Evaluating a complex health promotion program to reduce hepatitis C among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in New South Wales, Australia: the Deadly Liver Mob.

The Deadly Liver Mob (DLM) is a peer-delivered incentivised health promotion program by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and was introduced in response to the disproportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who are impacted by blood borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The goal of the program is to increase access to BBV and STI education, screening, treatment, and vaccination in recognition and response to the systemic barriers that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face in accessing health care. This commentary introduces a series of papers that report on various aspects of the evaluation of the Deadly Liver Mob (DLM) program.

Increasing access to screening for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: evaluation of the Deadly Liver Mob program's 'cascade of care' across nine sites in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are disproportionately impacted by blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Stigma remains one of the key barriers to testing and treatment for BBVs and STIs, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Deadly Liver Mob (DLM) is a peer-delivered incentivised health promotion program by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Health state utilities for beta-thalassemia: a time trade-off study.

Background: Beta-thalassemia (BT) is an inherited blood disorder characterized by reduced levels of functional hemoglobin resulting in phenotypes ranging from clinically asymptomatic to severely anemic. Patients with BT may require lifelong regular blood transfusions supported by appropriate iron chelation therapy (ICT). This study aimed to determine how the UK general population values BT health states associated with differing transfusion burden and ICT.

Patient self-report versus medical records for smoking status and alcohol consumption at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

Objective: This study assessed the level of agreement, and predictors of agreement, between patient self-report and medical records for smoking status and alcohol consumption among patients attending one of four Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHSs).

Methods: A convenience sample of 110 ACCHS patients self-reported whether they were current smokers or currently consumed alcohol. ACCHS staff completed a medical record audit for corresponding items for each patient.

Can a continuous quality improvement program create culturally safe emergency departments for Aboriginal people in Australia? A multiple baseline study.

Background: Providing culturally safe health care can contribute to improved health among Aboriginal people. However, little is known about how to make hospitals culturally safe for Aboriginal people. This study assessed the impact of an emergency department (ED)-based continuous quality improvement program on: the accuracy of recording of Aboriginal status in ED information systems; incomplete ED visits among Aboriginal patients; and the cultural appropriateness of ED systems and environments.

The impact of telephone follow up on adverse events for Aboriginal people with chronic disease in new South Wales, Australia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Chronic diseases are more prevalent and occur at a much younger age in Aboriginal people in Australia compared with non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people also have higher rates of unplanned hospital readmissions and emergency department presentations. There is a paucity of research on the effectiveness of follow up programs after discharge from hospital in Aboriginal populations.

The impact of a community-led program promoting weight loss and healthy living in Aboriginal communities: the New South Wales Knockout Health Challenge.

Background: Aboriginal people in Australia experience significant health burden from chronic disease. There has been limited research to identify effective healthy lifestyle programs to address risk factors for chronic disease among Aboriginal people.

Methods: The Knockout Health Challenge is a community-led healthy lifestyle program for Aboriginal communities across New South Wales, Australia.

A qualitative study trialling the acceptability of new hepatitis C prevention messages for people who inject drugs: symbiotic messages, pleasure and conditional interpretations.

Aim: Prevention of hepatitis C (HCV) remains a public health challenge. A new body of work is emerging seeking to explore and exploit "symbiotic goals" of people who inject drugs (PWID). That is, strategies used by PWID to achieve other goals may be doubly useful in facilitating the same behaviours (use of sterile injecting equipment) required to prevent HCV.

Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: a qualitative study of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of general practitioners in Central and South-Western Sydney.

Background: Pregnant women have an increased risk of influenza complications. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy is safe and effective, however coverage in Australia is less than 40%. Pregnant women who receive a recommendation for influenza vaccination from a health care provider are more likely to receive it, however the perspectives of Australian general practitioners has not previously been reported.

Disparities in cataract surgery between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: To investigate variation in rates of cataract surgery in New South Wales, Australia by area of residence for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults.

Design: Observational data linkage study of hospital admissions.

Participants: Two hundred eighty-nine thousand six hundred forty-six New South Wales residents aged 30 years and over admitted to New South Wales hospitals for 444,551 cataract surgery procedures between 2001 and 2008.

Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: coverage rates and influencing factors in two urban districts in Sydney.

Background: Pregnant women have an increased risk of complications from influenza. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy is considered effective and safe; however estimates of vaccine coverage are low. This study aimed to determine influenza vaccination coverage and factors associated with vaccine uptake in pregnant women in two Sydney-based health districts.

The Early Childhood Oral Health Program: promoting prevention and timely intervention of early childhood caries in NSW through shared care.

Issue Addressed: Early childhood caries (ECC) continues to have high prevalence worldwide, despite being largely preventable. The Early Childhood Oral Health (ECOH) Program was established in New South Wales (NSW) using a model of shared responsibility for oral health, which involves a partnership between child health professionals, oral health professionals and parents of young children, to facilitate the primary prevention, early identification and early intervention of ECC.

Methods: An evaluation of the ECOH program was conducted, using mixed methods.

Building a strategic approach to improve Aboriginal health research and evaluation in NSW.

A 5-year strategic plan for Aboriginal health research and evaluation has been developed to support the NSW Ministry of Health in its efforts to create the evidence for what works in addressing the health disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The plan has the following objectives: that all Aboriginal health policies and programs are evidence informed; that programs and strategies are rigorously evaluated and contribute to building the evidence for improving Aboriginal health outcomes; that new research evidence is generated for improving Aboriginal health outcomes; and that robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms in Aboriginal health are in place, with improved data quality. This paper describes the development of the NSW Ministry of Health's Aboriginal Health Research and Evaluation Strategic Plan 2011-15, including a review of the evidence and policy documents, facilitated planning sessions, and consultation with staff within the Population and Public Health Division of the Ministry.

Eye health services for Aboriginal people in the western region of NSW, 2010.

Aim: To assess the availability, accessibility and uptake of eye health services for Aboriginal people in western NSW in 2010.

Methods: The use of document review, observational visits, key stakeholder consultation and service data reviews, including number of cataract operations performed, to determine regional service availability and use.

Results: Aboriginal people in western NSW have a lower uptake of tertiary eye health services, with cataract surgery rates of 1750 per million for Aboriginal people and 9702 per million for non-Aboriginal people.

Eye care in Fiji: a population-based study of use and barriers.

Purpose: To determine the use of medical services for eye problems in Fiji, and barriers to seeking that care.

Methods: An interview-based questionnaire was administered as part of a population-based cross-sectional survey of adults selected by multistage random sampling from those aged ≥40 years living on Fiji's main island.

Results: Participation rate was 73.

Diabetes and its ocular complications: awareness among adults aged 40 years and older in Timor-Leste.

Purpose: The aim was to assess awareness of diabetes mellitus and its ocular complications among Timorese aged 40 years and older.

Methods: An interview-based questionnaire was administered to a subset of five urban and five rural clusters of 45 people aged 40 years and older as part of a population-based cross-sectional survey.

Results: The participation rate was 96.

The association of diabetes and BMI among Melanesian and Indian Fijians aged ≥ 40 years.

The present study examines the association of diabetes with BMI (kg/m(2)) in Asian-Indian and Melanesian Fijian populations sharing a common environment. A population-based survey was used to investigate the risk of diabetes (defined by glycosylated Hb concentration ≥ 6·5 % among participants who denied previous diagnosis of the disease by a medical practitioner) by sex, ethnicity and strata of BMI in a series of age-adjusted logistic regression models. Ethnicity and BMI interactions were compared using WHO and empirically derived BMI cut-off points.

Body mass index among Melanesian and Indian Fijians aged ≥ 40 years living in Fiji.

To determine the distribution and sociodemographic associations of body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) among Melanesian and Indian Fijians aged ≥40 years living in Fiji, a population-based cross-sectional survey with multistage random sampling was conducted in 2009. Melanesians were more likely to have BMI ≥25 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.

The prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 40 years and over in Fiji.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged ≥40 years in Fiji, and determine the demographic characteristics associated with this diagnosis.

Method: During a population-based survey, participant glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was determined and physician diagnosis of diabetes self-reported. HbA1c ≥6.

WISECARE+: Results of a European study of a nursing intervention for the management of chemotherapy-related symptoms.

While the use of chemotherapy has significantly improved survival rates, the symptoms associated with chemotherapy remain a major burden for patients. Preventing or appropriately managing side effects significantly improves patients' functional status and quality of life, ultimately leading to greater patient acceptance of chemotherapy. However, symptom assessment and management are fraught with difficulties such as poor patient recall, retrospective assessment conducted by clinicians and lack of appropriate, clinically relevant and patient friendly symptom assessment and management tools.