With an ageing population, understanding leading causes of hospitalisation in older adults is critical for care strategies. These leading causes may vary across residential settings and by seasonal patterns. This study examines the temporal trends of leading causes of hospitalisation among older adults in community-dwelling and nursing home settings, specifically comparing patterns during winter and summer seasons.

A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from Hong Kong public hospitals (2012–2018) was conducted for three million adults aged ≥65. Age-standardised and sex-standardised monthly hospitalisation rates and average annual percentage change (AAPC, representing the average yearly percentage change in rates) were examined for leading causes during summer and winter across settings.

Among community-dwelling individuals, the top five causes in 2018 were symptoms, signs and abnormalities not classified elsewhere (NEC), neoplasms, genitourinary, circulatory and respiratory diseases in winter, with digestive diseases replacing respiratory diseases in summer. Symptoms, signs and abnormalities NEC (AAPC: 2.7% (95% CI 1.8% to 3.6%) in winter; 3.4% (2.8% to 4.0%) in summer), neoplasms (2.4% (1.4% to 3.4%) in winter; 2.5% (1.6% to 3.4%) in summer), genitourinary (2.5% (2.1% to 2.9%) in winter; 2.4% (1.8% to 3.0%) in summer) and digestive diseases (2.5% (1.6% to 3.3%) in winter; 2.6% (1.7% to 3.5%) in summer) increased, while circulatory diseases decreased in winter. In nursing home residents, the top five causes in 2018 were respiratory diseases, symptoms, signs and abnormalities NEC, genitourinary, circulatory and digestive diseases in winter and summer. Symptoms, signs and abnormalities NEC increased (2.9% (0.9% to 5.0%) in winter; 2.9% (0.8% to 5.1%) in summer), while circulatory diseases declined across seasons. Genitourinary diseases remained stable across seasons, whereas digestive diseases declined in winter.

In Hong Kong’s ageing population, seasonal and temporal shifts in hospitalisation causes were observed. Symptoms, signs and abnormalities NEC emerged as the top two causes across settings, highlighting challenges for primary care and hospital management and need for enhanced prevention and care strategies.

Colchicine has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events and may improve outcomes in arteriovenous fistulas used for haemodialysis due to antiproliferative effects. However, it is often avoided in patients receiving dialysis. Therefore, a large trial assessing the potential benefits of colchicine in dialysis patients cannot begin without further data on feasibility. The primary objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of carrying out future trials of colchicine in dialysis patients.

This is an open-label, single centre, single arm study with 100 participants. The primary outcome is feasibility and the decision to progress to a full-scale trial. This will be based on the consent rate and the colchicine discontinuation rate. Secondary objectives are testing the feasibility of data collection procedures relating to quality-of-life measures, vascular access interventions and safety. Other secondary objectives are to assess the utility of the electronic health record for collecting trial data and to explore patients’ and healthcare providers’ experiences and attitudes towards colchicine and a feasibility study.

The study has Research Ethics Committee approval (Wales REC 6; 24/WA/0277). It is intended that the results of the study will be reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

ISRCTN91308625.

Ensuring equity in medical specialist distribution is essential for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). This study explored the changes in the availability and distribution of medical specialists in Thailand from 2015 to 2024 and assessed the equity impacts on workforce.

A retrospective longitudinal analysis of national administrative workforce data.

Public and private hospitals across Thailand, covering 1471 facilities in 77 provinces.

The primary outcomes were specialist-to-population ratios and geographical equity measured using the Gini coefficient (G), where values closer to 0 indicate greater equity. Explanatory variables included specialty type, geographical region and the timing of major workforce policies, including mandatory service and specialty-specific legislative interventions.

Between 2015 and 2024, the GPs and specialists in Thailand expanded significantly, with improvements in both density and distribution. The Gini coefficient for GPs showed the largest equity improvement (G=0.42 in 2015 and G=0.22 in 2024), reflecting the impact of mandatory service programme and rural recruitment programmes. Among specialists, emergency and family medicine have shown rapid growth and significant reductions in distribution inequity, reflecting the success of legislative policies. Sustainability of workforce policies was challenged by the ‘leaking stock’ phenomenon due to attraction of career opportunities and economic drives.

Workforce targeted interventions have led to improvements in the availability and equitable distribution of GPs and medical specialists over the past decade. Further policy, such as retention incentives and assisted technology, is needed to achieve equitable distribution across all specialties, particularly in low-density fields. Thailand’s experience offers the lessons for other low- and middle-income countries as the evidence-based and equity-focused workforce policies for UHC advancement.

To describe prescription patterns, dosing and persistence of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Singapore, and to identify factors associated with the use of quadruple therapy (ACE inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), β-blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor).

Retrospective, observational cohort study.

Secondary and tertiary care settings across seven public hospitals in Singapore.

3999 adults hospitalised from 2020 to 2022 with a first heart failure-related admission and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%. Patients with absolute contraindications to specific GDMT classes were excluded from eligibility calculations.

Primary outcomes were the proportions of eligible patients prescribed each GDMT class and quadruple therapy at discharge. Secondary outcomes were 6-month prescription patterns, dose attainment and predictors of quadruple therapy use.

Among eligible patients, 80%–99% met criteria for each GDMT drug class, yet only 29% received quadruple therapy at discharge in 2022. Prescription rates for ACEi/ARB/ARNI (67%), beta-blockers (89%), MRAs (40%), and SGLT2 inhibitors (46%) remained suboptimal despite high eligibility. At discharge, over 90% of patients on ACEi/ARB/ARNI and beta-blockers received ≤50% of target doses. By 6 months, prescription rates declined by 16% for ACEi/ARB/ARNI, 26% for beta-blockers and 7% for MRAs, while SGLT2 inhibitor use increased. Older age (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.98) and chronic kidney disease stage 3a–4 (OR 0.65 to 0.04) were associated with lower odds of receiving quadruple therapy, while significant institutional variation was observed.

Despite high eligibility, uptake and optimisation of GDMT remain poor in Singapore, with substantial treatment gaps driven by underprescription, inadequate dosing and discontinuation. Interventions targeting clinician awareness, postdischarge support and institutional practice variation may improve adherence to guideline-recommended therapy.

To investigate the association between longitudinal trajectories of metabolic risk clusters and the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and major adverse kidney events (MAKEs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Prospective registry-based cohort study.

Secondary and tertiary care settings in Taiwan, using data from a multidisciplinary pre-ESKD care programme.

A total of 1494 adult patients with CKD stages 3b–5 enrolled in a structured pre-ESKD care programme.

Time to initiation of dialysis (primary outcome) and time to MAKE, defined as a composite of dialysis initiation or all-cause mortality (secondary outcome). Group-based multitrajectory modelling was used to categorise longitudinal trajectories of metabolic risk clusters, including systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Four trajectory groups were identified: Group I had controlled blood pressure and glucose but elevated LDL (dialysis incidence: 19.5 per 1000 person-years); Group II had borderline-high blood pressure and elevated glucose (33.6 per 1000 person-years); Group III had controlled glucose and low LDL but borderline-high blood pressure (38.8 per 1000 person-years) and Group IV had controlled glucose but elevated blood pressure and LDL (46.7 per 1000 person-years). Compared with the other groups, Group I exhibited significantly longer dialysis-free and MAKE-free survival (log-rank test, p

Longitudinal trajectories of metabolic risk cluster are associated with differential risks of CKD progression to ESKD and death. Our findings provide valuable insights into the monitoring of metabolic risk profiles over time in patients with CKD.

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviours (SITBs) represent a critical public and mental health challenge. Adolescents are disproportionately at risk for engaging in SITBs. Intervening early and addressing pathogenic and proximal risk/vulnerability factors is of critical importance for this vulnerable population. Digital Single-Session Interventions (D-SSIs) offer a promising solution to unmet need for accessible, scalable and engaging care. This pilot study aims to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the interventions and clinical trial protocol for Programme LIFT (Little Interventions for Teens), a newly developed suite of D-SSIs targeting emotional regulation, self-criticism, rumination and hopelessness as key risk processes involved in the maintenance of SITBs.

We aim to recruit 216 Australian adolescents aged 15–19 years who have experienced SITBs in the past 2 months into an online, 2x2 factorial randomised controlled trial to pilot the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention protocol (D-SSI+28 days of skill practice) and trial procedures, and establish study retention. Random allocation procedures will be used to test factors that may affect adherence to the intervention protocol (primary feasibility outcome), by testing the effect of: (1) intervention assignment method (free choice vs clinician prescribed), and (2) a postintervention brief, supportive phone check-in at 7 days postcompletion of the D-SSI (phone call vs no call). Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed using online surveys at postintervention (T1) and 30 days follow-up (T3), along daily brief assessments of skill practice between T1 and T2 (T2). The trial and its protocol were developed and reported in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items for Interventional Trials checklist.

This study is approved by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC#9032). Results will be published in an open access peer-reviewed journal, and key study findings will be shared with participants and stakeholders within 3 months after completion of the study.

ACTRN12625000963426.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised cancer treatment through targeted disruption of the physiological pathways that maintain tissue tolerance, but which are co-opted by cancers to evade immunosurveillance. Thus, the resultant T-cell activity often causes immune-related adverse events including immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced inflammatory arthritis (ICI-IA). ICI-IA results in functional impairment that frequently persists, even after ICI discontinuation, with substantial quality-of-life impacts for cancer survivors.

A high-quality body of evidence to guide ICI-IA management remains an unmet need. Pharmacological treatment may be prolonged, typically begins with non-specific immunosuppression, including systemic steroids, and is usually only rationalised to more targeted therapy in resistant cases. Moreover, retrospective data suggest the high dose glucocorticoids sometimes used in new-onset ICI-IA may be associated with worse cancer outcomes.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition strategies are well established with excellent efficacy and safety profiles in ‘spontaneous’ inflammatory arthritides including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. Mechanistic evidence from ex vivo and murine studies also supports the utility of anti-TNF therapy for steroid-refractory cases of ICI-IA. Although good clinical responses have been reported in this setting, the REACT trial (REmission induction of Arthritis caused by Cancer ImmunoTherapy) aims to provide randomised and robust clinical evidence for deploying targeted therapy earlier in ICI-IA management. It will test whether up-front anti-TNF therapy can more effectively and quickly control symptoms, reduce glucocorticoid exposure, prevent early ICI discontinuation and increase the frequency of drug-free ICI-IA remission.

REACT is a prospective, multicentre, open-label, superiority, two-arm, randomised controlled clinical trial to guide initial therapy for patients with ICI-IA. The trial will compare the current standard of care (initial prednisolone; Arm A) with the anti-TNF drug, adalimumab without glucocorticoids (Arm B).

The primary outcome is glucocorticoid-free arthritis remission rate at 24 weeks where remission is defined as: (i) No use of systemic or intra-articular glucocorticoids (except when used for adrenal insufficiency) within 4 weeks prior to assessment at 24 weeks; and (ii) absence of synovitis on clinical examination.

The protocol was approved by East Midlands—Leicester South Research Ethics Committee on 31-Oct-2024 (Ref: 24/EM/0202). Participants are required to provide written informed consent. The results of this trial will be disseminated through national and international presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

ISRCTN18217497.

To assess the levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) toward skin cancer prevention among Malaysian adults and to examine differences in KAP across socio-demographic groups.

Cross-sectional online survey.

Community-based study conducted in Malaysia using social media recruitment.

A total of 386 adults aged ≥18 years residing in Malaysia. Most participants were young adults (86.3%), female (55.4%) and of Chinese ethnicity (65.5%). Healthcare professionals were excluded.

Primary outcomes were levels of knowledge, attitude and preventive practices toward skin cancer, measured using the validated KAP-SC-Q (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Skin Cancer Questionnaire) and categorised as poor, moderate or good. Secondary outcomes included differences in KAP across socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, analysed using independent t-tests and ² tests.

Over half of participants demonstrated poor knowledge of skin cancer (56.0%) and the vast majority showed inadequate preventive practices (84.2%), while attitudes toward skin cancer were predominantly positive (62.4%). Significant differences in mean KAP scores and categorical levels were observed across several socio-demographic variables. Participants with tertiary education had higher knowledge (14.32 vs 12.61) and attitude scores (20.01 vs 15.95; p

Malaysian adults exhibited limited knowledge and very poor preventive practices toward skin cancer despite generally positive attitudes. These findings highlight substantial gaps between awareness and behaviour and support the need for targeted public health interventions to correct misconceptions, improve risk perception especially in high-risk groups and promote effective ultraviolet protection behaviours.

Since 1985, the international healthcare community has recommended the ideal rate of caesarean section (CS) to be 10%–15% at the national level. The literature has reported that overused CS without necessary medical indications can be harmful to both maternal and child health. To generate evidence to support policy on CS, this study evaluated the trend over time of CS in Thailand during January 2016 to October 2021 (which included the COVID-19 pandemic period) and explored predictors of CS use.

This study was a retrospective secondary data analysis of de-identified hospitalisation data under the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) from the National Health Security Office’s e-Claims database. Descriptive analyses were conducted to explore the number and rate of CS over time and across different characteristics (ie, age, hospital type, COVID-19 status and delivery day) including a multivariable logistic analysis to explore predictors of CS. Interrupted time series analysis was adopted to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on CS rate.

569 321 CS cases under UCS from 2016 to 2021.

The results showed an increasing trend of CS rate, from 30% in January 2016 to 35% in October 2021. Both clinical (eg, medical indication and age) and non-clinical (eg, region and day of delivery) factors were significantly associated with CS. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic had no significant effect on CS rate (level: –0.0016, 95% CI –0.0085 to 0.0053, p=0.66).

This study highlighted an increasing trend of CS in Thailand and could present supportive evidence that Thailand might have been facing an overuse of CS. More awareness and actions are warranted to ensure the movement towards reduction of unnecessary CS in Thailand.

Primary healthcare (PHC) workforce shortages remain a critical global and national challenge, threatening progress toward Universal Health Coverage. Limited research has examined career-stage-specific motivations and deterrents. This study explores how perceptions of PHC careers differ between final-year medical students and current PHC providers, offering insights for targeted recruitment and retention strategies.

We conducted semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews (November 2023 to December 2024) with final-year medical students and primary healthcare providers (PCPs) from Greater Bay Area institutions. Participants were purposively sampled to ensure diversity in key characteristics. Interviews continued until thematic saturation was reached. Data were analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-step framework.

Interviews with 17 PCPs and 13 students identified five themes: systemic and institutional factors, education and training, professional development, community perceptions and personal motivations and trade-offs. The analysis identified common barriers across the participant groups, including inadequate resources, fragmented health information systems, unstructured career pathways and inequitable pay-for-performance mechanisms. Career-stage differences were notable: students associated success with hospital-based specialisation and viewed PHC as a fallback option, influenced by limited PHC training exposure, unclear advancement pathways and prevailing stigma. In contrast, PCPs described professional fulfilment through developing niche expertise and fostering continuity of care, increasingly perceiving PHC as an innovative platform for specialised practice. PCPs with prior hospital experience described their transition from hospital settings as motivated by burnout and the pursuit of better work–life balance, an opportunity often overlooked in workforce planning.

Career-stage-specific recruitment strategies are essential to strengthen the PHC workforce. Policies that address early-career and mid-career needs, establish structured development pathways and enhance the societal value of PHC will be critical to building a resilient primary care system. Findings offer practical implications for health system reforms in China and other countries advancing toward Universal Health Coverage.

To assess the incidence and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in Taiwan.

Retrospective cohort study.

Secondary and tertiary care; data were collected from three affiliated hospitals in northern Taiwan.

A total of 7038 adult patients with clinically confirmed CKD stages 3–5 were included, of whom 14.09% had progressed to ESKD. Patients were identified from a multicentre database in northern Taiwan. Key exclusion criteria included age under 20 years, prior MACE, cancer or renal transplantation.

The primary outcome was the incidence of MACE during follow-up. Secondary analyses included time to MACE and subgroup comparisons by CKD stage and comorbid conditions (eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease).

MACE occurred in 49.8% of patients with CKD and 64.1% of those with ESKD. After adjustment for covariates, the ESKD group had a significantly higher risk of MACE (HR=1.52; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.16) compared with the non-ESKD group. Relative to stage 3a, the adjusted HRs for MACE were 1.13 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.73) for stage 3b, 1.13 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.70) for stage 4, 1.82 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.81) for stage 5 (non-ESKD) and 2.32 (95% CI 1.51 to 3.57) for stage 5D (ESKD). Diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities were associated with increased MACE incidence and shorter time to MACE, but their associations became non-significant after adjustment.

Based on a multicentre cohort from Taiwan, our findings provide insights into the prognosis of patients with CKD across disease stages and highlight the importance of targeted interventions and integrated care to improve cardiovascular outcomes.