Sleep Disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Residents of Regional and Remote Australia.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To compare the use of sleep diagnostic tests, the risks, and cofactors, and outcomes of the care of Indigenous and non-indigenous Australian adults in regional and remote Australia in whom sleep related breathing disorders have been diagnosed. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 200 adults; 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and 100 non-indigenous adults with a confirmed sleep related breathing disorder diagnosed prior to September 2011 at Alice Springs Hospital and Cairns Hospital, Australia. RESULTS: Results showed overall Indigenous Australians were 1.8 times more likely to have a positive diagnostic sleep study performed compared with non-indigenous patients, 1.6 times less likely in central Australia and 3.4 times more likely in far north Queensland. All regional and remote residents accessed diagnostic sleep studies at a rate less than Australia overall (31/100,000/y (95% confidence interval, 21-44) compared with 575/100,000/y). CONCLUSION: The barriers to diagnosis and ongoing care are likely to relate to remote residence, lower health self-efficacy, the complex nature of the treatment tool, and environmental factors such as electricity and sleeping area. Indigeneity, remote residence, environmental factors, and low awareness of sleep health are likely to affect service accessibility and rate of use and capacity to enhance patient and family education and support following a diagnosis. A greater understanding of enablers and barriers to care and evaluation of interventions to address these are required. COMMENTARY: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1255.

Obstructive sleep apnoea in adult indigenous populations in high-income countries: an integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea is recognised as a common but under-diagnosed health issue. Currently, there is very little published data relating to the burden and impact of obstructive sleep apnoea among indigenous populations. The purpose of this review was to investigate the prevalence, impact, risk factors and treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in indigenous populations in high-income countries. METHODS: An integrative review was conducted on 25 English language studies and reports that investigated obstructive sleep apnoea among indigenous populations in high-income countries. Studies that did not focus on indigenous populations in the results or discussion were excluded. Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases and reference lists of eligible studies. Publication dates range from 1998 to 2012. RESULTS: Synthesis of studies indicates the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea is higher and severity is greater in indigenous populations compared with non-indigenous populations. Comparable risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea were identified in indigenous and non-indigenous populations, with only three studies identifying ethnicity as an independent risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Indigenous populations in high-income countries are subject to an overall greater prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea that is also more severe. A higher prevalence of obesity, alcohol and tobacco use and comorbid medical conditions associated with low socioeconomic status rather than indigenous status per se appears to explain this disparity.

A review of valve surgery for rheumatic heart disease in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Globally, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains an important cause of heart disease. In Australia it particularly affects older non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal Australians and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Factors associated with the choice of treatment for advanced RHD remain variable and poorly understood. METHODS: The Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons Cardiac Surgery Database was analysed. Demographics, co-morbidities, pre-operative status and valve(s) affected were collated and associations with management assessed. RESULTS: Surgical management of 1384 RHD and 15843 non-RHD valve procedures was analysed. RHD patients were younger, more likely to be female and Indigenous Australian, to have atrial fibrillation (AF) and previous percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty (PBV). Surgery was performed on one valve in 64.5%, two valves in 30.0% and three valves in 5.5%. Factors associated with receipt of mechanical valves in RHD were AF (OR 2.69) and previous PBV (OR 1.98) and valve surgery (OR 3.12). Predictors of valve repair included being Indigenous (OR 3.84) and having fewer valves requiring surgery (OR 0.10). Overall there was a significant increase in the use of mitral bioprosthetic valves over time. CONCLUSIONS: RHD valve surgery is more common in young, female and Indigenous patients. The use of bioprosthetic valves in RHD is increasing. Given many patients are female and younger, the choice of valve surgery and need for anticoagulation has implications for future management of RHD and related morbidity, pregnancy and lifestyle plans.

Sleep disordered breathing and polysomnography in Australia: trends in provision from 2005 to 2012 and the impact of home-based diagnosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To describe the growth of publicly funded polysomnography (PSG) in Australia since 2004 and to compare this with earlier growth. METHODS: Longitudinal census-level data stratified by jurisdiction were retrieved from the Medicare Australia online database. RESULTS: There has been a near doubling in provision of PSG since the introduction of publicly funded in-home PSG under the Australian national Medicare program available to all Australian citizens in 2008. Overall annual PSG rates have risen from 339 in 2005 to 608 in 2012 per 100,000. This growth has exceeded that of comparable diagnostic procedures and all Medicare services overall. Queensland remains the leading jurisdiction per 100,000 Medicare enrollees for accessing Medicare-funded PSG. CONCLUSION: The continued growth in publicly funded PSG provision in Australia is unlikely to abate. The disparity in Australia between the estimated prevalence of sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, and the number of people having PSGs would suggest there remain a large number of undiagnosed cases. Support for the development of appropriate diagnostic and screening algorithms will be key in ensuring sustainable, effective, efficient, and accessible PSG services.

Screening for rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Rheumatic heart disease is preventable but causes significant morbidity and mortality in Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander populations. Screening echocardiography has the potential to detect early rheumatic heart disease thereby enabling timely commencement of treatment (secondary prophylaxis) to halt disease progression. However, a number of issues prevent echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease satisfying the Australian criteria for acceptable screening programs. Primarily, it is unclear what criteria should be used to define a positive screening result as questions remain regarding the significance, natural history and potential treatment of early and subclinical rheumatic heart disease. Furthermore, at present the delivery of secondary prophylaxis in Australia remains suboptimal such that the potential benefits of screening would be limited. Finally, the impact of echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease on local health services and the psychosocial health of patients and families are yet to be ascertained.

Patient and health-care impact of a pilot rheumatic heart disease screening program.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a pilot screening program for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) on patient quality of life (QOL) and health services. METHODS: A QOL questionnaire (CHQ-PF28) was used to assess the impact of RHD screening on children with a potentially abnormal screening echocardiogram and matched normal controls. The health service response to a potentially abnormal screening echocardiogram and the impact of the screening program on health services was evaluated using medical record review, carer interviews and surveys of health-care providers. RESULTS: QOL was assessed in 68 children. Potentially abnormal screening echocardiograms were associated with poorer QOL in the General Health Perception (P < 0.05) and Parental Impact - Emotional (P < 0.05) domains. Health services contacted 82% of children with potentially abnormal echocardiograms, and clinical review occurred in 56%. A potentially abnormal echocardiogram was associated with a change in management in 6% (2/34) of children. When surveyed, 49% of health providers were aware of the RHD screening program, 29% had seen children referred with screening abnormalities and 85% of these providers stated this had an impact on local health-care delivery. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot RHD screening program was associated with poorer child and carer QOL for those with potentially abnormal results, greater health provider workload and suboptimal clinical follow-up. The adoption of screening for RHD in high-risk populations should be approached cautiously. Further research is required to facilitate and validate improved echocardiographic diagnostic criteria for RHD and the systematic assessment of the benefits and adverse effects of such screening.

Rheumatic Fever Follow-Up Study (RhFFUS) protocol: a cohort study investigating the significance of minor echocardiographic abnormalities in Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander children.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is almost exclusively restricted to Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people with children being at highest risk. International criteria for echocardiographic diagnosis of RHD have been developed but the significance of minor heart valve abnormalities which do not reach these criteria remains unclear. The Rheumatic Fever Follow-Up Study (RhFFUS) aims to clarify this question in children and adolescents at high risk of RHD. METHODS/DESIGN: RhFFUS is a cohort study of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents aged 8-17 years residing in 32 remote Australian communities. Cases are people with non-specific heart valve abnormalities detected on prior screening echocardiography. Controls (two per case) are age, gender, community and ethnicity-matched to cases and had a prior normal screening echocardiogram. Participants will have echocardiography about 3 years after initial screening echocardiogram and enhanced surveillance for any history suggestive of acute rheumatic fever (ARF). It will then be determined if cases are at higher risk of (1) ARF or (2) developing progressive echocardiography-detected valve changes consistent with RHD.The occurrence and timing of episodes of ARF will be assessed retrospectively for 5 years from the time of the RhFFUS echocardiogram. Episodes of ARF will be identified through regional surveillance and notification databases, carer/subject interviews, primary healthcare history reviews, and hospital separation diagnoses.Progression of valvular abnormalities will be assessed prospectively using transthoracic echocardiography and standardized operating and reporting procedures. Progression of valve lesions will be determined by specialist cardiologist readers who will assess the initial screening and subsequent RhFFUS screening echocardiogram for each participant. The readers will be blinded to the initial assessment and temporal order of the two echocardiograms. DISCUSSION: RhFFUS will determine if subtle changes on echocardiography represent the earliest changes of RHD or mere variations of normal heart anatomy. In turn it will inform criteria to be used in determining whether secondary antibiotic prophylaxis should be utilized in individuals with no clear history of ARF and minor abnormalities on echocardiography. RhFFUS will also inform the ongoing debate regarding the potential role of screening echocardiography for the detection of RHD in this setting.

How prepared are rural and remote health care practitioners to provide evidence-based management for people with chronic lung disease?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the existing experience, training, confidence and knowledge of rural/remote health care practitioners in providing management for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional, observational survey design using a written anonymous questionnaire. This study formed part of a larger project evaluating the impact of breathe easy walk easy (BEWE), an interactive education and training program for rural and remote health care practitioners. SETTING: Rural (n = 1, New South Wales) and remote (n = 1, Northern Territory) Australian health care services. PARTICIPANTS: Health care practitioners who registered to attend the BEWE training program (n = 31). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participant attitudes, objective knowledge and self-rated experience, training and confidence related to providing components of management for people with COPD. RESULTS: Participants were from a variety of professional backgrounds (medical, nursing, allied health) but were predominantly nurses (n = 13) or physiotherapists (n = 9). Most participants reported that they had minimal or no experience or training in providing components of management for people with COPD. Confidence was also commonly rated by participants as low. Mean knowledge score (number of correct answers out of 19) was 8.5 (SD = 4.5). Questions relating to disease pathophysiology and diagnosis had higher correct response rates than those relating more specifically to pulmonary rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that some rural and remote health care practitioners have low levels of experience, knowledge and confidence related to providing components of management for people with COPD and that education and training with an emphasis on pulmonary rehabilitation would be beneficial.