Heidi E Turon

• Hunter New England Health

Issue Addressed Increasing rates of e‐cigarette use amongst adolescents has been identified as a public health concern, due to negative health effects and the association with an increased risk of tobacco use. Effective strategies to prevent e‐cigarette uptake are required. Text‐message programmes represent a potentially effective and cost‐effectiv...

This overview of reviews synthesizes the effectiveness of obesity prevention interventions in children and adults on BMI/zBMI, following JBI and Cochrane Handbook guidelines. The protocol was prospectively registered in OSF in September 2020. Searches for eligible reviews were run in five databases and gray literature in May 2022. Systematic review...

Background There is a large number of research studies about the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), with findings taking several years to be translated into practice. One reason for this lack of translation is a limited understanding of how to best disseminate NCD research findings to user-groups in a way that is salient and useful. An...

Introduction Adolescent e-cigarette use, globally and within Australia, has increased in recent years. In response, public health agencies have called for the development of education and communication programmes targeting adolescents. Despite such recommendations, few rigorous evaluations of such interventions currently exist. The main objective o...

Background Workplaces are an important setting to deliver program to reduce risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). To help decision makers understand the most current and relevant evidence regarding effectiveness of workplace programs, we conducted an umbrella review to present a comprehensive synthesis of the large volume of literature...

Introduction Adolescent e-cigarette use, globally and within Australia, has increased in recent years. In response, public health agencies have called for the development of education and communication programmes targeting adolescents. Despite such recommendations, few rigorous evaluations of such interventions currently exist. The main objective o...

Adolescent e-cigarette use (also known as vaping), globally and within Australia, has steadily increased in recent years, with e-cigarettes now the most heavily used nicotine-containing products amongst adolescents. In response to the rise in prevalence, governments have introduced legislation to curb the supply of e-cigarettes to adolescents. To s...

Objective: To document the outcomes of a dedicated Science Communication Community of Practice (CoP) for increasing prevention-focused knowledge translation (KT) and evidence uptake. Type of program: Shared priorities and a united vision to communicate the value of prevention research led to the formation of a dedicated Science Communication CoP w...

Objectives: To describe: i) how scalability domains (i.e., factors that influence a program's ability to expand to reach a larger population) are assessed and reported within randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of programs to improve child social and emotional learning in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings; and ii) relative impact o...

Background: The prevalence of e-cigarette use has increased globally amongst children and adolescents in recent years. In response to the increasing prevalence and emerging evidence about the potential harms of e-cigarettes in children and adolescents, leading public health organisations have called for approaches to address increasing e-cigarette...

Background Australian paramedics must engage in continuing professional development (CPD), including self-directed learning (SDL). This study aimed to examine paramedics’ attitudes towards training and learning activities and perceptions about what could increase engagement in self-directed CPD. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with...

Objective: Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are an important resource to improve population health, however little is known about the types of strategies to disseminate them. This study sought to describe dissemination strategies and content of dissemination plans that were available for FBDGs. Design: A cross-sectional audit of FBDGs with...

Background State-based Guidelines were issued for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services (caring for children 0–6 years) recommending greater time outdoors and inclusion of indoor-outdoor programs to facilitate social distancing to reduce spread of COVID-19. The aim of this 3-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to examine the impa...

Issue addressed: Obesity in children is one of the most significant public health issues globally. Given the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, there is a need to identify effective obesity prevention efforts that can be delivered at scale to improve child health. We aimed to (i) identify obesity prevention interventions target...

Background Dissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in order to improve health outcomes. However, evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and d...

Background: State-based Guidelines were issued for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services recommending greater time outdoors and inclusion of indoor-outdoor programs to facilitate social distancing to reduce spread of COVID-19. The aim of this 3-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to examine the impact of different dissemination s...

In 2021, guidelines for early childhood education and care were released recommending children are provided access to outdoor areas during all free play sessions to reduce the risk of coronavirus disease of 2019 transmission, aligning with the existing recommendations to increase children's physical activity. There is a need to understand how to di...

Given the significant physical and psychosocial side-effects cancer treatment has on individuals, it is important to ensure patients receive adequate preparation prior to treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore, among Australian oncology patients, (i) the self-reported treatment preparation information they received; and (ii) the patien...

Child obesity is one of the most significant public health issue globally. Given the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, there is a need to identify effective obesity prevention efforts that can be delivered at scale to improve child health. Intervention in infants and young children are critical as this is a period of rapid grow...

Aims: The benefits of increasing public access to data from clinical trials are widely accepted. Such benefits extend to the sharing of data from high-quality systematic reviews, given the time and cost involved with undertaking reviews. We describe the application of open sources of review data, outline potential challenges and highlight efforts...

Lay Summary Auditing clinical practice and providing performance feedback is commonly used as a method of monitoring and attempting to improve the quality of healthcare. The scope of the research evidence on audit and feedback strategies to improve patient care across an oncology treatment centers is currently unclear. A scoping review of the liter...

Background This systematic review described the association between electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/ENNDS) use among non-smoking children and adolescents aged <20 years with subsequent tobacco use. Methods We searched five electronic databases and the grey literature up to end of September 20...

The physical environment of a treatment centre may impact the well-being of patients and their perceptions of care. Outpatients with haematological cancer may be in contact with the treatment centre over long periods and could be particularly affected. This study aimed to identify haematological cancer patients' perceptions of supportive design ele...

Objective: Supportive care is recognised as an integral component of cancer care. To comprehensively improve supportive care and to inform policy, it is essential to examine consumer's views of health services. This study aimed to develop and test a patient-centred approach by measuring consumer perspectives on the importance of aspects of support...

Objective: There are published guidelines on the care that should be provided to cancer patients upon finishing treatment (i.e. follow-up care). Gaps in care may arise where patients' reported experiences of care do not align with guideline recommendations. The aim of this study was to explore whether oncology patients report gaps in patient-cente...

Background Despite their central role in patient care, few studies have explored cancer nurses’ perspectives about errors within the health care system. Aims To determine in a sample of cancer nurses the: (1) perceived accuracy of patient-reported health care error rates in medical oncology and haematology care; (2) extent to which nurses’ perceiv...

Background Continuous quality improvement in cancer care relies on the collection of accurate data on the quality of care provided. It is suggested that such an approach should: (i) measure the patient’s care experience throughout the cancer trajectory; (ii) use items and response scales that measure concrete and specific aspects of care; (iii) min...

Objective: To explore the preferences of people with cancer regarding the timing and format of information provision about emotional concerns that may occur when undergoing medical procedures. Methods: Eligible cancer survivors were mailed a survey containing discrete choice scenarios examining their timing and format preferences for information...

Purpose Recognition and responses of the health system to healthcare errors are key areas for improvement in oncology. Despite their role in direct patient care, nurses' perceptions of errors have rarely been explored. The aim of this study was to determine oncology nurses’ direct experience of healthcare errors in the previous six months; the circ...

Individuals with a previous cancer diagnosis are at risk of cancer recurrence. However, many cancer survivors do not adhere to lifestyle recommendations to reduce cancer risk. Little is known about the extent to which cancer patients are asked about lifestyle risk factors by healthcare providers following diagnosis. The aim of this study is to dete...

Purpose To explore the experiences of haematological cancer outpatients in obtaining information about their cancer and its treatment. Methods A cross-sectional survey of adult haematological cancer outpatients was conducted. Participants completed two pen-and-paper questionnaires: the first examined demographics and disease characteristics; the s...

Background Advance care planning involves considering, discussing and documenting future wishes in case a person is unable to make or communicate decisions. Given people with dementia are at high risk of future decisional incapacity, it is critical that advance care planning occurs early in the illness trajectory. Aim To determine (1) the number o...

Public health policy has the potential to produce great benefits for individuals and communities. There is growing demand that such efforts be rigorously evaluated to ensure that the expected benefits are, in fact, realised. Commonly, public health policy is evaluated by consumer acceptability, reach, or changes in knowledge and attitudes. Non-robu...

Introduction There is a need to improve the psychosocial well-being of cancer patients. To date, intervention research has primarily focussed on improving psychosocial well-being through targeting singular aspects of care at the individual patient level. Sustainable, high-quality psychosocial care should address the issues faced by people diagnosed...

Objectives: Using a vignette‐style DCE in a sample of oncology patients, this study explored: (1) The relative influence of the patient's level of concern about their depression on preferences for care; (2) The relative influence of depression severity according to a mental health checklist on preferred treatment seeking options; and (3) Whether pa...

Background Medical oncology outpatients are a group for whom advance care planning (ACP) activities are particularly relevant. Patient views can help prioritise areas for improving end of life communication. The study aimed to determine in a sample of medical oncology outpatients: (1) the perceived importance of participating in ACP activities; (2)...

Anxiety and depression can be heightened among individuals living with chronic diseases. Identifying these individuals is necessary for ensuring they are provided with adequate support. Traditional tools such as clinical interviews or symptom checklists are not always feasible to implement in practice. Robust single-item questions may be a useful a...

Background and Aims While cancer patients' preferences for their level of involvement in treatment decision making (TDM) vary, previous research indicates a large proportion of patients are not experiencing TDM that meets their preferences. Evidence is needed to identify the characteristics of cancer patients who are less likely to report experienc...

Data S1 Supporting Information

Purpose: To describe the perceptions of haematological cancer patients about the components of care deemed essential to supporting them to obtain and understand information about their cancer, its treatment and its impact on their life. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with individuals diagnosed with haematological cancer. Eligibl...

We examined whether not having been asked by their clinicians about how involved cancer patients would like to be in their treatment decisions is related to discordance between patients’ preferred and perceived involvement in treatment decision‐making. This was a cross‐sectional survey of adult cancer patients recruited from five medical and radiat...

Objective: Many people with cancer report an unmet need for peer support, yet participation rates are low. This study examined cancer patients’ preferences for participating in peer support, and the characteristics associated with having or wanting to participate in peer support. Methods: Adult cancer patients were recruited from outpatient oncolog...

Objective: To describe in a sample of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of a hematological cancer: (a) the proportion who self-report experiencing an unexpected adverse event as part of their care; (b) how the adverse event was handled by the health-care organization; and (c) the sociodemographic, disease, and treatment characteristics associate...

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore medical oncology outpatients' perceived experiences of errors in their cancer care. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. English-speaking medical oncology outpatients aged 18 years or older were recruited from 9 Australian cancer treatment centers. Participants completed 2 paper-a...

Background Socially disadvantaged groups, such as Aboriginal Australians, tend to have a high prevalence of multiple lifestyle risk factors, increasing the risk of disease and underscoring the need for services to address multiple health behaviours. The aims of this study were to explore, among a socially disadvantaged group of people attending an...

Background The cost of medicines may prove prohibitive for some cancer patients, potentially reducing the ability of a health system to fully deliver best practice care. Objective To identify nonuse or nonpurchase of cancer-related medicines due to cost, and to describe the perceived financial burden of such medicines and associated patient charact...

BackgroundA high level of support for tissue banking has been identified amongst both the general public and patients. However, much debate remains about the regulatory framework of tissue banks. Objective This study explored the views of haematological cancer patients regarding tissue banking and how tissue banks should operate. Methods Haematolog...

Background Supporting people after bereavement is a priority area for many health services. Investment in bereavement care must be supported by a rigorous evidence-base. Aim To examine the (1) relative proportion of descriptive, measurement and intervention research in grief counselling and (2) quality and effectiveness of intervention studies. D...

There is a growing body of literature examining the clustering of health risk behaviours, but little consensus about which risk factors can be expected to cluster for which sub groups of people. This systematic review aimed to examine the international literature on the clustering of smoking, poor nutrition, excess alcohol and physical inactivity (...

Indigenous Australians are a socially disadvantaged group who experience significantly poorer health and a higher prevalence of modifiable health behaviours than other Australians. Little is known about the clustering of health risks among Indigenous Australians. The aims of this study were to describe the clustering of key health risk factors, suc...

Background: Alcohol disproportionately affects socially disadvantaged groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. METHODs to assess alcohol intake for disadvantaged communities need to be able to capture variable or episodic drinking. The ability of a seven-day diary to capture typical consumption for a predominantly Aborig...

Lower back pain is prevalent in the general community. Guidelines recommend against the use of diagnostic imaging unless ‘red flags’ are present that may indicate a potentially serious cause. This paper reports on a cross-sectional electronic survey to investigate self-reported experiences of lower back pain management among Australian general prac...

Skin cancers including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers are a high-cost and largely preventable form of cancer. While limiting exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) light via outdoor activities is a focus of public health efforts, indoor UV exposure via solaria or 'tanning booths' has also become a cause for concern. In recent decades the availa...

There is a clear disparity in smoking rates according to social disadvantage. In the absence of sufficiently robust data regarding effective strategies for reducing smoking prevalence in disadvantaged populations, understanding the views of tobacco control experts can assist with funding decisions and research agendas. A web-based cross-sectional s...

Background Providing smoking cessation programmes through workplaces is an effective method of assisting employees to quit smoking; however, few employers provide such services, and achieving long-term success remains challenging.AimsTo evaluate the effectiveness of a workplace-based tailored smoking cessation programme that combined telephone-base...

Chronic conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental illness are increasingly prevalent and associated with considerable psychosocial burden. There is a need to consider population health approaches to reducing this burden. Web-based interventions offer an alternative to traditional face-to-face interventions with several potential...

A discrepancy exists between the demand for and the availability of solid organs for transplant. Barriers to organ donation can be encountered at 2 key points: (1) when trying to increase the number of people willing to become organ donors and registering their intent and (2) at the time of organ procurement. Several predictors of individual willin...

Despite the persistent socioeconomic gradient associated with smoking, little is known about how to 'close the gap'. There is a debate regarding the implications of directing resources away from general population efforts towards disadvantaged groups. The study explored views of those with expertise in tobacco control about the appropriate balance...