Diabetic retinopathy (DR) in pregnancy can cause blindness. National guidelines recommend at least one eye examination in early pregnancy, then ideally 3-monthly, through to the postpartum for pregnant women with pregestational diabetes. Here we examined adherence rates, barriers and enablers to recommended DR screening guidelines.

Cross-sectional survey study, as part of a larger prospective cohort study.

Participants were recruited from two tertiary maternity hospitals in Melbourne, Australia.

Of the 173 pregnant women with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the main cohort study, with an additional four who participated solely in this survey study, 130 (74.3%) completed the survey.

This study calculated rates of adherence to guideline-recommended DR screening schedules and collected data on the enablers and barriers to attendance using a modified Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey. Each of the 5-point Likert-scale survey items was compared between adherent and non-adherent participants using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and logistic regression models were constructed to quantify associations as ORs.

A retinal assessment was undertaken at least once during pregnancy in 86.3% of participants, but only 40.9% attended during their first trimester and only 21.2% attended the recommended number of examinations. Competing priorities were the main barriers to adherence, with eye examinations ranked as the fourth priority (IQR 4th–5th) among other health appointments during pregnancy. Meanwhile, knowledge of the benefits of eye screening examinations, eye-check reminders and support from relatives was identified as enablers.

Despite the risk of worsening DR during pregnancy, less than half of the participants adhered to recommended screening guidelines, suggesting that eye health is not a priority. Proactive measures to integrate care are needed to prevent visual loss in this growing population.

Anxiety and depression are among the top contributors to disability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), but little is known about their economic impact. This study estimates the economic burden of moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression among adults in KSA.

A cross-sectional survey was administered via a web panel. Participants were asked to fill out the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) for themselves and on behalf of other household members to capture prevalence rates. Those who reported at least moderate symptoms of anxiety or depression filled out a longer survey with questions on healthcare utilisation and productivity losses due to symptoms. These responses were monetised using prevalence rates and population estimates to calculate per-person and total annual costs.

Prevalence estimates are based on responses from 1164 participants on behalf of 3202 Saudi adults. Of these, 269 individuals with symptoms completed the longer survey.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression; healthcare utilisation (medications, outpatient, inpatient) and productivity losses due to absenteeism and presenteeism.

In total, 26.2% reported at least moderate symptoms consistent with anxiety and/or depression. Among those with symptoms, direct healthcare costs due to anxiety and depression averaged Saudi riyal (SAR) 3431.95 per person annually. Indirect costs via absenteeism and presenteeism averaged SAR 9702.87 and SAR 24 577.28 per person assuming that anxiety and/or depression episodes last for 6 months. Summing up the healthcare costs and productivity losses yields a total annual economic burden of SAR 163.3 billion. Absenteeism accounts for 24.8% of this total (SAR 40.5 billion), presenteeism accounts for 62.8% (SAR 102.5 billion) and healthcare resource utilisation accounts for 12.4%(SAR 20.3 billion).

The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression in KSA is estimated at 26.2%. The economic burden associated with these symptoms amounts to SAR 163.3 billion or 4.1% of GDP. Absenteeism and presenteeism costs account for the vast majority of the total, but a large percentage (nearly 60%) also report emergency department visits and unplanned hospital admissions. Evidence-based interventions should be considered to address the health and economic burden of these conditions in KSA.

To analyse global trends in aortic aneurysm mortality from 1990 to 2021 and project future trends through 2036, examining variations across Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) quintiles, regions, nations, age groups and sexes.

We conducted a comprehensive analysis using mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021.

Data were obtained from the GBD 2021 database, covering 204 countries and territories across 21 GBD regions.

Individuals with aortic aneurysm-related mortality between 1990 and 2021.

Absolute deaths and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) per 100 000 from 1990 to 2021, stratified by SDI quintiles, GBD regions and individual nations. Temporal trends were quantified using estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and net drift, while decomposition analysis assessed contributions of population ageing, growth and epidemiological changes to mortality patterns. Risk factor attribution across regions and SDI levels was examined, alongside projections of ASMR and deaths through 2036 using the Nordic prediction method.

Global aortic aneurysm deaths increased from 88.35 thousand in 1990 to 153.93 thousand in 2021, while ASMR decreased from 2.54 to 1.86 per 100 000 (EAPC: –1.28%). High SDI regions showed significant ASMR declines (EAPC: –1.982%), while low-middle SDI regions experienced increases (EAPC: 1.272%). Marked regional variations were observed, with Australasia showing the largest decrease (EAPC: –4.114%) and Central Asia the highest increase (EAPC: 2.498%). Japan diverged from other developed countries with significant mortality increase. Decomposition analysis revealed that increased mortality was primarily driven by population growth (59.109 million) and ageing (46.385 million), partially offset by epidemiological improvements (–39.92 million). The male-to-female ASMR ratio decreased globally from 2.45 to 2.00. Tobacco remained the leading risk factor globally, while body mass index emerged as an increasing concern. Projections indicate a slight global ASMR decrease by 2036, with concerning increases in regions like high-income Asia Pacific and South Asia.

Despite declining global ASMR, the absolute burden of aortic aneurysm mortality continues to grow with significant regional and sex-based disparities. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, particularly in regions facing increasing mortality rates, and emphasise the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors while strengthening healthcare infrastructure in vulnerable areas.

The co-occurrence of multiple long-term conditions, that is, multimorbidity, is increasing globally and is associated with lower quality of life and increased risk of death. The risk and prevalence of multimorbidity are higher among women compared with men, but currently, evidence focusing on women’s multiple long-term conditions during the perinatal period is limited. Existing evidence needs to be examined to determine the extent to which maternal multimorbidity or women’s multiple health needs related to pregnancy have been addressed, especially for women living in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) where this burden of disease is the highest. The objective of this scoping review is to map existing evidence in LMICs on (a) Study designs and data sources, (b) Context-relevant definitions and descriptions, (c) Associated risk and protective factors, (d) Relevant maternal and infant health outcomes and (e) Treatments and interventions used to manage multiple long-term conditions before, during and after pregnancy.

This scoping review will be conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement extension for scoping reviews. This review will include observational, experimental or quasi-experimental studies, as well as systematic or umbrella reviews, on multimorbidity in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in prepregnancy, pregnancy or up to 6 weeks after childbirth in LMICs. The studies will focus on definitions, risk and protective factors and management strategies for multiple long-term conditions before, during and after pregnancy. Studies of morbidity in women with a single index condition or conditions that are not related to pregnancy or childbirth will be excluded. A search strategy will be developed using thesaurus (including MeSH) and free-text terms for ‘maternal morbidity’ or ‘multiple long-term conditions’ and associated keywords such as multimorbidity, co-morbidity and unmet health needs related to pregnancy and/or childbirth for women living in LMICs. Electronic (EBSCOhost (CINAHL Ultimate, STM Source, Medline Ultimate), Cochrane Library, Web of Science or Scopus and Google Scholar) and grey literature databases will be searched from database inception. Reference lists and bibliographies of key topic articles will also be searched, and any additional papers that meet the inclusion criteria will be obtained. There will be no limitations on dates or languages. Records will be independently screened, selected and extracted by two researchers. Data will be presented in tables and narrative summaries.

Ethics approval is not required as this scoping review will summarise previously published data. Findings from the review will be disseminated through various platforms, including peer-reviewed journals, conferences and community meetings.

Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FYCR8).

To estimate the frequency of antidiabetic prescriptions in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Spain and describe changes in prescription patterns between 2018–2022 and 2023-2024.

Observational study.

Patients from primary care centres newly diagnosed with T2DM in 2018–2022 and 2023–2024.

In each period, the prescription frequency of an antidiabetic medication at the diagnosis of T2DM was calculated and subsequently subdivided into monotherapy and combination therapy. The prescription frequency of the most common antidiabetic drugs was also calculated. Calculations were made for the entire group of subjects and stratified by sex and age (under 60 years and 60 years or older). Comparison of the frequencies between the two periods was performed using the chi-square test.

In 2018–2022 and 2023–2024, 78.4% and 88.9% of patients, respectively, were prescribed an antidiabetic medication. The prescription frequencies for monotherapy and combination therapy were 66.1% and 33.9% in the first period and 57.4% and 42.6% in the second. The prescription frequencies for metformin as monotherapy and combination therapy were 57.4% and 27.8% in the first period and 46.6% and 39.8% in the second. Prescribing metformin with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and/or glucagon-like peptide receptor 1 agonists (GLP1a) was the most frequent combination therapy: 12.8% in 2018–2022 and 29.5% in 2023–2024. With a few exceptions, the prescribing pattern was similar by sex and age. The difference between the prescribing distributions in the two periods is significant.

Antidiabetic medication prescribing at the diagnosis of T2DM was high. Most prescriptions contained metformin. Monotherapy decreased in 2023–2024 compared with 2018–2022, while combination therapy increased due to increased prescriptions of metformin with SGLT2i and/or GLP1a.

With the COVID-19 pandemic driving people into social isolation, causing a financial crisis and creating uncertainty, individuals were at an even greater risk of experiencing negative mental health outcomes. Individuals who identify as women living with diabetes mellitus (DM) of low socioeconomic status (SES) are potentially at increased risk of negative mental health outcomes secondary to health-related risks of COVID-19, as well as financial barriers to access to medications and diabetes-care supplies.

The objective of this scoping review is to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of those who identify as women living with DM of low SES including the consequences of public health measures put in place to stop the spread of the virus. The review aims to identify what is known about the impact of COVID-19 on this and identify potential areas for further investigation.

The scoping review protocol was developed with guidance from the framework created by Arksey and O’Malley and refinements from the Joanna Briggs Institute and Levac et al published studies employing experimental and correlational designs to collect quantitative and/or qualitative data will be considered. Search strategies were developed for the MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO databases to identify relevant sources. Article titles and abstracts will be screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Full-text review will be conducted by two reviewers with a third reviewer being included if disagreement must be resolved. Data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers, one extraction and one quality check, and a third will resolve conflict if necessary. Data will be synthesised and reported in a narrative structure that provides a thematic analysis of the currently available literature.

As this is a scoping review, there are no ethical approval requirements. There is to be a full publication of findings and analysis in a peer-reviewed journal.

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) complicates glycaemic management and escalates insulin resistance, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. Tirzepatide, a dual agonist for glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptors, shows promise in managing weight and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes but is unexplored in the context of T1D. This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial will evaluate the efficacy of tirzepatide in adults with T1D and overweight/obesity over 32 weeks.

60 participants (aged 18–70 years) with a body mass index ≥27 kg/m² and HbA1c≤10% will be randomised 1:1 to receive either tirzepatide or a placebo, alongside standard insulin therapy. The primary outcome is the change in body weight (%). Secondary measures include change in HbA1c (%), proportion of body weight lost (>5%, >10%, >15% and >20%), changes in insulin dosage, time in range by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) criteria and severity of comorbidities. Compliance, adverse events and medication interactions will be closely monitored, with adjustments made for tolerability. Patient-reported outcomes and experiences will be measured to capture the benefits of glycaemic management, weight management and quality of life. To compare the means of body weight reduction (%) between the tirzepatide and control groups, an independent samples t-test will be employed under the assumption that data are normally distributed. Secondary outcome measures will be analysed by Student’s t-test. All data will be reported as group means with confidence intervals, with default statistical significance assumed at p

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Northern Sydney Local Health District’s Human Research Ethics Committee (approval ID #2024/ETH00180).

NCT06180616.

This study aimed to analyse the number of myocardial infarction (MI) admissions during the COVID-19 lockdown periods of 2020 and 2021 (March 15th to June 15th) and compare them with corresponding pre-pandemic period in 2019. The study also evaluated changes in critical treatment intervals: onset to door (O2D), door to balloon (D2B) and door to needle (D2N) and assessed 30-day clinical outcomes. This study examined MI care trends in India during the COVID-19 lockdown period, irrespective of patients’ COVID-19 infection status.

Multicentre retrospective cohort study

Twenty-three public and private hospitals across multiple Indian states, all with 24/7 interventional cardiology facilities.

All adults (>18 years) admitted with acute myocardial infarction between March 15 and June 15 in 2019 (pre-pandemic), 2020 (first lockdown) and 2021 (second lockdown). A total of 3614 cases were analysed after excluding duplicates and incomplete data.

Number of MI admissions, median O2D, D2B and D2N times.

30-day outcomes including death, reinfarction and revascularisation.

MI admissions dropped from 4470 in year 2019 to 2131 (2020) and 1483 (2021). The median O2D increased from 200 min (IQR 115–428) pre-COVID-19 to 390 min (IQR 165–796) in 2020 and 304 min (IQR 135–780) in 2021. The median D2B time reduced from 225 min (IQR 120–420) in 2019 to 100 min (IQR 53–510) in 2020 and 130 min (IQR 60–704) in 2021. Similarly, D2N time decreased from 240 min (IQR 120–840) to 35 min (IQR 25–69) and 45 min (IQR 24–75), respectively. The 30-day outcome of death, reinfarction and revascularisation was 4.25% in 2020 and 5.1% in 2021, comparable to 5.8% reported in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala study.

Despite the expansion of catheterisation facilities across India, the country continues to fall short of achieving international benchmarks for optimal MI care.

Despite global efforts, gender disparities in oncology may persist. Understanding these disparities within the context of major conferences can inform strategies to promote gender inclusiveness in the field. This study evaluates the participation of women and men at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 congress, focusing on chairs, speakers and audience questioners.

Observational study.

152 recorded sessions of the ASCO 2024 annual meeting, one of the largest conferences in the field of oncology, available on the ASCO website.

Individuals serving as chairs, speakers and audience members who asked questions.

In this observational study, gender for chairs, speakers and audience questioners across 152 sessions of the ASCO 2024 congress was assessed by two independent reviewers using audio and video recordings. Speaking times for questions and responses were also evaluated. Statistical analyses, including ² and unpaired t-tests, were conducted to analyse the data.

Women were well represented as chairs (n=124) and speakers (n=402) in 66% and 95% of sessions, respectively. However, only 21% of questions from the audience were posed by women, while 37% of questions were asked by men and 42% online or by chairs/speakers. Women were more likely to pose questions when the sessions were chaired by women (71% vs 53%; p=0.047). There were no statistically significant gender disparities concerning speaking time (questions: p=0.30; responses: 0.53). The response dynamics indicated a pattern of gender homogeneity, with individuals more frequently responding to questions from their own gender.

While the balanced representation of women in leadership roles at the ASCO 2024 congress reflects positive development in gender equality, disparities in active participation persist. These findings underscore the need for strategies that not only promote women in visible roles but also foster an environment that supports their active engagement in scientific discussions.

Multimorbidity contributes significantly to poor population health outcomes while straining healthcare systems. Although some multimorbid patients experience an accelerated health decline (a decline in well-being or functional status that cannot be attributed to the natural ageing-related health deterioration), others can remain stable for years. Identifying risk factors for accelerated health decline in persons with multimorbidity could help prevent complications and reduce unnecessary interventions. Our review, therefore, aims to map the evidence on the clinical, biographical and healthcare-related factors associated with an accelerated health decline in multimorbid individuals.

We will use the evidence-mapping review methodology. We will perform a systematic comprehensive literature search in Medline via Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar using two broad concepts: ‘multimorbidity’ and ‘longitudinal studies’. We will search with MeSH terms (eg, ‘Multimorbidity’ (Majr), ‘Longitudinal Studies’ (Majr)) and free text words (eg, multimorbidity, multiple chronic condition*, longitudinal), from inception to date of the final search. All original quantitative studies involving participants in primary care and related healthcare settings will be included. Abstract/titles and full-text screening and data extraction will be performed independently by two or more researchers to minimise selection and reporting bias, with conflicts resolved by consensus. The data will be analysed qualitatively, and topics will be extracted to create evidence clusters. Risk factors will be classified in groups and cross-referenced against the outcomes from respective studies into combinations of exposure-outcome clusters. The resulting evidence clusters will be described narratively and presented as bubble plots. The search, initiated in January 2023, will be updated following this protocol review to reflect the most current evidence; exact dates will be reported in the results manuscript.

Due to the nature of the proposed evidence map, ethics approval will not be required. Results from our research will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at local, national and international conferences.

https://osf.io/q72xa/

To determine the incidence of in-hospital postoperative mortality and validate the Preoperative Score to Predict Postoperative Mortality (POSPOM).

Retrospective case–control study.

A tertiary university hospital in Thailand.

All patients who underwent surgical procedures in 2019 under any anaesthesia technique.

Incidence of in-hospital postoperative mortality and POSPOM score performance (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values).

A total of 39 674 patients underwent surgery in 2019. The in-hospital postoperative mortality rate was 0.76% (95% CI 0.68% to 0.85%). After excluding cases per POSPOM criteria, 270 deceased patients remained. The POSPOM score was validated against these 270 cases and 270 randomly selected survivors, yielding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.73 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.77). At a cut-off of 21, the sensitivity was 71.5% (95% CI 65.7% to 76.8%), and the specificity was 61.9% (95% CI 55.8% to 67.7%).

This single-centre study found a low in-hospital postoperative mortality rate. The POSPOM score demonstrated moderate predictive accuracy for postoperative mortality risk and may be useful for preoperative risk stratification.

https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20200330001.

This study aimed to explore orthopaedic patients’ and families’ experiences with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chatbots for perioperative health information, focusing on usability, effectiveness and perceptions.

A descriptive qualitative design was employed.

This study was conducted at a regional care centre for orthopaedics.

We recruited 13 participants (patients undergoing orthopaedic surgeries and family members) through purposive sampling. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted to capture participants’ experiences and insights. Data collection was concluded when data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim within 24 hours. Transcripts were verified and analysed using the Colaizzi’s data analysis method.

Four themes emerged from interviews, including: (1) preference of AI chatbots over search engines; (2) improved accessibility and quality of information; (3) preference of AI over human interactions and (4) importance of effective prompting.

AI-driven chatbots offer a promising adjunct to perioperative patient education by delivering immediate, tailored guidance that overcomes the limitations of conventional search engines and busy clinical settings. Study participants valued chatbots’ efficient, context-sensitive retrieval, professional-level advice and non-judgmental interactions, which fostered trust and reduced anxiety. Effective prompting emerged as a key user skill, directly shaping response relevance and accuracy. Chatbot-generated health information should be regularly reviewed for accuracy. Structured tutorials may be offered for user capacity building.

Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in pulmonary medicine. However, FB can cause respiratory and haemodynamic complications, especially in patients with pre-existing lung and/or cardiovascular comorbidities. Despite the range of oxygenation and ventilatory approaches available to prevent these risks, evidence regarding their real-world application and clinical impact is limited. The OxyFOB study aims to assess the prevalence and outcomes of various oxygenation and ventilatory support strategies used during FB across Europe.

The OxyFOB study is a large, prospective, international, observational cohort study which aims to involve over 10 000 FB procedures across European centres. Eligible participants include all adults undergoing FB for diagnostic, therapeutic or procedural indications. Data are collected via a standardised electronic case report form and encompass demographic information, procedural details and clinical outcomes. The primary endpoint is the prevalence of oxygenation and ventilatory support strategies: conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow oxygen therapy, continuous positive airway pressure, non-invasive ventilation and invasive mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes include periprocedural respiratory and haemodynamic events, patient comfort, dyspnoea and postprocedural complications. Statistical analyses include descriptive statistics, subgroup comparisons and multivariate logistic regression.

The study has received ethical approval from the coordinating centre (protocol n. 22/2022 on the 20 January 2022, by the ‘Comitato Etico Sezione Area Centro - Regione Calabria’) and all participating sites. Informed consent is given from all patients or their legal representatives. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international meetings. Data will be managed and made available on reasonable request to support further research.

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05681962. Registered January 2023.

Polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of multiple medications, is a growing concern among the elderly, especially in low-income and middle-income countries such as Iran. This study aims to explore the prevalence and patterns of polypharmacy among the elderly in Iran, using health insurance claims data to identify common drug classes and coprescribed medications, with a focus on informing policy decisions and improving medication management.

Retrospective population-based observational study.

Nationwide data from the Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO) across 24 provinces.

1 876 527 individuals aged 65 years and older, insured by the IHIO from 2014 to 2017. Individuals with incomplete demographic information or lacking medication records in the database were excluded from the analysis.

Prevalence and patterns of polypharmacy, demographic factors associated with polypharmacy, and common drug classes used. Medications were classified using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical system. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more medications, with cumulative polypharmacy considering total drug use over time, and consecutive polypharmacy focusing on the frequency of monthly drug use. Logistic regression and association rule mining were applied to explore demographic factors and medication patterns associated with polypharmacy.

Of the study population, 74.9% experienced cumulative polypharmacy over 6 months and 64.6% over 1 month, with 7.6% experiencing consecutive polypharmacy. Females and those aged 75–79 were more prone to polypharmacy. Systemic glucocorticoids were the most commonly used medications (50.02%), followed by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (42.73%) and platelet aggregation inhibitors (41.92%). Polypharmacy was most strongly associated with medications related to the alimentary tract and metabolism, cardiovascular system, nervous system and blood and blood-forming organs.

Polypharmacy is highly prevalent among the elderly in Iran, with significant variations by gender, age, insurance fund and region. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to manage polypharmacy and improve medication safety in this population.

Acute unstable syndesmosis injuries require accurate reduction and stable fixation to improve short-term and long-term outcomes. Several different fixation methods have been established for acute syndesmosis injuries, each with pros and cons. Although some meta-analyses have reported better outcomes with suture-buttons than screws, the optimal fixation method remains uncertain because of heterogeneous study results and limited comparisons of emerging techniques. This network meta-analysis combining randomised and observational studies aims to determine the optimal fixation method for acute syndesmosis injuries.

Five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and Embase) will be comprehensively searched from their inception through 1 June 2025 for randomised and observational studies, published in English or Chinese, that compared two or more fixation methods for acute syndesmosis injuries. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used for selection based on patient, intervention, comparison, outcome and study standards. Risk of bias will be evaluated by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2 and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale, respectively. Conventional pairwise meta-analyses with the DerSimonian–Laird random effects model will be conducted first, followed by network meta-analyses with a three-level Bayesian hierarchical model. The outcome measures include functional outcomes, radiological indicators and postoperative complications. Data analysis will be conducted using Review Manager 5.3 and R 4.1.2. Heterogeneity, transitivity and inconsistency tests, subgroup and sensitivity analyses and publication bias will also be assessed.

No ethical approval is required because all the data will be collected from published research. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

INPLASY202480027.

The rapid growth in the cancer survivor population in Chile and Latin America raises new challenges in addressing their care needs. This study assesses the health status and compares the quality of care and quality of life in cancer survivors at a primary care network and a private cancer centre in Santiago, Chile.

Retrospective cohort study.

Three primary care clinics and one cancer centre in Chile.

All breast and colorectal cancer patients identified from a primary care retrospective cohort of 61 174 were followed from 2018 to 2023 and compared with an equivalent sample of patients from a university cancer centre identified during the same period.

Quality of care was assessed based on American Cancer Society standards, while quality of life was measured using the EuroQol 5 Dimensions-5 Levels survey instrument.

A total of 420 cancer survivors participated in the study; 208 from primary care and 212 from the cancer centre. All participants received substandard care. Patients in primary care had lower educational levels and higher rates of comorbidity. They reported a lower quality of life score (72.22 vs 78.43, p

Cancer survivors face a significant disease burden and receive substandard care in Chile. As the primary source of care for this population, primary care is challenged to better integrate with speciality care to develop an effective shared care model for cancer survivors.