Heterogeneity in Risk and Implications for Hepatitis C Reinfection in People Who Inject Drugs in England.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health economic burden. Over 90% of HCV cases in England occur in people who inject drugs (PWID). Current treatments for HCV are effective but do not protect against reinfection.

Correlation between cathepsins and the likelihood of renal cancer: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous studies have established a relationship between cathepsins and renal cancer. Nonetheless, the specific causal connection between the two factors continues to be ambiguous. The aim of this study is to evaluate the causal relationship between cathepsins and renal cancer via employing Mendelian randomization (MR).

Supporting healthy ageing for people with intellectual disabilities in group homes: Staff experiences.

Background: This study explores the perceptions of supported accommodation staff and their managers of the support needs of residents ageing with intellectual disabilities, and their experiences of adjusting services for this group in the context of individualised funding.

Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 staff working in Australian supported accommodation services.

Findings: Four themes emerged.

The perspectives of agents working in positions of authority within health sector organisations regarding the involvement of experts by experience with an intellectual disability: An exploratory study.

Background: In this study, agents working in positions of authority within health sector organisations shared their perspectives concerning both the involvement of experts by experience with intellectual disabilities within their own organisations and their recommendations as to how best to involve experts by experience in policy and practice.

Method: Using purposive sampling, eight agents were selected for semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

The relationship of productivity-based wages to human rights and occupational justice - an exploratory study.

Background: Productivity-based wage systems are intended to enhance the labour market participation of people with disabilities. Limited scholarship exists regarding the impact of such policies in practice. This qualitative study explored stakeholder perspectives on the Australian Supported Wage System (SWS), including perceptions of fairness and equity.

The Future Hospital in Global Health Systems: The Future Hospital Within the Healthcare System.

Future hospitals must be able to adapt in many ways to the changing demands on their roles and functions within evolving healthcare delivery infrastructures. These include changing population structures and needs, new models of healthcare provision, technological advances, and innovations in design, all while enhancing their environmental sustainability. This article sets out the issues that those determining healthcare policy and designing future hospitals must consider if they are to become and remain fit for purpose within the wider health and social care system.

Preconditions influencing the development of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Research on post-secondary training for individuals with intellectual disabilities has generally focused on programs, with little consideration of the structures and mechanisms that give rise to them. This article adopts a critical realist perspective to comparatively analyse and theorise about the contextual structures contributing to the introduction of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Method: Six stages in critical realist explanatory research were followed.

"Continuously struggling for balance": The lived experiences of Dutch parents caring for children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Background: Parents of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) have extensive care duties. This study describes the phenomenon "parenting a child with PIMD."

Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 Dutch parents.

A qualitative study investigating the experiences of young adults caring for a sibling with disability within immigrant families in the UK: "Challenges are just the constant".

Background: Despite a growing body of literature investigating the impact of disabilities on family relationships, the experiences of ethnic minorities remain underexplored.

Method: Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with eight young people (aged 18-28 years) with disabled sibling(s) within an immigrant family to understand how this affects their wellbeing and relationships, identify sources of support and strain, and explore the significance of balancing different cultural expectations. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the transcribed data.

On-the-job training supports for people with intellectual disability employed in aged care.

Background: Traineeships have been proven to be beneficial vocational pathways for people with intellectual disability however to date the on-the-job training provision associated with traineeships has not been well documented.

Method: This study describes components of on-the-job training provided to eight people, most with intellectual disability undergoing traineeships for 12 months in four aged care services. Sheri et al.

Young people with intellectual disability speak out about life after school: "I want to do more in life than just…be a disability person".

Background: The transition from school to adult life is challenging for young people with intellectual disability. The study aimed to explore how young people with intellectual disability themselves experience the transition from school to adult life.

Methods: A co-designed, qualitative study.

Are we disadvantaging smokers by excluding them from kidney transplantation? A single-centre experience and survey of kidney transplantation units.

Background: Smoking has been shown to have detrimental effects on KT outcomes and survival. Most units and guidelines advocate for the cessation of smoking prior to a kidney transplant and consider it a general contraindication to listing. Smoking prevalence is higher in disadvantaged groups.

Understanding the Current Practice in Chest Tube Management Following Lung Resection-A Canadian National Survey.

Aim: Timing of chest tube removal post lung resection is variable in practice and often based on personal experience rather than evidence. The current practice in chest tube management among thoracic surgeons across Canada is so far unknown. Our primary aim was to assess the current status of chest tube removal in Canada in order to uncover potential shortcomings.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome presentations to emergency departments in the United States from 2015 to 2023.

Introduction: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a common condition prompting emergency department (ED) presentation. However, there are limited recent, large-scale, robust data available on the incidence, admission, and medical treatment of AWS in the ED.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of ED presentations for AWS from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023, using Epic Cosmos.

Understanding how on-farm biosecurity perceptions and practices of New South Wales sheep producers have been impacted by the 2022 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious transboundary emergency animal disease posing a significant threat to the global economy. Australia strengthened border security following the 2022 FMD outbreak in Indonesia allocating resources to promote biosecurity awareness and engagement. This study qualitatively investigated the impact of this extension on the biosecurity perceptions and practices of sheep producers in New South Wales, Australia.

Mind the gap in kidney care: translating what we know into what we do.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do.

A roadmap toward promoting and improving brain health in Europe and closing the awareness and funding gap.

Background And Purpose: The global burden of neurological diseases exceeds 43.1%, imposing a significant burden on patients, caregivers and society. This paper presents a roadmap to reduce this burden and improve brain health (BH) in Europe.

Impact of Heat and Mitigation Strategies on Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review.

Background: Rising global temperatures and increased use of personal protective equipment has led to increased risk of heat stress amongst healthcare professionals. This review synthesizes recent research on the impact of heat and heat mitigation strategies on healthcare professionals across disciplines and settings.

Method: Databases were systematically searched using keywords and data from included studies were extracted for content analysis.

Digital Marketing Strategies Used to Promote Waterpipe Tobacco Among Retailers and Manufacturers.

Introduction: Waterpipe tobacco (WT) is unique compared to other tobacco products. Retailers and manufacturers may promote WT products using different marketing appeals and sales propositions on popular digital marketing media. This study examined WT digital marketing content in the United States (U.

Risk of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome associated with meteorological factors in diverse epidemic regions: a nationwide longitudinal study in China.

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a climate-sensitive zoonotic disease that poses a significant public health burden worldwide. While previous studies have established associations between meteorological factors and HFRS incidence, there remains a critical knowledge gap regarding the heterogeneity of these effects across diverse epidemic regions. Addressing this gap is essential for developing region-specific prevention and control strategies.

Cross-agency working when conducting a pragmatic RCT for older victims of crime: our experiences and lessons learned.

Background: With the population ageing, more victims of community crime are likely to be older adults. The psychological impact of crime on older victims is significant and sustained, but only feasibility trials have been published regarding potential interventions. The integration of public health and care services and cross-agency working is recommended, but there is little information on how this should be undertaken.

Optimal allocation of antenatal and young child nutrition interventions: an individual-based global burden of disease calibrated microsimulation.

Background: Undernutrition remains a global crisis and is a focus of Sustainable Development Goals. While there are multiple known, effective interventions, complex interactions between prevention and treatment and resource constraints can lead to difficulties in allocating funding. Simulation studies that use in silico simulation can help illuminate the interactions between interventions and provide insight into the cost-effectiveness of alternative packages of options.

Evaluating catastrophic health expenditures among patients with long bone fractures in Ghana's major teaching hospitals: a hospital-based analysis.

Background: In low and middle-income countries like Ghana, out-of-pocket (OOP) payments remain a significant barrier to healthcare access, often leading to catastrophic health expenditures (CHE). This study evaluates the incidence of CHE among patients treated for long bone fractures at Ghana's major teaching hospitals, providing insight into the economic burdens faced by these patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2,980 patients with long bone fractures treated at four major teaching hospitals in Ghana from July 2017 to July 2020.

Bullying in adolescents across three years in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeated cross-sectional and prospective analysis.

Background: Bullying has been identified as a risk factor for many issues among adolescents. Although it was already considered a public health issue in Brazil before the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about how the pandemic and associated public health measures have affected bullying behavior.

Objective: To explore changes in bullying victimization and perpetration among Brazilian high school students from 2019 to 2022.

Will the increase of medical equipment affect medical expenditure? Empirical evidence from a quasi-experiment in China.

Background: Many studies have shown that using new technologies and medical equipment contributes to increasing health expenditure. Relatively less empirical studies have measured the impact of medical equipment on rising medical costs in China. Against this backdrop, we aim to examine whether the large-scale medical equipment deployment explains the increase in health expenditure.