*New publication* Development of a question prompt list to support Consent for Genomic Testing (CoGenT) and research Just published with @springernature.com in Human Genetics doi.org/10.1007/s00439-026-02839-0 @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au

Published today in The Lancet Primary Care 36% reduction in overused pathology test combinations achieved by showing 5,900+ GPs how their ordering patterns compared to peers & guidelines DOI: 10.1016/j.lanprc.2026.100140 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Do you really need a full body MRI? 🤔 Listen to Dr Brooke Nickel de-bunk the need for this popular test using cold, hard evidence! ⚠️ #EvidencenotInfluence www.youtube.com/shorts/f4PC4... @sydney.edu.au @brookenickel.bsky.social @sydneyfmh-emcr.bsky.social @wiserhealthcare.bsky.social

⚠️ Debunking misleading medical tests ⚠️ A new campaign from @sydney.edu.au will myth bust the need for full body MRI, AMH and testosterone testing for prevention. This research-driven campaign led by Dr Brooke Nickel encourages looking for #EvidencenotInfluence www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

See @brookenickel.bsky.social debunking misleading medical information in this great social media campaign: youtu.be/f4PC4N6xrA8 And a @australia.theguardian.com write up here: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... #EvidenceNotInfluence @sydney.edu.au @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au More to come!

Women’s screening preferences shift after being informed about the 2024 USPSTF breast cancer screening guideline - new paper by @tamarparmet.bsky.social @ldscherer.bsky.social @kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social me & others www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073839912600114X?dgcid=coauthor

We commend Dr Monique Ryan for her efforts in parliament this week to raise awareness of the harms of problem gambling, and the urgency in tackling gambling harms as a public health issue. @mon4kooyong.bsky.social

👂🌍 #WorldHearingDay Today, we recognize the importance of #HearingHealth and the impact it has on #communication, connection, and quality of life. At our lab, we understand that hearing difficulties—whether from injury, illness, or age—can affect #rehabilitation and participation.

New paper out ✍️ We reviewed 48 #COVID-19 science translation RCTs and found a range of strategies & #BehaviourChange techniques in interventions. Studies were heterogenous…but using credible sources & interactive formats were effective for science translation www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Keen to kick off #DigitalHealthWeek2026 at University of Sydney today! Looking forward to hearing from researchers, tech & health experts on “Digital Futures: Rethinking Health & Care”📱 @digitalhealthweek.bsky.social @sydney.edu.au @sydneyfmh-emcr.bsky.social @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au 🛟 🧪

🦠Writing a story about emerging diseases, such as Nipah? 💬 Chat to our #EXPERTSPOTLIGHT Dr Alison Peel from @sydney.edu.au 😷 Alison can talk about disease spillover, emerging infectious diseases, disease ecology, virology and much more! 🔎 Find her details here: buff.ly/NaMsbKf

ICYMI: New #PhD paper out! We interviewed 10 social media experts from Australian health departments & 11 young people about social media health communication, focussing on #COVID-19 experiences for future preparedness. Link: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... #AcademicSky #HealthPolicy 🛟 🧪 🦘🎓

📢 Survey for all members of the general public We would really appreciate your help in improving how information about heart attacks is communicated. 🫀 Complete the 5-min survey: ucc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #HeartAttack #HealthHealth #HealthLiteracy #HealthCommunication #AcademicSky 🛟

📢New paper out📢: Towards an international research agenda for public health advocacy. We surveyed 156 public health advocates in 36 countries to understand how advocacy is practised & where support is needed. dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour... Key findings were: (1/2)

Today in @mja.com.au: @tammyh.bsky.social & the Aus SDM Research Network argue embedding SDM in the health system is vital & urgent. Scaling SDM for all should be a national priority. www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/8/words-action-time-australia-take-shared-decision-making-implementation-seriously

Factors Associated With Implementation of Biomarker Testing and Strategies to Improve Its Clinical Uptake in Cancer Care: Systematic Review Using Theoretical Domains Framework | JCO Precision Oncology ascopubs.org/doi/full/10....

Evaluating the use of text-message reminders and personalised text-message reminders on the return of participant questionnaires in trials, a systematic review and meta-analysis - Laura Doherty et al, 2025 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

How does oncologists’ communication affect patients’ well-being and online health information seeking? – A randomized experiment by Henkel et al in PEC www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Clinicians advised to emphasize collaborative info exchange and guide patients to trustworthy online sources.

When people get info re breast cancer screening that conflicts with past messages, they may lose trust in the healthcare system - underscores importance of consistent messages. @tamarparmet.bsky.social @ldscherer.bsky.social @kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... (ICYMI)

Proudly part of 2 ECR teams winning @wiserhealthcare.bsky.social Publication Pitch awards! w/ Swee Sharma, Christian Longtin, Jeremy Chang. 1pg Patient Fact Sheets for Low Back Pain... jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... & w/ Dee Ackermann, Ellie Medcalf, Karen Bracken. PAPER IN PRESS - stay tuned!

Beware the money trail & promises of femtech, experts warn. Great to be part of a recent session on commercial determinants of health where Prof Barbara Mintzes talked about how femtech builds on language from women’s liberation but misuses it for commercial purposes. www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/he...

Disclosing the Decision to Decline Breast Screening and/or Breast Cancer Treatment Due to Concerns About Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment by @dr-skcj.bsky.social et al. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Direct to consumer hormone panels risk misleading patients and undermining evidence-based practice, warn researchers. Medical Republic article by @apshepp.bsky.social www.medicalrepublic.com.au/shameful-hor... @wiserhealthcare.bsky.social

Addressing the Challenges of Online Misinformation & Unregulated Products in the Clinical Management of Menopause - Commentary by @drjengunter.bsky.social journals.lww.com/greenjournal... @wiserhealthcare.bsky.social @tessacopp.bsky.social @brookenickel.bsky.social @kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social

Congratulations Wiser Healthcare Researcher's identified in the World's Top 2% of Scientists by Elsevier/Stanford! Check out the whole list here 👉 topscinet.com

This paper wraps up my COVID-19 program of work: a systematic review of science translation RCTs in the emergency phase of COVID-19, informed by discussions with a global WHO community of practice www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @newsroomusyd.bsky.social @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au

New #PhD paper out! 📢 We interviewed 10 social media experts from Australian health departments & 11 young people about social media health communication, focussing on #COVID-19 experiences for future preparedness. More in thread & link : www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... #AcademicSky 🛟 🧪 🦘🎓

✏️ How can we improve social media health communication with young people in the next big emergency?   Co-create messages for young people, with young people. 🤝   Study here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

We’re looking for a PhD student to join the social-ABI-lity research project in the @abicommlab.bsky.social! 👉 Focus areas: 🧠 Brain injury 📱 Social Media 🤝 Co-design 💡 Interested? Get in touch with me to find out more!

Our trial published in @bmj.com found that women notified about their dense breast were more confused and anxious, and did not feel more informed to make decisions about their breast health. It also led to higher intentions to seek further advice from their GPs. www.bmj.com/content/391/...

New research in @bmj.com This study led by @brookenickel.bsky.social found women who were told they had dense breasts were more anxious, didn't feel more informed, and had greater intentions to seek out their GP lnkd.in/gVZw6nid Affiliations: @sydney.edu.au @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au

Should women be told about their high breast density – a known risk factor for #BreastCancer – as part of #mammography screening? A new study led by @brookenickel.bsky.social from 🇦🇺 @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au at @sydney.edu.au, and published by @bmj.com warns of unintended effects.

Interested in a #PhD at the University of Sydney? 🤔 My fabulous colleague Dr Liss Brunner is looking for a new student for her social media & brain injury project 🧠📱 @lissbee.bsky.social @sydney.edu.au @sydneyfmh-emcr.bsky.social @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au @abicommlab.bsky.social 🛟 🦘🎓

Read more about our @sydney.edu.au team's role in study here: www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...

How can we increase heart health checks? Our new paper in @lancetprimarycare.bsky.social shows >70,000 health literacy-sensitive SMS sent from GPs increased heart health checks by 15 times the usual rate - paving the way for a targeted risk screening model in Australia. @newsroomusyd.bsky.social

Read more about how the @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au tested different "nudge" SMS approaches to close health literacy gaps here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Learn more about the resources here: www.sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au/onlinehealth...

New paper alert! Our online trial found that brief, co-designed resources can boost knowledge and help people make safer choices when using AI for health advice. This is a first step towards building AI health literacy for everyone. Read at npj Digital Medicine: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Comparing traditional & AI-enhanced strategies for developing patient decision aids: a multiple case study by @anikgiguere.bsky.social @kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social @julieayre.bsky.social et al just out in BMJ EBM ebm.bmj.com/content/earl... @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au @isdmsociety.bsky.social

📢 Health Literacy & Communication Open has 4 new papers published in April, including adolescent engagement in online health education, readability of patient medicine info, parent & digital #healthliteracy. You can find all 18 papers in our current issue here: www.tandfonline.com/toc/rhlc20/3/1

New paper exploring psychosocial needs for people living with congenital heart disease. We need better communication tailored to health literacy & independence for young people as they transition to adult care, and ongoing support to manage life impacts. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

So proud of Dr @melodytaba.bsky.social, awarded her PhD with no emendations! Her carefully codesigned framework will improve government health communication with young people, so we are better prepared for future emergencies. More here: www.sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au/social-media...

Coming soon... @isdmsociety.bsky.social

New Perspective in @mja.com.au by @tammyh.bsky.social @kirstenmccaffery.bsky.social @margueritetracy.bsky.social & Australian SDM Research Network members including @dralanafisher.bsky.social @heather-shepherd.bsky.social @carissabonner.bsky.social me & more! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/...

I spent World Heart Day working with the Agency for Clinical Innovation, NAATSIHWP and the Heart Foundation to support Heart Health Checks in Australia. ​Your GP is the best place to start - talk to them about your risk and how you can prevent heart attack and stroke.

Great to be part of this discussion on national implementation priorities for shared decision making - which has been beautifully summarised here in a @mja.com.au paper led by @tammyh.bsky.social. @isdmsociety.bsky.social

Great to see our national survey of consumer preferences about blood pressure medication featured in Pharmacy Daily! www.pharmacydaily.com.au/news/patient... @sydney.edu.au @sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au

Read the #WorldEBHCDay blog by Dr Karen Gainey, who discusses plain language summaries and how important they are for anyone wanting to access reliable #HealthResearch that is written in a way that even non-experts can understand. 👇 https://ow.ly/IZyc50XcSFt Sydney Health Literacy Lab #WorldEBHCDay#HealthResearch#Research

Super excited to be part of this study on social media marketing of women’s health interventions! We’ve focussed on 5 interventions targeting women across the lifespan like: #BoricAcidSuppositories, #FertilityTests, #MenopauseTests, #MenopauseTreatments and #HormoneTherapies. Results coming soon!🤩