Research Underway

Smoking and health services: new measures of risk and burden

Investigators:

Louisa Jorm (PI), Freddy Sitas, Emily Banks, Rachael Moorin, Dianne O'Connell, Marianne Weber, Sanja Lujic

Project aim(s):

  1. To link questionnaire data from 45 and Up Study participants to data on hospitalisations, ED presentations, use of MBS and PBS services and deaths.
  2. To analyse these linked data to establish the relationship between smoking and use of specific health services in 45 and Up Study participants.
  3. To analyse these linked data to establish the relationship between smoking and use of specific health services.
  4. To apply 45 and Up Study risk estimates to representative population data relating to the prevalence of smoking and use of hospital, ED, MBS and PBS services to estimate attributable risks and quantify the use of these services that is attributable to smoking.
  5. To analyse these linked data to establish the validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) of the recording of smoking (current and past) as a diagnosis in routine hospital data, and how these vary according to patient and admission characteristics.
  6. To use information regarding the validity of the recording of smoking to develop estimates of smoking-attributable hospital use from hospital data alone, and compare the resulting estimates with those generated using traditional methods.
  7. To use these results to identify opportunities for targeting preventive and policy interventions, improving estimation of the of the costs and benefits of smoking-related prevention and cessation programs, and strengthening ongoing monitoring and reporting of smoking-related health service use.

Project status:

Awaiting funding

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