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Objective: To determine whether the disparity gap is closing between stillbirth rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and to identify focal areas for future prevention efforts according to gestational age and geographic location.Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.Setting: Queensland, Australia.Population: All singleton births of at least 20 weeks of gestation or at least 400 g birthweight.Methods: Routinely collected data on births were obtained for the period 1995 to 2011. Indigenous and non-Indigenous stillbirth rates and percent reduction in the gap were compared over time and by geographic location and gestational age.Main Outcome Measures: All-cause and cause-specific stillbirth rates (per 1000 ongoing pregnancies).Results: Over the study period there was a 57.3% reduction in the disparity gap. Although marked reductions in the gap were shown for women in regional (57.0%) and remote (56.1%) locations, these women remained at increased risk compared with those in urban regions. There was no reduction for term stillbirths. Major conditions contributing to the disparity were maternal conditions (diabetes) (relative risk [RR] 3.78, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] 2.59-5.51), perinatal infection (RR 3.70, 95% CI 2.54-5.39), spontaneous preterm birth (RR 3.08, 95% CI 2.51-3.77), hypertension (RR 2.22, 95% CI 1.45-3.39), fetal growth restriction (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.17-2.71) and antepartum haemorrhage (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.13-2.22).Conclusions: The gap in stillbirth rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women is closing, but Indigenous women continue to be at increased risk due to a number of potentially preventable conditions. There is little change in the gap at term gestational ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the representativeness of survey participants by systematically comparing volunteers in a national health and sexuality survey with the Australian population in terms of self reported health status (including the SF-36) and a wide range of demographic characteristics. DESIGN: A cross sectional sample of Australian residents were compared with demographic data from the 1996 Australian census and health data from the 1995 National Health Survey. SETTING: The Australian population. PARTICIPANTS: A stratified random sample of adults aged 18-59 years drawn from the Australian electoral roll, a compulsory register of voters. Interviews were completed with 1784 people, representing 40% of those initially selected (58% of those for whom a valid telephone number could be located). MAIN RESULTS: Participants were of similar age and sex to the national population. Consistent with prior research, respondents had higher socioeconomic status, more education, were more likely to be employed, and less likely to be immigrants. The prevalence estimates, means, and variances of self reported mental and physical health measures (for example, SF-36 subscales, women's health indicators, current smoking status) were similar to population norms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings considerably strengthen inferences about the representativeness of data on health status from volunteer samples used in health and sexuality surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stillbirth is a persistent public health problem with enormous impacts on parents, families and communities (de Bernis et al. I Lancet i 2016;387:703-16). The care of health workers and community is vital to parents' recovery after stillbirth (Flenady et al. I BJOG i 2014;121:137-40). Health workers confronted with such losses need training, support and culturally specific and context-specific care guidelines. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The Safer Baby Bundle (SBB) aimed to reduce stillbirth rates in Australia through improving pregnancy care across five elements; smoking cessation, fetal growth restriction (FGR), decreased fetal movements (DFM), side sleeping in late pregnancy and decision making around timing of birth. We assessed experiences of women and healthcare professionals (HCPs) with antenatal care practices around the five elements., Methods: A pre-post study design using online surveys was employed to assess change in HCPs awareness, knowledge, and frequency of performing recommended practices (22 in total) and women's experiences of care received related to reducing their chance of stillbirth. Women who had received antenatal care and HCPs (midwives and doctors) at services participating in the SBB implementation program in two Australian states were invited to participate. Surveys were distributed over January to July 2020 (pre) and August to December 2022 (post). Comparison of pre-post responses was undertaken using Fisher's exact, Pearson's chi-squared or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests., Results: 1,225 women (pre-1096/post-129) and 1,415 HCPs (pre-1148/post-267, ≥ 83% midwives) completed the surveys. The frequency of HCPs performing best practice 'all the time' significantly improved post-SBB implementation across all elements including providing advice to women on side sleeping (20.4-79.4%, p < 0.001) and benefits of smoking cessation (54.5-74.5%, p < 0.001), provision of DFM brochure (43.2-85.1%, p < 0.001), risk assessments for FGR (59.2-84.1%, p < 0.001) and stillbirth (44.5-73.2%, p < 0.001). Practices around smoking cessation in general showed less improvement e.g. using the 'Ask, Advise and Help' brief advice model at each visit (15.6-20.3%, p = 0.088). Post-implementation more women recalled conversations about stillbirth and risk reduction (32.2-50.4%, p < 0.001) and most HCPs reported including these conversations in their routine care (35.1-83.0%, p < 0.001). Most HCPs agreed that the SBB had become part of their routine practice (85.0%)., Conclusions: Implementation of the SBB was associated with improvements in practice across all targeted elements of care in stillbirth prevention including conversations with women around stillbirth risk reduction. Further consideration is needed around strategies to increase uptake of practices that were more resistant to change such as smoking cessation support., Trial Registration: The Safer Baby Bundle Study was retrospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry database, ACTRN12619001777189, date assigned 16/12/2019., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The stillbirth rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and communities in Australia is around double that of non-Indigenous women. While the development of effective prevention strategies during pregnancy and improving care following stillbirth for women and families in communities has become a national priority, there has been limited progress in stillbirth disparities. With community permission, this study aimed to gain a better understanding of community experiences, perceptions, and priorities around stillbirth. We undertook an Indigenous researcher-led, qualitative study, with community consultations guided by a cultural protection protocol and within an unstructured research framework. A total of 18 communities were consulted face-to-face through yarning interviews, focus groups and workshops. This included 54 community member and 159 health professional participants across remote, regional, and urban areas of Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, and Northern Territory. Thematic analysis of consultation data identified common themes across five focus/priority areas to address stillbirth: Stillbirth or Sorry Business Baby care needs to be family-centered; using Indigenous "ways of knowing, being, and doing" to ensure cultural safety; application of Birthing on Country principles to maternal and perinatal care; and yarning approaches to improve communication and learning or education. The results underscore the critical need to co-design evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and community-acceptable resources to help reduce existing disparities in stillbirth rates., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Massi, Lewis, Stewart, Jans, Gautam, Jalloub, Bowman, Middleton, Vlack, Boyle, Shepherd, Flenady, Stuart-Butler and Rae.)

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound negative impact on health. However, the strength of the association between ACEs and pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes is not well quantified or understood., Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between ACEs and risk of pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes., Search Strategy: A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google scholar up to July 2022., Data Collection and Analysis: Two reviewers independently conducted the screening and quality appraisal using a validated tool. Meta-analysis using the quality-effects model on the reported odds ratio (OR) was conducted. Heterogeneity and inconsistency were examined using the I 2 statistics., Results: 32 studies from 1508 met a priori inclusion criteria for systematic review, with 21 included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analyses showed that exposure to ACEs increased the risk of pregnancy complications (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.57) and adverse pregnancy outcomes (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.47). In sub-group analysis, maternal ACEs were associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.74), antenatal depression (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.20), low offspring birth weight (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.47), and preterm delivery (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71)., Conclusion: The results suggest that exposure to ACEs increases the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Preventive strategies, screening and trauma-informed care need to be examined to improve maternal and child health., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Up to 20% of all stillbirths and 45% of term stillbirths are currently classified as unexplained. Many of these stillbirths do not undergo currently recommended investigations. This may leave questions unanswered and not identify stillbirths with a recurrence risk in subsequent pregnancies., Aims: To validate a new tool (Stillbirth Investigation Utility Tool) to identify the clinical utility of investigations in stillbirth and the inter-rater agreement on cause of stillbirth using the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand-Perinatal Death Classification (PSANZ-PDC)., Materials and Methods: Thirty-four stillbirths were randomly selected for inclusion, each assessed independently by five blinded assessors. The investigations were grouped into three categories: clinical and laboratory; placental pathology; and autopsy examination. The cause of death was assigned at the end of each group. Outcome measures were clinical utility of investigations measured by assessor rated usefulness and inter-rater agreement on the assigned cause of death., Results: Comprehensive maternal history, maternal full blood count, maternal blood group and screen and placenta histopathology were useful in all cases. Clinical photographs were not performed and should have been performed in 50% of cases. The inter-rater agreement on cause of death assigned after all investigation results was 0.93 (95% CI 0.87-1.0)., Conclusions: The new Stillbirth Investigation Utility Tool showed very good agreement in assigning the cause of death using PSANZ-PDC. Four investigations were useful in all cases. Minor refinements will be made based on feedback to enhance usability for wider implementation in research studies to assess the yield of investigations in stillbirths., (© 2023 The Authors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Background: Delayed reporting of decreased fetal movements (DFM) could represent a missed opportunity to prevent stillbirth. Mobile phone applications (apps) have the potential to improve maternal awareness and reporting of DFM and contribute to stillbirth prevention., Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of the My Baby's Movements (MBM) app on late-gestation stillbirth rates., Materials and Methods: The MBM trial evaluated a multifaceted fetal movements awareness package across 26 maternity services in Australia and New Zealand between 2016 and 2019. In this secondary analysis, generalised linear mixed models were used to compare rates of late-gestation stillbirth, obstetric interventions, and neonatal outcomes between app users and non-app users including calendar time, cluster, primiparity and other potential confounders as fixed effects, and hospital as a random effect., Results: Of 140 052 women included, app users comprised 9.8% (n = 13 780). The stillbirth rate was not significantly lower among app users (1.67/1000 vs 2.29/1000) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.79; 95% CI 0.51-1.23). App users were less likely to have a preterm birth (aOR 0.81; 0.75-0.88) or a composite adverse neonatal outcome (aOR 0.87; 0.81-0.93); however, they had higher rates of induction of labour (IOL) (aOR 1.27; 1.22-1.32) and early term birth (aOR 1.08; 1.04-1.12)., Conclusions: The MBM app had low uptake and its use was not associated with stillbirth rates but was associated with some neonatal benefit, and higher rates of IOL and early term birth. Use and acceptability of tools designed to promote fetal movement awareness is an important knowledge gap. The implications of increased IOL and early term births warrant consideration in future studies., (© 2023 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Aim: Little is known about the attitudes of Australian patients with a history of breast cancer toward the reuse of administrative health data and clinical trial data. Issues of consent, privacy, and information security are key to the discussion. Cancer care and research provides an opportune setting to develop an understanding of attitudes toward data sharing and reuse in individuals with a history of breast cancer., Methods: An anonymous, online questionnaire for individuals with a history or diagnosis of breast cancer was distributed by two peak bodies (Breast Cancer Trials [BCT] and Breast Cancer Network of Australia [BCNA]) to their memberships between July 14, 2020 and October 17, 2020. Results were captured in RedCap; data analysis was undertaken using Stata, and a thematic analysis of free text responses was undertaken using NVivo., Results: One hundred and thirty-two complete responses were received. Twenty-three percent of respondents had participated in a clinical trial, and 12% were currently receiving treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, or endocrine). Respondents were supportive of the secondary use of de-identified administrative health data and clinical trial data, but showed concern about data security and privacy. Respondents emphasized that the reuse of data should be for improved societal health outcomes, not profit. Many assumed secondary analysis was already undertaken on de-identified administrative health data and clinical trial data., Conclusions: Respondents were supportive of the secondary use of de-identified administrative health and clinal trial data within the established bounds of good clinical practice and ethical oversight., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Introduction: Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the provision of healthcare and efficiency of healthcare systems and is likely to have profound implications for pregnant and postpartum women and their families including those who experience the tragedy of stillbirth or neonatal death. This study aims to understand the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 and the experiences of parents who have accessed maternity, neonatal and bereavement care services during this time., Methods and Analysis: An international, cross-sectional, online and/or telephone-based/face-to-face survey is being administered across 15 countries and available in 11 languages. New, expectant and bereaved parents during the COVID-19 pandemic will be recruited. Validated psychometric scales will be used to measure psychosocial well-being. Data will be analysed descriptively and by assessing multivariable associations of the outcomes with explanatory factors. In seven of these countries, bereaved parents will be recruited to a nested, qualitative interview study. The data will be analysed using a grounded theory analysis (for each country) and thematic framework analysis (for intercountry comparison) to gain further insights into their experiences., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval for the multicountry online survey, COCOON, has been granted by the Mater Misericordiae Human Research Ethics Committee in Australia (reference number: AM/MML/63526). Ethics approval for the nested qualitative interview study, PUDDLES, has been granted by the King's College London Biomedical & Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine and Natural & Mathematical Sciences Research Ethics Subcommittee (reference number: HR-19/20-19455) in the UK. Local ethics committee approvals were granted in participating countries where required. Results of the study will be published in international peer-reviewed journals and through parent support organisations. Findings will contribute to our understanding of delivering maternity care services, particularly bereavement care, in high-income, lower middle-income and low-income countries during this or future health crises., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To quantify parents' experiences of respectful care around stillbirth globally., Design: Multi-country, online, cross-sectional survey., Setting and Population: Self-identified bereaved parents (n = 3769) of stillborn babies from 44 high- and middle-income countries., Methods: Parents' perspectives of seven aspects of care quality, factors associated with respectful care and seven bereavement care practices were compared across geographical regions using descriptive statistics. Respectful care was compared between country-income groups using multivariable logistic regression., Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported experience of care around the time of stillbirth., Results: A quarter (25.4%) of 3769 respondents reported disrespectful care after stillbirth and 23.5% reported disrespectful care of their baby. Gestation less than 30 weeks and primiparity were associated with disrespect. Reported respectful care was lower in middle-income countries than in high-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.29-0.42, p < 0.01). In many countries, aspects of care quality need improvement, such as ensuring families have enough time with providers. Participating respondents from Latin America and southern Europe reported lower satisfaction across all aspects of care quality compared with northern Europe. Unmet need for memory-making activities in middle-income countries was high., Conclusions: Many parents experience disrespectful care around stillbirth. Provider training and system-level support to address practical barriers are urgently needed. However, some practices (which are important to parents) can be readily implemented such as memory-making activities and referring to the baby by name., Tweetable Abstract: One in four experience disrespectful care after stillbirth. Parents want more time with providers and their babies, to talk and memory-make., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Stillbirth and neonatal death are devastating pregnancy outcomes with long-lasting psychosocial consequences for parents and families, and wide-ranging economic impacts on health systems and society. It is essential that parents and families have access to appropriate support, yet services are often limited. Internet-based programs may provide another option of psychosocial support for parents following the death of a baby. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a self-guided internet-based perinatal bereavement support program "Living with Loss" (LWL) in reducing psychological distress and improving the wellbeing of parents following stillbirth or neonatal death., Methods: This trial is a two-arm parallel group randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention arm (LWL) with a care as usual control arm (CAU). We anticipate recruiting 150 women and men across Australia who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death in the past 2 years. Participants randomized to the LWL group will receive the six-module internet-based program over 8 weeks including automated email notifications and reminders. Baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments will be conducted to assess primary and secondary outcomes for both arms. The primary outcome will be the change in Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) scores from baseline to 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include perinatal grief, anxiety, depression, quality of life, program satisfaction and acceptability, and cost-effectiveness. Analysis will use intention-to-treat linear mixed models to examine psychological distress symptom scores at 3-month follow-up. Subgroup analyses by severity of symptoms at baseline will be undertaken., Discussion: The LWL program aims to provide an evidence-based accessible and flexible support option for bereaved parents following stillbirth or neonatal death. This may be particularly useful for parents and healthcare professionals residing in rural regions where services and supports are limited. This RCT seeks to provide evidence of the efficacy, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of the LWL program and contribute to our understanding of the role digital services may play in addressing the gap in the availability of specific bereavement support resources for parents following the death of a baby, particularly for men., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12621000631808 . Registered prospectively on 27 May 2021., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Going-to-sleep in the supine position in later pregnancy (≥28 weeks) has been identified as a risk factor for stillbirth. Internationally, public awareness campaigns have been undertaken encouraging women to sleep on their side during late pregnancy., Aim: This study aimed to identify sleep practices, attitudes and knowledge in pregnant women, to inform an Australian safe sleeping campaign., Methods: A web-based survey of pregnant women ≥28 weeks' gestation conducted from November 2017 to January 2018. The survey was adapted from international sleep surveys and disseminated via pregnancy websites and social media platforms., Findings: Three hundred and fifty-two women participated. Five (1.6%) reported going to sleep in the supine position. Most (87.8%) had received information on the importance of side-sleeping in pregnancy. Information was received from a variety of sources including maternity care providers (186; 66.2%) and the internet (177; 63.0%). Women were more likely to report going to sleep on their side if they had received advice to do so (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.0-5.1). Thirteen (10.8%) reported receiving unsafe advice, including changing their going-to-sleep position to the supine position., Discussion: This indicates high level awareness and practice of safe late-pregnancy going-to-sleep position in participants. Opportunities remain for improvement in the information provided, and understanding needs of specific groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women., Conclusion: Findings suggest Australian women understand the importance of sleeping position in late pregnancy. Inconsistencies in information provided remain and may be addressed through public awareness campaigns targeting women and their care providers., (Copyright © 2021 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Perinatal bereavement care is a complex area of practice. The COVID-19 pandemic led to reconfiguration of maternity and perinatal bereavement care services. This study explores Australian health care providers' perspectives of the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of respectful and supportive care following stillbirth or neonatal death., Methods: Members of a perinatal bereavement care network were consulted at the commencement of the pandemic in Australia using an online feedback form. Respondents provided ratings and free-text comments on the impact of COVID-19 on implementation of 49 recommendations contained in the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand/Stillbirth Centre of Research Clinical Practice Guideline for Respectful and Supportive Perinatal Bereavement Care ., Results: Responses were received from 35 health care providers who provided perinatal bereavement care in clinical settings or through support organisations in Australia. Major impacts of COVID-19 were reported for 8 of 49 guideline recommendations. Impacts included reduced: support for mothers due to visitor restrictions; availability of cultural and spiritual support and interpreters; involvement of support people in decision-making; options for memory-making and commemorative rituals; and staff training and supervision. Adaptations to minimise impacts included virtual consultations, online staff training, use of cold cots, and increased staff support for memory-making., Conclusions: Health care providers encounter substantial challenges as they strive to implement best practice perinatal bereavement care in pandemic conditions. Some practice adaptations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic could benefit parents; however, evaluation of their effectiveness and acceptability is needed., (© 2022 Frances M. Boyle et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

Importance: An evidence-practice gap exists for cancer pain management, and cancer pain remains prevalent and disabling., Objectives: To evaluate the capacity of 3 cancer pain guideline implementation strategies to improve pain-related outcomes for patients attending oncology and palliative care outpatient services., Design, Setting, and Participants: A pragmatic, stepped wedge, cluster-randomized, nonblinded, clinical trial was conducted between 2014 and 2019. The clusters were cancer centers in Australia providing oncology and palliative care outpatient clinics. Participants included a consecutive cohort of adult outpatients with advanced cancer and a worst pain severity score of 2 or more out of 10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS). Data were collected between August 2015 and May 2019. Data were analyzed July to October 2019 and reanalyzed November to December 2021., Interventions: Guideline implementation strategies at the cluster, health professional, and patient levels introduced with the support of a clinical champion., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary measure of effect was the percentage of participants initially screened as having moderate to severe worst pain (NRS ≥ 5) who experienced a clinically important improvement of 30% or more 1 week later. Secondary outcomes included mean average pain, patient empowerment, fidelity to the intervention, and quality of life and were measured in all participants with a pain score of 2 or more 10 at weeks 1, 2, and 4., Results: Of 8099 patients screened at 6 clusters, 1564 were eligible, and 359 were recruited during the control phase (mean [SD] age, 64.2 [12.1] years; 196 men [55%]) and 329 during the intervention phase (mean [SD] age, 63.6 [12.7] years; 155 men [47%]), with no significant differences between phases on baseline measures. The mean (SD) baseline worst pain scores were 5.0 (2.6) and 4.9 (2.6) for control and intervention phases, respectively. The mean (SD) baseline average pain scores were 3.5 (2.1) for both groups. For the primary outcome, the proportions of participants with a 30% or greater reduction in a pain score of 5 or more of 10 at baseline were similar in the control and intervention phases (31 of 280 participants [11.9%] vs 30 of 264 participants [11.8%]; OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.79-1.60; P = .51). No significant differences were found in secondary outcomes between phases. Fidelity to the intervention was low., Conclusions and Relevance: A suite of implementation strategies was insufficient to improve pain-related outcomes for outpatients with cancer-related pain. Further evaluation is needed to determine the required clinical resources needed to enable wide-scale uptake of the fundamental elements of cancer pain care. Ongoing quality improvement activities should be supported to improve sustainability.

Objective: The My Baby's Movements (MBM) trial aimed to evaluate the impact on stillbirth rates of a multifaceted awareness package (the MBM intervention)., Design: Stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial., Setting: Twenty-seven maternity hospitals in Australia and New Zealand., Population: Women with a singleton pregnancy without major fetal anomaly at ≥28 weeks of gestation from August 2016 to May 2019., Methods: The MBM intervention was implemented at randomly assigned time points, with the sequential introduction of eight groups of between three and five hospitals at 4-monthly intervals. Using generalised linear mixed models, the stillbirth rate was compared in the control and the intervention periods, adjusting for calendar time, study population characteristics and hospital effects., Main Outcome Measures: Stillbirth at ≥28 weeks of gestation., Results: There were 304 850 births with 290 105 births meeting the inclusion criteria: 150 053 in the control and 140 052 in the intervention periods. The stillbirth rate was lower (although not statistically significantly so) during the intervention compared with the control period (2.2/1000 versus 2.4/1000 births; aOR 1.18, 95% CI 0.93-1.50; P = 0.18). The decrease in stillbirth rate was greater across calendar time: 2.7/1000 in the first versus 2.0/1000 in the last 18 months. No increase in secondary outcomes, including obstetric intervention or adverse neonatal outcome, was evident., Conclusions: The MBM intervention did not reduce stillbirths beyond the downward trend over time. As a result of low uptake, the role of the intervention remains unclear, although the downward trend across time suggests some benefit in lowering the stillbirth rate. In this study setting, an awareness of the importance of fetal movements may have reached pregnant women and clinicians prior to the implementation of the intervention., Tweetable Abstract: The My Baby's Movements intervention to raise awareness of decreased fetal movement did not significantly reduce stillbirth rates., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Stillbirth, the death of a baby before birth, is associated with significant psychological and social consequences that can be mitigated by respectful and supportive bereavement care. The absence of high-level evidence to support the broad scope of perinatal bereavement practices means that offering a range of options identified as valued by parents has become an important indicator of care quality. This study aimed to describe bereavement care practices offered to parents across different high-income and middle-income countries., Methods: An online survey of parents of stillborn babies was conducted between December 2014 and February 2015. Frequencies of nine practices were compared between high-income and middle-income countries. Differences in proportions of reported practices and their associated odds ratios were calculated to compare high-income and middle-income countries., Results: Over three thousand parents (3041) with a self-reported stillbirth in the preceding five years from 40 countries responded. Fifteen countries had atleast 40 responses. Significant differences in the prevalence of offering nine bereavement care practices were reported by women in high-income countries (HICs) compared with women in middle-income countries (MICs). All nine practices were reported to occur significantly more frequently by women in HICs, including opportunity to see and hold their baby (OR = 4.8, 95% CI 4.0-5.9). The widespread occurrence of all nine practices was reported only for The Netherlands., Conclusions: Bereavement care after stillbirth varies between countries. Future research should look at why these differences occur, their impact on parents, and whether differences should be addressed, particularly how to support effective communication, decision-making, and follow-up care., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

CHAPTER 1: CHARACTERISING AUSTRALIA'S RURAL SPECIALIST PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE: THE PROFESSIONAL PROFILE AND PROFESSIONAL SATISFACTION OF JUNIOR DOCTORS AND CONSULTANTS: Objective: To assess differences in the demographic characteristics, professional profile and professional satisfaction of rural and metropolitan junior physicians and physician consultants in Australia., Design, Setting and Participants: Cross-sectional, population level national survey of the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life longitudinal cohort study (collected 2008-2016). Participants were specialist physicians from four career stage groups: pre-registrars (physician intent); registrars; new consultants (< 5 years since Fellowship); and consultants., Main Outcome Measures: Level of professional satisfaction across various job aspects, such as hours worked, working conditions, support networks and educational opportunities, comparing rural and metropolitan based physicians., Results: Participants included 1587 pre-registrars (15% rural), 1745 physician registrars (9% rural), 421 new consultants (20% rural) and 1143 consultants (13% rural). Rural physicians of all career stages demonstrated equivalent professional satisfaction across most job aspects, compared with metropolitan physician counterparts. Some examples of differences in satisfaction included rural pre-registrars being less likely to agree they had good access to support and supervision from qualified consultants (odds ratio [OR], 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9) and rural consultants being more likely to agree they had a poorer professional support network (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-2.9). In terms of demographics, relatively more rural physicians had a rural background or were trained overseas. Although most junior physicians were women, female consultants were less likely to be working in a rural location (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.8)., Conclusion: Junior physicians in metropolitan or rural settings have a similar professional experience, which is important in attracting future trainees. Increased opportunities for rural training should be prioritised, along with addressing concerns about the professional isolation and poorer support network of those in rural areas, not only among junior doctors but also consultants. Finally, making rural practice more attractive to female junior physicians could greatly improve the consultant physician distribution. CHAPTER 2: GENERAL PHYSICIANS AND PAEDIATRICIANS IN RURAL AUSTRALIA: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: Objective: To explore the construction of professional identity among general physicians and paediatricians working in non-metropolitan areas., Design, Setting and Participants: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with general physicians and paediatricians, plus informants from specialist colleges, government agencies and academia who were involved in policy and programs for the training and recruitment of specialists in rural locations across three states and two territories. This research is part of the Training Pathways and Professional Support for Building a Rural Physician Workforce Study, 2018-19., Main Outcome Measures: Individual and collective descriptors of professional identity., Results: We interviewed 36 key informants. Professional identity for general physicians and paediatricians working in regional, rural and remote Australia is grounded in the breadth of their training, but qualified by location - geographic location, population served or specific location, where social and cultural context specifically shapes practice. General physicians and paediatricians were deeply engaged with their local community and its economic vulnerability, and they described the population size and dynamics of local economies as determinants of viable practice. They often complemented their practice with formal or informal training in areas of special interest, but balanced their practice against subspecialist availability, also dependent on demographics. While valuing their professional roles, they showed limited inclination for industrial organisation., Conclusion: Despite limited consensus on identity descriptors, rural general physicians and paediatricians highly value generalism and their rural engagement. The structural and geographic bias that preferences urban areas will need to be addressed to further develop coordinated strategies for advanced training in rural contexts, for which collective identity is integral. CHAPTER 3: SUSTAINABLE RURAL PHYSICIAN TRAINING: LEADERSHIP IN A FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT: Objectives: To understand Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) training contexts, including supervisor and trainee perspectives, and to identify contributors to the sustainability of training sites, including training quality., Design, Setting and Participants: A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used. A national sample of RACP trainees and Fellows completed online surveys. Survey respondents who indicated willingness to participate in interviews were purposively recruited to cover perspectives from a range of geographic, demographic and training context parameters., Main Outcome Measures: Fellows' and trainees' work and life satisfaction, and their experiences of supervision and training, respectively, by geographic location., Results: Fellows and trainees reported high levels of satisfaction, with one exception - inner regional Fellows reported lower satisfaction regarding opportunities to use their abilities. Not having a good support network was associated with lower satisfaction. Our qualitative findings indicate that a culture of undermining rural practice is prevalent and that good leadership at all levels is important to reduce negative impacts on supervisor and trainee availability, site accreditation and viability. Trainees described challenges in navigating training pathways, ensuring career development, and having the flexibility to meet family needs. The small number of Fellows in some sites poses challenges for supervisors and trainees and results in a blurring of roles; accreditation is an obstacle to provision of training at rural sites; and the overlap between service and training roles can be difficult for supervisors., Conclusion: Our qualitative findings emphasise the distinctive nature of regional specialist training, which can make it a fragile environment. Leadership at all levels is critical to sustaining accreditation and support for supervisors and trainees. CHAPTER 4: PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR A SUSTAINABLE RURAL SPECIALIST PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE: Objective: To draw on research conducted in the Building a Rural Physician Workforce project, the first national study on rural specialist physicians, to define a set of principles applicable to guiding training and professional support action., Design: We used elements of the Delphi approach for systematic data collection and codesign, and applied a hybrid participatory action planning approach to achieve consensus on a set of principles., Results: Eight interconnected foundational principles built around rural regions and rural people were identified: FP1, grow your own "connected to" place; FP2, select trainees invested in rural practice; FP3, ground training in community need; FP4, rural immersion - not exposure; FP5, optimise and invest in general medicine; FP6, include service and academic learning components; FP7, join up the steps in rural training; and FP8, plan sustainable specialist roles., Conclusion: These eight principles can guide training and professional support to build a sustainable rural physician workforce. Application of the principles, and coordinated action by stakeholders and the responsible organisations, are needed at national, state and local levels to achieve a sustainable rural physician workforce., (© 2021 AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

Purpose: Although new therapeutic options continue to improve disease-related outcomes in advanced breast cancer (ABC), enhanced focus is needed to improve quality of life for patients currently living with ABC., Methods: In November 2019, a multidisciplinary workshop to explore patient perceptions of their information and support needs was held at the ABC Global Alliance Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal. Ninety-two attendees from 27 countries participated in the workshop., Results: Several key unmet needs were identified and discussed in the workshop, including the following: (1) Significant patient knowledge gaps exist related to the diagnosis and management of ABC, and the availability of patient-focused information to support these gaps in knowledge remains limited. (2) The development of meaningful relationships between patients and health care professionals, and the role of patients in decision making, is often overlooked for patients with ABC. (3) Multidisciplinary care approaches are crucial for patients with ABC; however, these often lack effective coordination. (4) Access to clinical trials for ABC also remains limited. (5) Caregivers, friends, and family members do not receive sufficient guidance to support patients with ABC and manage their own well-being., Conclusion: The variety of unmet needs explored in the workshop demonstrates that patients with ABC still face considerable challenges related to quality of care and support, which will not be resolved until tangible action is taken. Issues highlighted in the workshop should be prioritized by working groups to shape the development of community-based solutions. There is a need for the global community to act proactively to maximize awareness of these ongoing unmet needs and existing resources, while socializing and building new initiatives and resources that will help to close these gaps for patients., Competing Interests: Lesley FallowfieldHonoraria: Voluntis, Genomic Health, NanoString Technologies, Novartis, Pfizer, MSD, Novartis, AbbVie, Clovis OncologyConsulting or Advisory Role: Puma Biotechnology, Voluntis, AstraZeneca, Takeda, Genomic Health/Exact Sciences, Lilly, Seagen, RocheResearch Funding: Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, LillyTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Genomic Health Frances M. BoyleHonoraria: Lilly, Eisai, RocheConsulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Lilly, Novartis, PfizerTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: NovartisOther Relationship: Paxman, Breast Cancer Network of Australia, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA), PamgeneUncompensated Relationships: Paxman Belinda E. KielyHonoraria: NovartisConsulting or Advisory Role: Roche Patti JewellEmployment: PfizerStock and Other Ownership Interests: Pfizer, MerckTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Pfizer Dawn AubelEmployment: NovartisStock and Other Ownership Interests: Novartis Fatima CardosoConsulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Teva, Astellas Pharma, Merus, Celgene, Eisai, Daiichi Sankyo, Genentech, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Sanofi, Pierre Fabre, Macrogenics, Amgen, GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Mylan, Mundipharma, Seattle Genetics, Samsung Bioepis, Medscape, Prime OncologyTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Pfizer, Roche, AstraZenecaNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Background: We aimed to synthesise data on issues related to stakeholder perceptions of consent for the use of secondary data. To better understand the current literature available, we conducted a systematic literature review of healthcare consumer attitudes towards the secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data., Methods: EMBASE/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Informit Health Collection, PROSPERO Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO and ProQuest databases were searched. Eligible articles included those reporting qualitative or quantitative original research and published in English. No restrictions were placed on publication dates, study design or disease setting. One author screened articles for eligibility and two authors were involved in the full-text review process. Conflicts were resolved by consensus. Quality and bias were assessed using the QualSyst criteria for qualitative studies., Results: This paper focuses on a subset of 47 articles identified from the wider search and focuses on the issue of consent. Issues related to privacy, trust and transparency, and attitudes of healthcare professionals and researchers to secondary use and sharing of data have been dealt with in previous publications. Studies included a total of 216,149 respondents. Results indicate that respondents are generally supportive of using health data for research, particularly if the data is de-identified or anonymised. The requirement by participants to obtain consent prior to the use of health data for research was not universal, nor is the requirement for this always supported by legislation. Many respondents believed that either no consent or being informed of the research, but not providing additional consent, were sufficient., Conclusions: These results indicate that individuals should be provided with information and choice about how their health data is used and, where feasible, a mechanism to opt-out should be provided. To increase the acceptability of using health data for research, health organisations and data custodians must provide individuals with concise information about data protection mechanisms and under what circumstances their data may be used and by whom., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018110559 (update June 2020).

Objective: Parent engagement in perinatal mortality review meetings following stillbirth may benefit parents and improve patient safety. We investigated perinatal mortality review meeting practices, including the extent of parent engagement, based on self-reports from healthcare professionals from maternity care facilities in six high-income countries., Design: Cross-sectional online survey., Setting: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK and USA., Population: A total of 1104 healthcare professionals, comprising mainly obstetricians, gynaecologists, midwives and nurses., Methods: Data were drawn from responses to a survey covering stillbirth-related topics. Open- and closed-items that focused on 'Data quality on causes of stillbirth' were analysed., Main Outcome Measures: Healthcare professionals' self-reported practices around perinatal mortality review meetings following stillbirth., Results: Most clinicians (81.0%) were aware of regular audit meetings to review stillbirth at their maternity facility, although this was true for only 35.5% of US respondents. For the 854 respondents whose facility held regular meetings, less than a third (31.1%) reported some form of parent engagement, and this was usually in the form of one-way post-meeting feedback. Across all six countries, only 17.1% of respondents described an explicit approach where parents provided input, received feedback and were represented at meetings., Conclusions: We found no established practice of involving parents in the perinatal mortality review process in six high-income countries. Parent engagement may hold the key to important lessons for stillbirth prevention and care. Further understanding of approaches, barriers and enablers is warranted., Tweetable Abstract: Parent engagement in mortality review after stillbirth is rare, based on data from six countries. We need to understand the barriers., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: In 2015, the stillbirth rate after 28 weeks (late gestation) in Australia was 35% higher than countries with the lowest rates globally. Reductions in late gestation stillbirth rates have steadily improved in Australia. However, to amplify and sustain reductions, more needs to be done to reduce practice variation and address sub-optimal care. Implementing bundles for maternity care improvement in the UK have been associated with a 20% reduction in stillbirth rates. A similar approach is underway in Australia; the Safer Baby Bundle (SBB) with five elements: 1) supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy, 2) improving detection and management of fetal growth restriction, 3) raising awareness and improving care for women with decreased fetal movements, 4) improving awareness of maternal safe going-to-sleep position in late pregnancy, 5) improving decision making about the timing of birth for women with risk factors for stillbirth., Methods: This is a mixed-methods study of maternity services across three Australian states; Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. The study includes evaluation of 'targeted' implementer sites (combined total approximately 113,000 births annually, 50% of births in these states) and monitoring of key outcomes state-wide across all maternity services. Progressive implementation over 2.5 years, managed by state Departments of Health, commenced from mid-2019. This study will determine the impact of implementing the SBB on maternity services and perinatal outcomes, specifically for reducing late gestation stillbirth. Comprehensive process, impact, and outcome evaluations will be conducted using routinely collected perinatal data, pre- and post- implementation surveys, clinical audits, focus group discussions and interviews. Evaluations explore the views and experiences of clinicians embedding the SBB into routine practice as well as women's experience with care and the acceptability of the initiative., Discussion: This protocol describes the evaluation of the SBB initiative and will provide evidence for the value of a systematic, but pragmatic, approach to strategies to reduce the evidence-practice gaps across maternity services. We hypothesise successful implementation and uptake across three Australian states (amplified nationally) will be effective in reducing late gestation stillbirths to that of the best performing countries globally, equating to at least 150 lives saved annually., Trial Registration: The Safer Baby Bundle Study was retrospectively registered on the ACTRN12619001777189 database, date assigned 16/12/2019.

Persistent disparities in stillbirth risk and care are present in Australia. Eliminating these disparities is possible with a commitment to enhancing and scaling up models of culturally safe maternity care shown to be effective for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and those of migrant and refugee backgrounds. Campaigns to improve public awareness of stillbirth also play an important role in reducing stillbirth risk and consequences. To achieve reach and impact in communities at risk, messaging needs to be framed around the social and cultural context of women's lives. Here we describe important initiatives underway within the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence to develop a coordinated national approach to stillbirth prevention and care in communities that bear a disproportionate burden of stillbirth., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A systematic literature review of researchers and healthcare professionals' attitudes towards the secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data was conducted using electronic data searching. Eligible articles included those reporting qualitative or quantitative original research and published in English. No restrictions were placed on publication dates, study design, or disease setting. Two authors were involved in all stages of the review process; conflicts were resolved by consensus. Data was extracted independently using a pre-piloted data extraction template. Quality and bias were assessed using the QualSyst criteria for qualitative studies. Eighteen eligible articles were identified, and articles were categorised into four key themes: barriers, facilitators, access, and ownership; 14 subthemes were identified. While respondents were generally supportive of data sharing, concerns were expressed about access to data, data storage infrastructure, and consent. Perceptions of data ownership and acknowledgement, trust, and policy frameworks influenced sharing practice, as did age, discipline, professional focus, and world region. Young researchers were less willing to share data; they were willing to share in circumstances where they were acknowledged. While there is a general consensus that increased data sharing in health is beneficial to the wider scientific community, substantial barriers remain. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018110559.

We aimed to synthesise data on issues related to stakeholder perceptions of privacy, trust, and transparency in use of secondary data. A systematic literature review of healthcare consumer attitudes towards the secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data was conducted. EMBASE/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Informit Health Collection, PROSPERO Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, and ProQuest databases were searched. Eligible articles included those reporting qualitative or quantitative original research and published in English. No restrictions were placed on publication dates, study design or disease setting. One author screened articles for eligibility, and two authors were involved in the full text review process. Data was extracted using a pre-piloted data extraction template by one author and checked by another. Conflicts were resolved by consensus. Quality and bias were assessed using the QualSyst criteria for qualitative and quantitative studies. This paper focuses on a subset of 35 articles identified from the wider search which focus on issues of privacy, trust, and transparency. Studies included a total of 56,365 respondents. Results of this systematic literature review indicate that while respondents identified advantages in sharing health data, concerns relating to trust, transparency, and privacy remain. Organisations collecting health data and those who seek to share data or undertake secondary data analysis should continue to develop trust, transparency, and privacy with healthcare consumers through open dialogue and education. Consideration should be given to these issues at all stages of data collection including the conception, design, and implementation phases. While individuals understand the benefits of health data sharing for research purposes, ensuring a balance between public benefit and individual privacy is essential. Researchers and those undertaking secondary data analysis need to be cognisant of these key issues at all stages of their research. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42018110559 (update June 2020).

Background: 'Bundles of care' are being implemented to improve key practice gaps in perinatal care. As part of our development of a stillbirth prevention bundle, we consulted with Australian maternity care providers., Objective: To gain the insights of Australian maternity care providers to inform the development and implementation of a bundle of care for stillbirth prevention., Methods: A 2018 on-line survey of hospitals providing maternity services included 55 questions incorporating multiple choice, Likert items and open text. A senior clinician at each site completed the survey. The survey asked questions about practices related to fetal growth restriction, decreased fetal movements, smoking cessation, intrapartum fetal monitoring, maternal sleep position and perinatal mortality audit. The objectives were to assess which elements of care were most valued; best practice frequency; and, barriers and enablers to implementation., Results: 227 hospitals were invited with 83 (37%) responding. All proposed elements were perceived as important. Hospitals were least likely to follow best practice recommendations "all the time" for smoking cessation support (<50%), risk assessment for fetal growth restriction (<40%) and advice on sleep position (<20%). Time constraints, absence of clear guidelines and lack of continuity of carer were recognised as barriers to implementation across care practices., Conclusions: Areas for practice improvement were evident. All elements of care were valued, with increasing awareness of safe sleeping position perceived as less important. There is strong support from maternity care providers across Australia for a bundle of care to reduce stillbirth., (Copyright © 2019 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To develop global consensus on a set of evidence-based core principles for bereavement care after stillbirth., Methods: A modified policy-Delphi methodology was used to consult international stakeholders and healthcare workers with experience in stillbirth between September 2017 and October 2018. Five sequential rounds involved two expert stakeholder meetings and three internet-based surveys, including a global internet-based survey targeted at healthcare workers in a wide range of settings., Results: Initially, 23 expert stakeholders considered 43 evidence-based themes derived from systematic reviews, identifying 10 core principles. The global survey received 236 responses from participants in 26 countries, after which nine principles met a priori criteria for inclusion. The final stakeholder meeting and internet-based survey of all participants confirmed consensus on eight core principles. Highest quality bereavement care should be enabled through training of healthcare staff to reduce stigma and establish respectful care, including acknowledgement and support for grief responses, and provision for physical and psychologic needs. Women and families should be supported to make informed choices, including those concerning their future reproductive health., Conclusion: Consensus was established for eight principles for stillbirth bereavement care. Further work should explore implementation and involve the voices of women and families globally., (© 2020 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: High quality perinatal bereavement care is critical for women and families following stillbirth or newborn death. It is a challenging area of practice and a difficult area for guideline development due to a sparse and disparate evidence base., Aim: We present an overview of the newly updated Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand/Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence guideline for perinatal bereavement care. The guideline aims to provide clear guidance for maternity health care providers and their services to support the provision of care that meets the needs of bereaved parents., Discussion: The Guideline for Respectful and Supportive Perinatal Bereavement Care is underpinned by a review of current research combined with extensive stakeholder consultation that included parents and their organisations and clinicians from a variety of disciplines. The Guideline contains 49 recommendations that reflect five fundamental goals of care: good communication; shared decision-making; recognition of parenthood; effective support; and organisational response., Conclusion: Best available research, parents' lived experiences and maternity care providers' insights have contributed to a set of implementable recommendations that address the needs of bereaved parents., (Copyright © 2019 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Death after surgery is infrequent but can be devastating for the surgeon. Surgeons may experience intense emotional reactions after a patient's death, reflecting on their part in the death and the patient's loss of life. Excessive rumination or feelings of regret may have lasting negative consequences, but these reactions may also facilitate learning for future decision-making. This qualitative study analysed surgeons' reflections on what might have been done differently before a patient's death and explored non-technical (cognitive and interpersonal) aspects of care as potential targets for improvement., Methods: In Australia's Queensland Audit of Surgical Mortality, surgeons reflect on factors surrounding the death of patients in their care and respond to the open-ended question: in retrospect, would you have done anything differently? Framework analysis was applied to surgeons' responses to identify themes relating to non-technical aspects of care., Results: Responses from 1214 surgeons were analysed. Two main themes were identified. Dilemmas and difficult decisions confirmed the uncertainty, complexity and situational pressures that often precede a surgical death; regret and empathy for patients featured in some responses. In the second main theme, communication matters, surgeons cited better communication, with patients, families, colleagues and at handover, as a source of reflective change to improve decision-making and reduce regret., Conclusion: Surgical decision-making involves uncertainty, and regret may occur after a patient's death. Enhancing the quality of communication with patients and peers in comprehensive assessment of the surgical patient may mitigate postdecision regret among surgeons., (© 2020 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Stillbirth is a devastating pregnancy outcome that has a profound and lasting impact on women and families. Globally, there are over 2.6 million stillbirths annually and progress in reducing these deaths has been slow. Maternal perception of decreased fetal movements (DFM) is strongly associated with stillbirth. However, maternal awareness of DFM and clinical management of women reporting DFM is often suboptimal. The My Baby's Movements trial aims to evaluate an intervention package for maternity services including a mobile phone application for women and clinician education (MBM intervention) in reducing late gestation stillbirth rates., Methods/design: This is a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial with sequential introduction of the MBM intervention to 8 groups of 3-5 hospitals at four-monthly intervals over 3 years. The target population is women with a singleton pregnancy, without lethal fetal abnormality, attending for antenatal care and clinicians providing maternity care at 26 maternity services in Australia and New Zealand. The primary outcome is stillbirth from 28 weeks' gestation. Secondary outcomes address: a) neonatal morbidity and mortality; b) maternal psychosocial outcomes and health-seeking behaviour; c) health services utilisation; d) women's and clinicians' knowledge of fetal movements; and e) cost. 256,700 births (average of 3170 per hospital) will detect a 30% reduction in stillbirth rates from 3/1000 births to 2/1000 births, assuming a significance level of 5%. Analysis will utilise generalised linear mixed models., Discussion: Maternal perception of DFM is a marker of an at-risk pregnancy and commonly precedes a stillbirth. MBM offers a simple, inexpensive resource to reduce the number of stillborn babies, and families suffering the distressing consequences of such a loss. This large pragmatic trial will provide evidence on benefits and potential harms of raising awareness of DFM using a mobile phone app., Trial Registration: ACTRN12614000291684. Registered 19 March 2014., Version: Protocol Version 6.1, February 2018.

Objective: To examine risk of emergency hospital admission and survival following adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer., Methods: Linked data from New South Wales population-based and clinical cancer registries (2008-2012), hospital admissions, official death records and pharmaceutical benefit claims. Women aged ≥18 years receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage operable breast cancer in NSW public hospitals were included. Odds ratios (OR) for emergency hospitalisation within 6 months following chemotherapy initiation were estimated using logistic regression and survival using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods., Results: A total of 3,950 women were included and 30.6% were hospitalised. The most common principal diagnosis at admission was neutropenia (30.8%). Women receiving docetaxel/carboplatin/trastuzumab (TCH) and docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (TC) were the most frequently hospitalised. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, the increased risk of hospitalisation for TCH and TC remained compared with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide 3-weekly (OR 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-2.37 and OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.85 respectively). Five-year overall survival was similar for women who were (92.2%, 95% CI 90.7-93.8) and were not hospitalised (93.1%, 95% CI 92.1-94.1)., Conclusion: Emergency hospitalisations following chemotherapy for early breast cancer were relatively common, especially following docetaxel-containing protocols. Further examination of reasons for admission is needed to inform actions to improve patient safety., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) is used for large operable or highly proliferative breast cancers. It is not known whether psychological outcomes differ according to the treatment sequence (chemotherapy or surgery first) or tumour response., Methods: This was a planned analysis of a multi-institutional single arm longitudinal study of patients considering NAST for operable breast cancer. Participants completed patient reported outcome questionnaires before and after the decision about NAST, between chemotherapy and surgery, and 12 months after diagnosis., Results: Fifty-nine women enrolled. Fourteen of 51 (28%) who received NAST experienced pathological complete response (pCR). Patients who had surgery first (n = 7) had higher baseline anxiety, and a greater decrease in anxiety at 12 months follow up, compared with patients who received NAST (n = 50) (a decrease from baseline of 34 pts vs 17 points; p = 0.033). Distress declined at a similar rate in surgery first and NAST groups. Mean satisfaction with decision score post-decision was significantly lower in the adjuvant group compared with NAST (22 vs 26, p = 0.02). No differences were seen between patients with pCR vs residual cancer in: distress, anxiety, satisfaction with decision, fear of progression, and decision regret., Conclusion: Most patients in this study proceeded with NAST when their surgeon offered it as an option. This exploratory analysis suggests that patients who chose surgery first tended to be more anxious, and had lower satisfaction with their decision, than those who had NAST. In patients who had NAST, lack of pCR does not appear to correlate with adverse psychological outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Maternal perception of decreased fetal movement has clinical significance as a predictor of pregnancies at risk of adverse outcomes, including stillbirth. Increasingly, women are using mobile applications ("apps") to access information during the antenatal period. Little is known about how apps intended for use during pregnancy guide women to address fetal movement concerns., Objective: To explore information about decreased fetal movement provided through mobile apps intended for use during pregnancy., Methods: A systematic review framework was applied to the search, screening, and assessment of mobile apps. A sample of apps were downloaded in December 2016 that met inclusion criteria for accessibility, reach, relevance and quality. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers in January 2017. A quantitative and qualitative approach was taken to analyse data and present results., Findings: All 24 apps in the sample mentioned decreased fetal movement, but few explicitly link decreased fetal movement to stillbirth or other specific adverse outcomes. There is substantial variability in guidance for fetal movement monitoring. One-quarter of apps recommend consumption of food or drink to stimulate fetal movement, two-thirds of apps recommend "kick counting", and one-third offer a kick "counter"., Conclusion: This review is the first to assess information about decreased fetal movement available in mobile apps intended for download by pregnant women. Across the sample, this review identifies a lack of evidence-based clinical advice to guide women experiencing decreased fetal movement. As an antenatal education tool used by millions of women, accurate content about fetal movement is essential., (Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)