An assessment of ten popular pregnancy applications (Apps) available for women in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: Given the growing popularity of health Apps, this study aimed to evaluate popular pregnancy Apps among Australian women. DESIGN: Ten popular pregnancy mobile device Apps accessible within Australia were assessed using the Deakin Health E-technologies Assessment Lab (HEAL) framework, the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) and other context-specific criteria. RESULTS: Most Apps were robust in use and user-friendly in terms of design. Based on the HEAL assessment, all the Apps scored between 70 and 89 out of 120. Only two of the ten Apps were locally hosted and operated. Only one App could search local health services using Victorian postcodes. All ten Apps were aligned with various privacy policy guidelines, but only one was reported to be fully aligned with the APP as it is locally hosted and operated. None of the Apps had accessibility features such as for visual or hearing difficulties. Only one App could be assessed as able to interface with the electronic medical record system in Australia due to a lack of publicly available information on this capability. CONCLUSIONS: Due to privacy concerns, pregnancy Apps accessible in Australia should be used with caution unless care is taken to select an App that fully complies with local requirements or international equivalents. All Apps were subjectively rated as moderate in quality, and more attention to accessibility and privacy features by App developers is recommended, along with the focus on integration with Australian digital health services.

Economic Burden and Service Utilization of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. This study aims to systematically synthesize the literature on service utilization and costs for children with ADHD. METHODS: The search included 9 databases for peer-reviewed primary studies in English from 2007 to 2023. Two independent reviewers conducted title/abstract and full-text screenings and quality assessment. Meta-analysis was conducted on direct medical costs. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were included. Children with ADHD have used more pharmaceuticals, mental health, and special education services than children without ADHD (counterparts). Nevertheless, one study found that children with ADHD were twice as likely to have unmet health needs than their counterparts. Annual health system costs per patient were highly varied and higher in children with ADHD ($722-$11 555) than their counterparts ($179-$3646). From a societal perspective, children with ADHD were associated with higher costs ($162-$18 340) than their counterparts ($0-2540). The overall weighted mean direct medical cost was $5319 for children with ADHD compared with $1152 for their counterparts when all studies with different sample sizes were considered together, with the difference being $4167. Limited literature on productivity losses associated with ADHD reported them as a substantial cost. ADHD in children had a "large" effect on the increment of direct medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD was associated with increased service utilization and costs. However, unmet health needs or underuse among children with ADHD was also evident. Governments should endeavor to improve access to effective services for children with ADHD to mitigate the impact of ADHD.

Social gradient in use of health services and health-related quality of life of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review.

Aims: ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) affects 5% of children on average. Despite the high need to access services for ADHD treatment, not all children with ADHD utilise healthcare services equally. This study aims to systematically synthesise evidence of equity and equality in health service use/costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL)/wellbeing of children with ADHD across socioeconomic (SES) classes. Methods: The literature search was conducted across seven databases (Academic Search complete, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, ERIC, Global Health, CINAHL and EconLit). The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published to 23rd January 2023 in English and focused on children. Study quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) checklists. Results: 25 out of 1207 articles were eligible for inclusion. The results showed that SES was associated with different types of healthcare utilisation. Only three studies were found on HRQoL/well-being. Children with ADHD from low SES families had lower HRQoL than children from high SES families. Conclusion: This study found that a social gradient exists in both healthcare service use and children's HRQoL among those with ADHD.

Modelling the potential acute and post-acute burden of COVID-19 under the Australian border re-opening plan.

BACKGROUND: Concerns have grown that post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 may affect significant numbers of survivors. However, the analyses used to guide policy-making for Australia's national and state re-opening plans have not incorporated non-acute illness in their modelling. We, therefore, develop a model by which to estimate the potential acute and post-acute COVID-19 burden using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with the re-opening of Australian borders and the easing of other public health measures, with particular attention to longer-term, post-acute consequences and the potential impact of permanent functional impairment following COVID-19. METHODS: A model was developed based on the European Burden of Disease Network protocol guideline and consensus model to estimate the burden of COVID-19 using DALYs. Data inputs were based on publicly available sources. COVID-19 infection and different scenarios were drawn from the Doherty Institute's modelling report to estimate the likely DALY losses under the Australian national re-opening plan. Long COVID prevalence, post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and potential permanent functional impairment incidences were drawn from the literature. DALYs were calculated for the following health states: the symptomatic phase, Long COVID, PICS and potential permanent functional impairment (e.g., diabetes, Parkinson's disease, dementia, anxiety disorders, ischemic stroke). Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis were performed to examine the robustness of the results. RESULTS: Mortality was responsible for 72-74% of the total base case COVID-19 burden. Long COVID and post-intensive care syndrome accounted for at least 19 and 3% of the total base case DALYs respectively. When included in the analysis, potential permanent impairment could contribute to 51-55% of total DALYs lost. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of Long COVID and potential long-term post-COVID disabilities could contribute substantially to the COVID-19 burden in Australia's post-vaccination setting. As vaccination coverage increases, the share of COVID-19 burden driven by longer-term morbidity rises relative to mortality. As Australia re-opens, better estimates of the COVID-19 burden can assist with decision-making on pandemic control measures and planning for the healthcare needs of COVID-19 survivors. Our estimates highlight the importance of valuing the morbidity of post-COVID-19 sequelae, above and beyond simple mortality and case statistics.

Impacts of chronic disease prevention programs implemented by private health insurers: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases contribute to a significant proportion (71%) of all deaths each year worldwide. Governments and other stakeholders worldwide have taken various actions to tackle the key risk factors contributing to the prevalence and impact of chronic diseases. Private health insurers (PHI) are one key stakeholders, particularly in Australian health system, and their engagement in chronic disease prevention is growing. Therefore, we investigated the impacts of chronic disease prevention interventions implemented by PHI both in Australia and internationally. METHOD: We searched multiple databases (Business Source Complete, CINAHL, Global Health, Health Business Elite, Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus) and grey literature for studies/reports published in English until September 2020 using search terms on the impacts of chronic disease prevention interventions delivered by PHIs. Two reviewers assessed the risk of bias using a quality assessment tool developed by Effective Public Healthcare Panacea Project. After data extraction, the literature was synthesised thematically based on the types of the interventions reported across studies. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO, CRD42020145644. RESULTS: Of 7789 records, 29 studies were eligible for inclusion. There were predominantly four types of interventions implemented by PHIs: Financial incentives, health coaching, wellness programs, and group medical appointments. Outcome measures across studies were varied, making it challenging to compare the difference between the effectiveness of different intervention types. Most studies reported that the impacts of interventions, such as increase in healthy eating, physical activity, and lower hospital admissions, last for a shorter term if the length of the intervention is shorter. INTERPRETATION: Although it is challenging to conclude which intervention type was the most effective, it appeared that, regardless of the intervention types, PHI interventions of longer duration (at least 2 years) were more beneficial and outcomes were more sustained than those PHI interventions that lasted for a shorter period. FUNDING: Primary source of funding was Geelong Medical and Hospital Benefits Association (GMHBA), an Australian private health insurer.