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Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of death or new disability following critical illness. Methods: Prospective, multicentre cohort study conducted in six metropolitan intensive care units (ICU). Participants were adults admitted to the ICU who received more than 24 h of mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome was death or new disability at 6 months, with new disability defined by a 10% increase in the WHODAS 2.0. Results: Of 628 patients with the primary outcome available (median age of 62 [49–71] years, 379 [61.0%] had a medical admission and 370 (58.9%) died or developed new disability by 6 months. Independent predictors of death or new disability included age [OR 1.02 (1.01–1.03), P = 0.001], higher severity of illness (APACHE III) [OR 1.02 (1.01–1.03), P < 0.001] and admission diagnosis. Compared to patients with a surgical admission diagnosis, patients with a cardiac arrest [OR (95% CI) 4.06 (1.89–8.68), P < 0.001], sepsis [OR (95% CI) 2.43 (1.32–4.47), P = 0.004], or trauma [OR (95% CI) 6.24 (3.07–12.71), P < 0.001] diagnosis had higher odds of death or new disability, while patients with a lung transplant [OR (95% CI) 0.21 (0.07–0.58), P = 0.003] diagnosis had lower odds. A model including these three variables had good calibration (Brier score 0.20) and acceptable discriminative power with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.76 (95% CI 0.72–0.80). Conclusion: Less than half of all patients mechanically ventilated for more than 24 h were alive and free of new disability at 6 months after admission to ICU. A model including age, illness severity and admission diagnosis has acceptable discriminative ability to predict death or new disability at 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments were designed to determine interactive effects of supplemental dietary Cu and amino acid (AA) density on growth performance, processing characteristics, ileal microflora, and AA digestibility of broilers. In experiment 1, 8 dietary treatments were used, consisting of a factorial arrangement of 3 Cu programs providing Cu concentrations of 135-135-135, 270-135-135, or 270-270-135 mg/kg in starter, grower, and finisher periods, formulated at moderate or low AA density, positive and negative controls. The Cu source was tribasic Cu chloride. In both experiments, control birds were provided with diets formulated to moderate AA density and approximately 13 mg/kg Cu. Broilers fed positive control diets were unvaccinated and received diets containing a coccidiostat, while all other birds were vaccinated against coccidiosis. The results indicated that feeding high concentrations of dietary Cu may decrease feed conversion ratio through reduced feed intake. This led to reduced carcass weight and yield, but did not affect breast meat weight and yield. No differences were observed for microflora composition. Experiment 2 evaluated apparent ileal AA digestibility and used 6 dietary treatments, consisting of positive and negative controls and a factorial of either 135 or 270 mg/kg Cu and low or moderate AA density. Copper treatments reduced Cys digestibility compared with negative control-fed birds, and only Trp digestibility was increased with Cu supplementation. These studies indicate that feeding high concentrations of Cu may enhance growth performance but did not improve digestibility of most AA or alter microflora profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Approximately 16,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in the region. Unwarranted variation in lung cancer care and outcomes has been described for many years, although clinical quality indicators to facilitate benchmarking across Australasia have not been established. The purpose of this study was to establish clinical quality indicators applicable to lung and other thoracic cancers across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand., Methods: Following a literature review, a modified three round eDelphi consensus process was completed between October 2022 and June 2023. Participants included clinicians from all relevant disciplines, patient advocates, researchers and other stakeholders, with representatives from all Australian states and territories and Aotearoa New Zealand. Consensus was set at a threshold of 70%, with the first two rounds conducted as online surveys, and the final round held as a hybrid in person and virtual consensus meeting., Results: The literature review identified 422 international thoracic oncology indicators, and a total of 71 indicators were evaluated over the course of the Delphi consensus. Ultimately, 27 clinical quality indicators reached consensus, covering the continuum of thoracic oncologic care from diagnosis to first line treatment. Indicators benchmarking supportive care were poorly represented. Attendant numeric quality standards were developed to facilitate benchmarking., Conclusion: Twenty-seven clinical quality indicators relevant to thoracic oncology care in Australasia were developed. Real world implementation will now be explored utilizing a prospective dataset collected across Australia., (© 2024 The Author(s). Respirology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.)

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rare, but severe complication of a commonly prescribed antibiotic. TMP-SMX typically affects young, otherwise well patients with a specific human leukocyte antigen type (HLA-B*07:02 and HLA-C*07:02). The condition is poorly understood with a unique pathological appearance and mechanism that remains unclear. Mortality rate is greater than one third. We describe the case of a previously well 18-year-old woman treated with a prolonged course of TMP-SMX for a complex urinary tract infection who developed rapidly progressive respiratory failure requiring prolonged intensive care admission, extra-corporeal membranous oxygenation, and eventual lung transplantation. No targeted treatment exists, further research is required to better understand disease pathogenetic mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2024 The Author(s). Respirology Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.)

Objective: Determine the prevalence and outcomes of patients with life-limiting illness (LLI) admitted to Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Units (ICUs)., Design Setting Participants: Retrospective registry-linked observational cohort study of all adults admitted to Australian and New Zealand ICUs from 1st January 2018 until 31st December 2020 (New Zealand) and 31st March 2022 (Australia), recorded in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was 1-year mortality. Secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, and 4-year survival., Results: A total of 566,260 patients were included, of whom 129,613 (22.9%) had one or more LLI. Mortality at one year was 28.1% in those with LLI and 10.4% in those without LLI (p < 0.001). Mortality in intensive care (6.8% v 3.4%, p < 0.001), hospital (11.8% v 5.0%, p < 0.001), and at two (36.6% v 14.1%, p < 0.001), three (43.7% v 17.7%, p < 0.001) and four (55.6% v 24.5%, p < 0.001) years were all higher in the cohort of patients with LLI. Patients with LLI had a longer ICU (1.9 [0.9, 3.7] v 1.6 [0.9, 2.9] days, p < 0.001) and hospital length of stay (8.8 [49,16.0] v 7.2 [3.9, 12.9] days, p < 0.001), and were more commonly readmitted to ICU during the same hospitalisation than patients without LLI (5.2% v 3.7%, p < 0.001). After multivariate analysis the LLI with the strongest adverse effect on survival was frailty (HR 2.08, 95% CI 2.03 to 2.12, p < 0.001), followed by the presence of metastatic cancer (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.92 to 2.02, p < 0.001), and chronic liver disease (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.65 to 1.71, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Patients with LLI account for almost a quarter of ICU admissions in Australia and New Zealand, require prolonged ICU and hospital care, and have high mortality in subsequent years. This knowledge should be used to identify this vulnerable cohort of patients, and to ensure that treatment is aligned to each patient's values and realistic goals., (Crown Copyright © 2024 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand.)

For people living with HIV, decisions about when, how and who to tell about their HIV status can involve navigating complex social, legal and health domains. With a focus on disclosure to broader social and familial networks, we explored the experiences of, and motivations for, HIV (non-)disclosure among recently diagnosed people living with HIV in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 people diagnosed with HIV from 2016 onwards, of whom 25 completed follow-up interviews. Participants commonly reported anticipating negative responses and rejection from others when considering whether to disclose their HIV status. Some participants also took on the role of ensuring others' wellbeing when disclosing (or not), even as they themselves needed emotional support. Finally, some participants felt it important to be open about their HIV status to raise awareness of HIV and challenge HIV-related stigma. Our findings highlight the complex relational and social contexts that shape HIV disclosure. In addition to supporting individual people living with HIV when disclosing, we argue that educational programmes that target the broader, HIV-negative population are needed to shift the social landscape in which people living with HIV disclose.

Objectives: The 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) provides a standardised method for measuring health and disability. This study aimed to determine its reliability, validity and responsiveness and to establish the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in critically ill patients. Design: Prospective, multicentre cohort study. Setting: Intensive care units of six metropolitan hospitals. Participants: Adults mechanically ventilated for > 24 hours. Main outcome measures: Reliability was assessed by measuring internal consistency. Construct validity was assessed by comparing WHODAS 2.0 scores at 6 months with the EuroQoL visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale scores. Responsiveness was evaluated by assessing change over time, effect sizes, and percentage of patients showing no change. The MCID was calculated using both anchor and distribution-based methods with triangulation of results. Main results: A baseline and 6-month WHODAS 2.0 score were available for 448 patients. The WHODAS 2.0 demonstrated good correlation between items with no evidence of item redundancy. Cronbach α coefficient was 0.91 and average split-half coefficient was 0.91. There was a moderate correlation between the WHODAS 2.0 and the EQ VAS scores ( r = -0.72; P < 0.001) and between the WHODAS 2.0 and the Lawton IADL scores ( r = -0.66; P < 0.001) at 6 months. The effect sizes for change in the WHODAS 2.0 score from baseline to 3 months and from 3 to 6 months were low. Ceiling effects were not present and floor effects were present at baseline only. The final MCID estimate was 10%. Conclusion: The 12-item WHODAS 2.0 is a reliable, valid and responsive measure of disability in critically ill patients. A change in the total WHODAS 2.0 score of 10% represents the MCID., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2021 College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand.)

Competing Interests: No relevant disclosures.

Objective: Living in regional/rural areas can impact outcomes for people with head and neck cancer (HNC). Using a comprehensive state-wide dataset, the impact of remoteness on key service parameters and outcomes for people with HNC was examined., Methods: Retrospective quantitative analysis of routinely collected data held within the Queensland Oncology Repository., Design: Quantitative methods (descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic regression and geospatial analysis)., Setting: All people diagnosed with HNC in Queensland, Australia., Participants: The impact of remoteness was examined in 1991 people (1171 metropolitan, 485 inner-regional, 335 rural) with HNC cancer diagnosed between 2013 and 2015., Main Outcome Measures: This paper reports key demographics and tumour characteristics (age, gender, socioeconomic status, First Nations status, co-morbidities, primary tumour site and staging), service use/uptake (treatment rates, attendance at multidisciplinary team review and timing to treatment) and post-acute outcomes (readmission rates, causes of readmission and 2-year survival). In addition to this, the distribution of people with HNC across QLD, distances travelled and patterns of readmission were also analysed., Results: Regression analysis revealed remoteness significantly (p < 0.001) impacted access to MDT review, receiving treatment, and time to treatment commencement, but not readmission or 2-year survival. Reasons for readmission did not differ by remoteness, with dysphagia, nutritional inadequacies, gastrointestinal disorders and fluid imbalance indicated in the majority of readmissions. Rural people were significantly (p < 0.0001) more likely to travel to care and to readmit to a different facility than provided primary treatment., Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the health care disparities for people with HNC residing in regional/rural areas., (© 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.)

Background: By reducing HIV viral load to undetectable levels, HIV treatment slows disease progression and eliminates the possibility of sexual transmission. The promotion of undetectable viral load has also been accompanied by expectations of reducing HIV-related stigma, including self-stigma. Drawing on accounts of people recently diagnosed with HIV, we explored experiences of both detectable and undetectable viral load., Methods: Between January 2019 and November 2021, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 people living with HIV (PLHIV) who had received an HIV diagnosis in Australia from 2016 onward. Of these participants, 24 completed follow-up interviews approximately 12months later. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, entered into NVivo (software v12), and thematically analysed., Results: Reflecting on the period in which their viral load was detectable, some participants described feeling 'dirty,' 'viral,' and 'a risk' to sexual partners. During this period, some participants minimised or ceased having sex, sometimes despite being in ongoing romantic relationships. Reaching undetectable viral load was commonly characterised as an important goal in HIV care and signalled a marker of good health and enabled a return to sexual relationships. However, the psychosocial benefits of undetectable viral load were not universally experienced, with some participants highlighting ongoing challenges of living with HIV long term., Conclusions: Increasing awareness of the benefits of undetectable viral load is an important and powerful tool for improving the health and wellbeing of PLHIV; however, the period in which one's HIV viral load is detectable can be challenging, particularly as feelings of being 'unclean' and 'a risk' may be internalised. Ensuring PLHIV are appropriately supported during periods of viral detectability is necessary.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) have developed community norms for regular HIV/STI testing. We investigated factors associated with self-reported COVID-19 testing in response to reported COVID-19 cases and public health restrictions. Participants responded to weekly cohort surveys between 10th May 2021 and 27th September 2021. We used the Andersen-Gill extensions to the Cox proportional hazards model for multivariable survival data to predict factors influencing COVID-19 testing. Mean age of the 942 study participants was 45.6 years (SD: 13.9). In multivariable analysis, GBM were more likely to report testing during periods of high COVID-19 caseload in their state of residence; if they were younger; university educated; close contact of someone with COVID-19; or reported coping with COVID-19 poorly. COVID-19 testing was higher among men who: were more socially engaged with other GBM; had a higher proportion of friends willing to vaccinate against COVID-19; and were willing to contact sexual partners for contact tracing. Social connection with other gay men was associated with COVID-19 testing, similar to what has been observed throughout the HIV epidemic, making community networks a potential focus for the promotion of COVID-19 safe practices., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Although many studies reported on decreases in sexual partner numbers among gay and bisexual-identifying men in the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have explored COVID-19 risk-reduction strategies. Drawing on free-text responses in an online survey (from April to July 2020), we describe the ways in which men sought to minimise the risk of COVID-19 in sexual encounters. Partner selection was an important strategy, in particular, restricting sex to men they already knew. Accounts also indicate how participants assessed risk from potential sex partners based on symptoms, residential location, recent travel, work role, and number of other sexual contacts. Less common were in situ practices, such as avoiding kissing. Participants' responses provide insight into creative community-based responses in the early months of the pandemic, some of which have resonances with early responses to HIV. Findings are discussed in relation to the concepts of 'lay epidemiology' and 'counterpublic health'. In particular, we examine how risks and health are experienced and valued in relation to local knowledges, meanings, and practices; and how practices emerge in response to dominant public health discourses that produce an idealised public based on (hetero)normative assumptions.

Background: The disclosure of HIV status and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use can be important in the negotiation of safe sex. With the rapid uptake of PrEP in Australia, norms and expectations about discussion and disclosure may have changed., Methods: We explored the disclosure of PrEP use, HIV status and communication with sex partners by HIV-negative gay men in Sydney, Australia. We conducted semi-structured interviews from October 2017 to May 2018 and analysed data using a codebook thematic analysis approach., Results: Participants had a variety of expectations of what they should tell their partners and what they expected in return. For some participants, PrEP had negated the need for any discussion about HIV. Many participants assumed their partners would find information about their HIV status or PrEP use on their online profiles or that partners would ask, if necessary., Conclusions: Building a stronger, shared understanding among gay men that disclosure and discussion no longer automatically occur before sexual encounters may be useful.

Purpose: Using population-based data for women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer, our aim was to examine the impact of time to treatment completion on survival and to identify factors associated with treatment delay., Methods: This retrospective study used clinical and treatment data from the Queensland Oncology Repository. Time from diagnosis to completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy identified a cut-off of 37 weeks as the optimal threshold for completing treatment. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the likelihood of completing treatment > 37 weeks. Overall (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were examined using Cox proportional hazards models., Results: Of 8279 women with stage I-III breast cancer, 31.9% completed treatment > 37 weeks. Apart from several clinical factors, being Indigenous (p = 0.002), living in a disadvantaged area (p = 0.003) and receiving ≥ two treatment modalities within the public sector (p < 0.001) were associated with an increased likelihood of completing treatment > 37 weeks. The risk of death from any cause was about 40% higher for women whose treatment went beyond 37 weeks (HR 1.37, 95%CI 1.16-1.61), a similar result was observed for BCSS. Using the surgery + chemotherapy + radiation pathway, a delay of > 6.9 weeks from surgery to starting chemotherapy was significantly associated with poorer survival (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: Several sociodemographic and system-related factors were associated with a greater likelihood of treatment completion > 37 weeks. We are proposing a key performance indicator for the management of early breast cancer where a facility should have > 90% of patients with a time from surgery to adjuvant chemotherapy < 6.9 weeks., (© 2022. Crown.)

Introduction: COVID-19 related lockdowns have impacted the sexual activity of gay and bisexual men (GBM). We investigated trends in sexual behaviors and the COVID-19 context in which they occurred (COVID-notification rates and jurisdictional restrictions) to understand changes in the duration and severity of periods of lockdown on the sexual behavior of Australian GBM., Methods: In an online, prospective observational study of 831 GBM from May 2020 to May 2021, we investigated associations between changes in sexual behavior among Australian GBM, lockdowns, and COVID-19 notification rates through weekly surveys from May 2020 to May 2021., Results: The mean age was 45.71 years (SD: 13.93). Most identified as gay (89.0%) and 10.2% were living with HIV. There was an overall increase in the mean weekly number of non-committed relationship partners (0.53-0.90, p  < 0.001). The state of Victoria experienced a significant extended COVID-19 outbreak, accompanied by severe lockdown restrictions. In response, Victorian men's partner numbers shifted three times, while elsewhere there was an overall gradually increasing trend., Conclusions: Less severe outbreaks with shorter lockdown periods, involving fewer and geographically contained, COVID-19 notifications were accompanied by non-significant changes in sex with non-relationship partners than more severe outbreaks over extended periods and larger geographical areas., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13178-022-00733-8., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Recent changes to Australian PrEP prescribing guidelines support the use of event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (ED-PrEP) to prevent HIV among gay and bisexual men (GBM). Social marketing campaigns to increase awareness of ED-PrEP were conducted in early 2021. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of this method after these campaigns., Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional online survey about PrEP knowledge and attitudes from March to May 2021. Participants were asked if they had heard of ED-PrEP. Among aware participants, questions about the '2-1-1' method were asked to assess knowledge. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the characteristics of those who were aware of ED-PrEP, and those who had correct knowledge of ED-PrEP. Analysis was restricted to non-HIV-positive cis-GBM who were aware of PrEP., Results: Among the 419 participants eligible for this analysis, 286 (68.3%) had heard of ED-PrEP. Awareness was associated with living in a postcode with ≥10% gay men, PrEP experience, and belief ED-PrEP is effective. Of these 286 participants, 125 (43.7%) correctly answered questions about how to take ED-PrEP. Correct knowledge was associated with PrEP experience and belief ED-PrEP is effective., Conclusions: A growing proportion of GBM are aware of ED-PrEP, but many still do not know how to take it as per clinical guidelines. More work is needed to increase knowledge among GBM to promote effective use of this method.

Despite an increase in the range of effective HIV risk reduction strategies that are available, some gay and bisexual men (GBM) do not use any of them consistently. Understanding why GBM do not always use a protective strategy may help develop more effective responses. Semi-structured interviews with 24 sexually active GBM in Sydney, Australia were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. The main characteristics of encounters featuring little or no use of HIV risk reduction strategies were familiarity and trust with partners, pleasure and intoxication, expectations that partners were using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis or treatment as prevention, and in some cases feelings of inevitability about acquiring HIV. An increase in pleasure and a reduction in anxiety about sex were noted by some GBM who had commenced PrEP. Encouraging GBM to adopt a strategy such as PrEP and to use it consistently may be easier by emphasizing benefits to mental health and the quality of sex and intimacy it can offer. However, even with the increased availability of effective biomedical HIV risk reduction strategies, not all GBM are able to consistently manage HIV risk and some continue to hold optimistic and potentially inaccurate beliefs about sexual partners that may increase HIV risk., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Data on long-term outcomes after sepsis-associated critical illness have mostly come from small cohort studies, with no information about the incidence of new disability. We investigated whether sepsis-associated critical illness was independently associated with new disability at 6 months after ICU admission compared with other types of critical illness., Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of a multicenter, prospective cohort study in six metropolitan intensive care units in Australia. Adult patients were eligible if they had been admitted to the ICU and received more than 24 h of mechanical ventilation. There was no intervention., Results: The primary outcome was new disability measured with the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) 12 level score compared between baseline and 6 months. Between enrollment and follow-up at 6 months, 222/888 (25%) patients died, 100 (35.5%) with sepsis and 122 (20.1%) without sepsis (P < 0.001). Among survivors, there was no difference for the incidence of new disability at 6 months with or without sepsis, 42/106 (39.6%) and 106/300 (35.3%) (RD, 0.00 (- 10.29 to 10.40), P = 0.995), respectively. In addition, there was no difference in the severity of disability, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress, return to work, financial distress or cognitive function., Conclusions: Compared to mechanically ventilated patients of similar acuity and length of stay without sepsis, patients with sepsis admitted to ICU have an increased risk of death, but survivors have a similar risk of new disability at 6 months. Trial registration NCT03226912, registered July 24, 2017., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Our aim was to describe variations in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer and to examine factors associated with disease-specific survival (DSS)., Methods: The study used linked data for 24,190 women with a T1 (≤ 20 mm) breast cancer who underwent surgery from 2005 to 2019. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model predictors of receiving breast-conserving surgery (BCS) compared to mastectomy and a multinomial model was used to examine factors associated with type(s) of treatment received., Results: Overall, 70.3% had BCS, with a reduced likelihood of BCS observed for younger women (p < 0.001), rural residence, (p < 0.001), socioeconomic disadvantage (p = 0.004), higher tumour grade (p < 0.001) and surgery in a public versus private hospital (p < 0.001). Compared to women who received BCS and radiation therapy (RT), those having mastectomy alone or mastectomy plus RT were more likely to be younger (p < 0.001), live in a rural area (p < 0.001), have higher-grade tumours (p < 0.001) and positive lymph nodes (p < 0.001). Overall 5-year survival was 95.3% and breast cancer-specific survival was 98.3%. Highest survival was observed for women having BCS and RT and lowest for those having mastectomy and RT (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our results indicate some variation in the management of early-stage breast cancer. Lower rates of BCS were observed for rural and disadvantaged women and for those treated in a public or low-volume hospital. Whilst survival was high for this cohort, differences in tumour biology likely explain the differences in survival according to treatment type., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background Previous research on mobility and HIV acquisition among gay and bisexual men (GBM) has focused on: (1) changed sexual practices in the context of travel; and (2) the association between migration and increased HIV risk. To date, little attention has been given to continuity of sexual health and HIV-prevention services in the context of relocating between different cities or regions within the same country. Methods Drawing on in-depth interviews with 17 GBM recently diagnosed with HIV, we explored these men's access to sexual health care in the period prior to diagnosis. Results At least five of these 17 men's accounts provided examples of becoming disconnected from sexual health care because of mobility within Australia. For some men, this disconnection from care also included loss of access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In all these men's accounts, reconnection with services only came about at the time of seeking the HIV test associated with their diagnosis. The fact that men who had previously been well connected to sexual health services (as indicated by early uptake of PrEP, or regular HIV/STI testing) did not easily access similar services after relocating suggest that there are other factors - such as the social and physical environment - that have an important bearing on retention in sexual health care. Conclusions There is a need for more comprehensive data collection related to mobility in order to ascertain its relative importance. Regarding policy and practice, there are also opportunities for a more formalised process for interstate referral of clients of sexual health services.

Background: While quality indicators (QI) are relatively commonplace, QIs focusing on breast cancer treatment and outcomes have not been previously developed in Australia. We describe the development and implementation of the Queensland Breast Cancer Quality Index (BCQI) and report on trends in performance indicators over time., Methods: Development of the BCQI was overseen by a clinician-led quality assurance committee covering several clinical disciplines. Using a population-based dataset of female patients diagnosed with breast cancer from 2007 to 2016 (n = 27,541) we examined trends in indicators over time., Results: The BCQI includes two quality dimensions (Effective and Accessible) and 14 indicators for public and private cancer services. Rates of re-excision following breast conservation surgery (BCS) and conversion of BCS to mastectomy reduced over time (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). BCS was less common for women living outside a major city (p < 0.001), who had their surgery in a public (p < 0.001) or low volume hospital (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Application of the BCQI at a population-level demonstrated our results are comparable to, and in some cases superior to other jurisdictions. We identified some areas where improvement over time has occurred, while also identifying some outcomes requiring further investigation., Policy Summary: The BCQI is a well-established and valuable tool for measuring and monitoring breast cancer care. Practice indicators provide useful information to assist with identifying services performing well as well as those that may benefit from improvement., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In the context of a mature mammographic screening programme, the aim of this population-based study was to estimate rates of breast-cancer mortality among participants versus non-participants in Queensland, Australia., Methods: The Queensland Electoral Roll was used to identify women aged 50-65  in the year 2000 (n = 269,198). Women with a prior history of invasive or in situ breast cancer were excluded (n = 6,848). The study population was then linked to mammography records from BreastScreen Queensland together with the Wesley Breast Screening Clinic (the largest provider of private screening in Queensland) to establish a screened cohort (n = 187,558) and an unscreened cohort (n = 74,792). Cohort members were matched and linked to cancer notifications and deaths through the state-based Queensland Oncology Repository. Differences in breast-cancer mortality between the two cohorts were measured using Cox proportional hazards regression., Results: After 16 years of follow-up, women in the screened cohort showed a 39% reduction in breast-cancer mortality compared to the unscreened cohort (HR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.55-0.68). Cumulative mortality over the same period was 0.47% and 0.77% in the screened and unscreened cohorts, respectively., Conclusions: This study found a significant reduction in breast-cancer mortality for women who participated in mammographic screening compared to unscreened women. Our findings of a breast-cancer mortality benefit for women who have mammographic screening are in line with other observational studies.