The Medical journal of Australia
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To investigate the relationship between access to fluoridated drinking water and area-level socio-economic status in Queensland. ⋯ The 2012 decision to devolve responsibility for water fluoridation decisions and funding from the Queensland government to local councils means that residents in lower socio-economic areas are less likely to have access to fluoridated water than those in more advantaged areas, exacerbating their already greater risk of dental disease. Queensland water fluoridation policy should be revised so that all residents can benefit from this evidence-based public health intervention for reducing the prevalence of dental caries.
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To investigate the demographic characteristics, substance use, and self-rated health of people entering treatment in New South Wales public health services for alcohol, amphetamine-type stimulants, cannabis, cocaine, or opioids use, by principal drug of concern. ⋯ The prevalence of social disadvantage and poor health is high among people seeking assistance with alcohol, amphetamine-type stimulants, cannabis, cocaine, or opioids use problems. Given the differences in these characteristics by principal drug of concern, health services should collect comprehensive patient information during assessment to facilitate more holistic, tailored, and person-centred care.
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To estimate the prevalence of long COVID among Western Australian adults, a highly vaccinated population whose first major exposure to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was during the 2022 Omicron wave, and to assess its impact on health service use and return to work or study. ⋯ Ninety days after infection with the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, 18.2% of survey respondents reported symptoms consistent with long COVID, of whom 38.7% (7.1% of all survey respondents) sought health care for related health concerns two to three months after the acute infection.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Psychosocial outcomes and health service use after notifying women participating in population breast screening when they have dense breasts: a BreastScreen Queensland randomised controlled trial.
Robust evidence regarding the benefits and harms of notifying Australian women when routine breast screening identifies that they have dense breasts is needed for informing future mammography population screening practice and policy. ⋯ Findings will be reported in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. They will also be reported to BreastScreen Queensland, BreastScreen Australia, Cancer Australia, and other bodies involved in cancer care and screening, including patient and support organisations.
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To investigate barriers to and facilitators of access to voluntary assisted dying in Victoria under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic). ⋯ Access to voluntary assisted dying has improved in Victoria, and people generally felt supported while navigating the application process once they found a coordinating practitioner or a navigator. But this step, and other barriers, often still made patient access difficult. Adequate support for doctors, navigators and other facilitators of access is vital for the effective functioning of the overall process.