Our initial audit cycle revealed that in our institution, significantly less patients referred via their GP were seen within recommended time, when compared with patients referred via the Emergency Department (ED). We undertook a targeted educational intervention, improved the communication process for referrals and modified the senior house officer (SHO) clerking rota, and re-audited the service to determine the effect of these changes.

Readability of Human Subjects Training Materials for Research.

Institutions are required to ensure that persons involved in human subjects research receive appropriate human subjects protections training and education. Several organizations use the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program to fulfill training requirements. Most researchers find the CITI program too complex for community members who collaborate with researchers.