South Australia Research Articles

Towards co-governance: An evaluation of co-management advantages, challenges and ways forward in South Australia

Towards co-governance: An evaluation of co-management advantages, challenges and ways forward in South Australia

Medical student selection interviews: insights into nonverbal observable communications: a cross-sectional study

Purpose: Interviews play a crucial role in the medical school selection process, although little is known about interviewers’ non-verbal observable communications (NoVOC) during the interviews. This study investigates how interviewers perceive NoVOC exhibited by interviewees in two medical schools, one in Taiwan and the other in Australia. The study also explores potential cross-cultural differences in these perceptions.Methods: A 26-item questionnaire was developed using a Delphi-like method to identify NoVOC. Interviewers from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (n=47 and N=78, respectively) rated these NoVOC between 2018 and 2021. Factor analyses identified and validated underlying factors. Measurement invariance across countries and genders was examined.Results: A total of 125 interviewers completed the questionnaire, including 78 from Taiwan and 47 from Australia. Using exploratory factor analysis, 14 items yielded reliable three factors “charming,” “disengaged,” and “anxious” (Cronbach’s α=0.853, 0.714, and 0.628, respectively). The measurement invariance analysis indicated that the factor models were invariant across genders but significantly different between the two countries. Further analysis revealed inconsistencies in interpreting the “anxious” factor between Taiwan and Australia.Conclusion: The three distinct factors revealed in this study provide valuable insights into the NoVOC that interviewers perceive and evaluate during the interview process. The findings highlight the importance of considering non-verbal communication in selecting medical students and emphasize the need for training and awareness among interviewers. Understanding the impact of non-verbal behaviors can improve selection processes to mitigate bias and enhance the fairness and reliability of medical student selection.

Introduction of breast density notification within BreastScreen South Australia - Results of an online client survey.

Introduction of breast density notification within BreastScreen South Australia - Results of an online client survey.

Preliminary evidence of a life stage specific antibody response to Cardicola spp. (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) in ranched Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii.

Preliminary evidence of a life stage specific antibody response to Cardicola spp. (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) in ranched Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii.

The Monoman-Coonambidgal boundary: a transformation in the physical and cultural landscapes of the Murray River in South Australia

ABSTRACT This paper reviews geomorphological and Aboriginal archaeological records from the upper Riverland region of South Australia (SA) in the context of a change in sedimentary environments within the Murray River tract during the deglacial period c. 15 ka. This has traditionally been recognised as a transition from a lower to upper valley fill; the Monoman and Coonambidgal Formations, respectively. A programme of archaeological dating and survey on the Calperum and Pike floodplains near Renmark provides evidence of a significant change in the ways Aboriginal peoples had interacted with this riverscape after c. 15 ka, expressed as an abrupt development of large-scale shell middens. This change was concomitant with a shift from broad, bedload-dominated channels in the river to a regime more akin to the modern river – a shift from a palaeo to the modern Murray river system. In this paper, we propose that the complementary archaeological and geomorphological evidence should be used to redefine the Monoman‒Coonambidgal boundary in the upper Riverland. The evidence also provides an opportunity to re-examine palaeoclimate narratives from the broader Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) against a record from the lower end of the system. Importantly, the research demonstrates a novel use of archaeological data in interpreting hydroclimate records.

Co-Producing and Evaluating a Culturally Inclusive Dementia Education Initiative: A Multimethod Study Protocol.

Limited dementia awareness among culturally and linguistically diverse communities can exacerbate stigma and hinder support for carers and people at risk of or living with dementia. Co-producing a culturally inclusive dementia education intervention with representative stakeholders can address these knowledge and service gaps. This paper details the protocol for designing and evaluating a co-produced multilingual dementia education intervention named Dementia Friends Unite. This project aims to improve dementia knowledge, attitudes and supportive practices in a multicultural context. This project will be conducted in South Western Sydney, Australia, where Arabic, Cantonese, English, Greek, Mandarin and Vietnamese are the most common languages spoken. A multi-stakeholder collaboration involving representatives from each of these communities was formed to co-produce the multilingual dementia education intervention. Two studies are planned to explore the co-production process and evaluate the intervention's impact, guided by implementation science frameworks. Study 1 will examine stakeholder and researcher experiences in co-production through minuted meetings and responses to the patient and public engagement evaluation tool. Data will be descriptively analysed to identify the barriers and facilitators to co-production. Study 2 involves evaluating the initiative's impact according to the RE-AIM framework. Outcome measures include intervention reach and effectiveness in changing participants' knowledge, attitudes and supportive practices through questionnaires (pre-, post- and follow-up) and interviews; adoption and implementation characteristics through focus groups with stakeholders and facilitators; and maintenance through a cost-benefit analysis. This project will employ a comprehensive approach to address unmet needs and research gaps in co-produced dementia education and its implementation in multicultural contexts. It can serve as a blueprint for others seeking to engage culturally diverse populations in community-based health education and research. A multi-stakeholder collaboration involving representatives from local government and care services, as well as people with living and caring experiences of dementia, from each of the targeted communities, was formed to co-produce this initiative. Their involvement spans study design, conduct, interpretation of findings and dissemination.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Growing with Gratitude: A cluster randomised controlled trial in Australian primary schools

Growing with Gratitude (GWG) is a universal prevention program based on positive psychology that aims to prevent anxiety and depression in primary-school-aged children. The mental health of children is a key concern for schools as it has an extensive impact in all areas of life. A cluster randomised controlled trial was implemented in nine primary schools (including 27 classes, n = 537 students) in South Australia to evaluate the program. Classrooms were randomly allocated to either a waitlist control or to the GWG program. Students’ anxiety and depression and wellbeing were measured as outcomes at five time points (baseline, mid-program, post-intervention, and 6-month and 12-month follow-up). There were no significant differences for primary or secondary outcomes between the conditions at any time point. Implementation fidelity was poor across the trial. The GWG program did appear to have some impact on children with clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression at baseline. These findings highlight challenges with implementing prevention programs in primary schools and provide suggestions for future research.

Weather systems and their contribution to seasonal rainfall in Australia

AbstractThis study takes a weather object approach to understand the variability of seasonal rainfall across the Australian continent, with a focus on cyclones, anticyclones, fronts, warm conveyor belts, potential vorticity streamers, and cut‐off lows. The contribution of these weather objects to seasonal rainfall is quantified. Up to 60% of summer rainfall in northern Australia can be attributed to cyclones, whereas potential vorticity streamers contribute up to 50% of winter rainfall in the states of Victoria and southern South Australia. Clustering of monthly rainfall anomalies identifies four distinct rainfall patterns in both summer and winter that are linked to changes in the frequency of weather objects. In particular, two summer clusters characterise wetter northern Australia and reflect the synoptic patterns of the active monsoon over northern Australia, with enhanced moisture transport from surrounding oceans, a moister atmosphere, and increased frequency of rainfall‐producing weather systems. One winter cluster characterises wetter eastern Australia, associated with a dipole of lows in southern Australia and highs over the Tasman Sea at upper levels, and a significantly increased frequency of rainfall‐producing systems accompanied by enhanced upward motion and anomalously northerly moisture transport in eastern Australia. Between the 2000–2019 and 1980–1999 periods there is a pronounced increase (decrease) in summer (winter) rainfall over the northern (southern) part of Australia. In the north, the increased summer rainfall is mostly associated with increased rainfall from cyclones and fronts, whereas winter rainfall reductions over the south are linked mainly to decreased rainfall from potential vorticity streamers, cyclones, and warm conveyor belts.

The Southern Gas Market supply problem: assessing the case for electrification of gas heating

The south-eastern Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania are facing a Southern Gas Market supply problem with the anticipated decline of the largest gas production facility within the region over the coming 5 years. Multiple supply-side alternatives are currently vying to get support for their solution. During this period, the electricity market is also anticipating continued growth in renewable energy capacity, which could then result in excess renewable energy spillage through periods of the year. This provides a potential opportunity for the integration of a demand-side solution to the Southern Gas Market supply problem through electrification of the gas heating load to soak up the excess renewables. This report investigates the implications of weather on the gas and electricity demand and supply to build the case for electrification of gas heating within Victoria and determines the role of natural gas to support the electricity grid.

Oral health, quality of life and general health of people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds from South Asia and the Middle East resettled in South Australia: a cross sectional survey

ObjectivePoor oral health has important consequences for quality of life and general health and wellbeing. People from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds report worse oral health and face a range of oral health service access barriers. However, there is limited research examining the impact of poor oral health on other health outcomes for refugees and asylum seekers. This paper sought to examine oral health status and dental service use of people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds from South Asia and the Middle East and impacts on self- reported quality of life and general health.MethodsA convenience sample of 206 people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq who had been in Australia for less than 10 years completed a structured questionnaire, recruited through service and community organisations and snowball sampling. The survey included key demographic variables, service use history, general and oral health ratings and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Descriptive statistics were used to provide a picture of overall oral health status and multivariable logistic regression was undertaken to explore the predictors of oral health related quality of life as well as general health.ResultsAround a third of participants had never visited a dentist or not within the last 5 years. For more than two thirds the reason for their last dental visit was pain relief, with over 60% reporting toothache caused by decayed teeth sometimes/often/very often. In terms of barriers to dental visits, 64% reported not visiting the dentist due to cost barriers and 55% reported at least moderate fear and distress about dental visits. More than two thirds reported oral health impacts on at least one quality of life domain and 79% felt that their teeth affected their general health at least moderately. In a logistic regression, oral health rating was significantly associated with having at least one OHIP domain affected by oral health for women and men well as general health rating for women only.ConclusionsThis study highlights the significant barriers to good oral health for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds and the broader impacts of poor oral health on quality of life and general health. The findings indicate the importance of better oral health supports for new arrivals, including facilitation of access to affordable dental care and culturally appropriate health promotion interventions.

How Food Insecure Are People Living in Australia?

ABSTRACTFood insecurity has been an overlooked problem in Australia, with the extant literature voicing concerns around the reliability of the official measure of food insecurity. I provide population prevalence estimates of food insecurity in Australia using fresh data on Food Insecurity Experience Scale reported, for the first time, in the 2020 Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. A single parameter Rasch model is estimated to establish the validity and reliability of FIES as a tool to measure food insecurity in Australia. Cross‐nationally comparable prevalence estimates, based on FAO's global reference scale, indicate that in 2020, one in sixteen people experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Using Australia‐specific thresholds on the national scale, one in eleven people were food insecure. Severe food insecurity is a concern in Australia. South Australia and Queensland are the most food‐insecure states. Certain subpopulations, such as lone persons, are at higher risk of food insecurity. Household‐level measures of food insecurity may hide intrahousehold food hardship. The single‐item official measure underestimates the prevalence of food insecurity. Experiential measures such as the US Household Food Security Survey Module must be validated using national‐level data prior to their application as instruments to measure food insecurity in Australia. Food security policies must be context specific.

The incidence of anti-HMGCR immune-mediated necrotising myopathy: an Australian and UK retrospective multi-site cohort study.

Immune-mediated necrotising myopathy (IMNM) with autoantibodies targeting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (anti-HMGCR) is considered a rare complication of statin therapy. We calculate the incidence of anti-HMGCR IMNM and describe clinical characteristics in four independent cohorts: Manchester (UK), Bristol (UK), Western Australia (WA, Australia) and South Australia (SA, Australia). Adults (≥18 years) with anti-HMGCR IMNM (ENMC criteria; 2018-2023) were identified from myositis clinic and laboratory records. Nationwide UK anti-HMGCR testing was performed at Oxford University Hospital Laboratories and state-based WA/SA testing at PathWest Laboratories. 109 anti-HMGCR IMNM cases were identified (51% female, median 66 years [IQR 58-72.2]) with median follow-up 2.3 years [IQR 1.5-4.2]. Mean annual incidence was 2.9 cases/million person-years. In statin-users, incidence was 20.4 (UK) and 24.1 (WA/SA) cases/million statin-users/year. 101 patients were statin-exposed, mostly atorvastatin (77/101, 76.2%). Median statin duration before diagnosis was 3 years (range: 1 month-23 years). Eight (7.5%) were statin-naïve and compared with statin-exposed patients, younger (median 46.1 vs 67 years, p= 0.02), frequently of non-white ethnicity (5/8 vs 20/77, p= 0.04) and more commonly had dysphagia (4/8 vs 14/94, p= 0.03). The median peak creatine kinase (CK) was 7,020 IU/l (range: 964-39 076). 48/105 (45.7%) received intravenous immunoglobulin. At follow-up, less than half had normal CK (50/105 [47.6%]) or muscle power (48/104 [46.2%]). For the first time, we have calculated an incidence of anti-HMGCR IMNM using a large, multinational cohort. We highlight the refractory nature of anti-HMGCR IMNM. We also describe the unique phenotype of statin-naïve anti-HMGCR IMNM, and the rare occurrence of self-limiting myopathy.

Morphological and molecular studies in the genus Hypnea (Rhodophyta) in Australia: Hypnea decipiens sp. nov. and Hypnea subramentacea sp. nov

ABSTRACT Molecular analyses (rbcL, COI-5P) of Australian specimens that had previously been identified as Hypnea musciformis based on morphology have revealed that this entity is not that species but rather represents an undescribed cryptic species that is here named Hypnea decipiens sp. nov. The new species is known from south-western and southern Australia, north to the Houtman Abrolhos (Geraldton region) of Western Australia and east to the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Plants can be locally common in the shallow subtidal and grow to 14 cm in height, with upper branches terminated by crozier-like hooks. Vegetative, cystocarpic and tetrasporangial plants are known, with the zonate tetrasporangia arising in nemathecia at the basal or median sections of lateral branchlets. Despite the morphological similarities, in phylogenetical analyses H. decipiens did not group with the H. musciformis complex (H. musciformis, H. pseudomusciformis, H. caraibica, H. schneideri), but rather was sister to the South African H. rosea. An additional new species, H. subramentacea sp. nov. is described for specimens from south-western Australia that were sister to the common H. ramentacea.

Time-lapse inversion of airborne electromagnetic data to recover the evolution of interfaces between freshwater and saltwater

Airborne electromagnetic surveys are frequently collected to delineate saltwater from freshwater and, occasionally in the case of repeat surveys, to monitor the evolution of freshwater-saltwater interfaces. Recovering these hydrological interfaces is commonly performed by inverting the individual surveys independently, typically employing a 1D kernel with the interface modeled as an explicit parameter in the case of a few-layer model, or interpreted if a smooth model has been inferred from the data. For repeat surveys, simultaneous inversion combining information from the different surveys -- for model parameters that are not anticipated to change -- is likely to result in fewer artifacts and overall more accurate models for the evolution of a freshwater-saltwater interface. We introduce a time-lapse inversion combining information from different surveys via either (i) temporal parsimony, where model parameters that are expected to be constant in time are set to be the same for different surveys; or (ii) temporal correlation, wherein the temporal model change is traded off against the fit to the data and spatial coherency. Numerical experiments illustrate that when systems with different sensitivities to an identified feature of interest are combined, the temporal parsimony leads to fewer artifacts and lower uncertainty estimates when compared with an independent inversion or the temporally correlated inversion. Simultaneous inversion of one frequency-domain RESOLVE and two time-domain SkyTEM surveys collected over the Bookpurnong floodplain in South Australia confirms that the time-lapse inversion concepts introduced here can combine the information from surveys collected at different times to improve recovery of subsurface changes. More importantly, the temporally parsimonious time-lapse inversion results in fewer artifacts compared to independent inversion and infers a more hydrologically plausible freshwater-saltwater interface.

Faba Bean Breeding in Australia: Past, Present and Future

ABSTRACTFaba bean is an important autumn‐sown grain legume in Australia, coming third in production and hectarage after lentil and chickpea. It is mostly grown in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD). Despite its introduction as early as European settlement in Australia, the crop did not get much attention until the 1970s, when research on it as a crop was initiated at the Waite Institute of the University of Adelaide and cultivar ‘Fiord’ was released for general cultivation in 1980. Production gradually increased and spread to other states, mainly Victoria and NSW. Two coordinated breeding nodes addressing distinct agroecological zones and disease spectra were subsequently established. The breeding node at the University of Adelaide is responsible for breeding long‐season and Ascochyta‐resistant cultivars for the Mediterranean‐climate southern region, while the node at the University of Sydney is responsible for breeding short‐season and rust‐resistant cultivars for the subtropical area of northern NSW and southern QLD. Initially, the northern node was with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Improved cultivars have been released from both organisations for their respective areas, leading to increased productivity. Rust in the north and Ascochyta in the south are the main diseases, while chocolate spot is a concern in both areas. In addition to increasing yield and disease resistance, both programmes also aim to improve herbicide resistance and seed quality, with reduced vicine–convicine content as an early target. Limited work has been done towards molecular breeding until now, but with the availability of a full genome sequence, resources can be directed towards genomic selection for faster genetic gain.

Subaqueous speleothems as archives of groundwater recharge on Australia's southern arid margin

Abstract. As anthropogenic climate change enhances aridity across many regions of the globe, understanding drivers of aridification is more important than ever before. Unfortunately, arid regions globally tend to exhibit a paucity of palaeoclimate records, and the archives that are available typically comprise unconsolidated sediments prone to reworking, large dating uncertainties, and ambiguous climatic interpretations. This is certainly true of Australia's vast continental interior, which is dominated by harsh, arid conditions. Mairs Cave, in the southern Ikara-Flinders Ranges (South Australia), is located on the southern margin of the arid zone. In the present day, the cave is largely dry, and there is limited evidence of active speleothem growth. However, historical records and observations throughout the cave indicate that it was periodically flooded, suggesting the local water balance was once much more positive than it is today. The cave contains a curtain of hanging speleothems known as pendulites, which grow subaqueously when submerged in water that is saturated with respect to calcite. Geochemical evidence, including trace element concentrations, uranium isotope ratios, and dead carbon fractions (DCFs), indicates that a rise in the local groundwater during periods of enhanced groundwater recharge is the cause of the cave flooding events that trigger pendulite growth. Uranium–thorium dating of a pendulite retrieved from Mairs Cave has revealed two multi-millennial growth phases (68.5–65.4 and 51.2–42.3 ka) and two short bursts of growth (18.9 and 16.4 ka) during the Last Glacial Period (LGP). The absence of subsequent pendulite growth suggests that strong water deficits under warm Holocene interglacial conditions give rise to episodic, rather than persistent, cave flooding.

Abortion provision in Australian public hospitals

Introduction: Increasing the proportion of abortions performed in Australian hospitals would reduce abortion stigma, increase training opportunities for health care workers, and expand access to no cost abortions and in rural and regional areas. Method: This article uses a descriptive-interpretive method to map hospital-based abortion provision across Australia, drawing on four data sources: grey and scholarly literature, government and referral websites, materials from a 2023 Senate Inquiry, and interviews with 51 health professionals and advocates. Results: There are three main approaches to hospital-based abortion provision in Australia: universal hospital provision of procedural abortion (Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania); the outsourcing of public provision to private clinics (the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and, to a very minor degree, Western Australia); and systems that leave decision-making about abortion provision to individual hospitals (New South Wales and Victoria). Discussion: Hospital-based abortion provision in Australia is uneven and inequitable and underpinned by problematic criteria of moral deservedness that determine who receives care. Quality care is further compromised by a lack of method choice in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Heterobranch Sea Slugs s.l. (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the Southern Ocean: Biodiversity and Taxonomy

The Southern Ocean, located between Antarctica and the southern tips of South America, Africa and Australia, encompasses an immense area across the southern Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans with no clearly defined limits. For the purposes of studying marine heterobranch sea slugs, we consider the Southern Ocean to include all ocean areas located south of latitude 41° S. South of this latitude, we consider different areas and zones: the area of South America (the Patagonia/Magellanic area), the island of Tasmania, the southern island of New Zealand, the Subantarctic area (the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, the South Orkney Islands, South Sandwich Island, Bouvet Island, the islands of Crozet and Prince Edward, the Kerguelen Islands, and Macquarie Island) and the area of Antarctica, in which we consider four zones (Weddell Sea, West Antarctica, Ross Sea and East Antarctica). Reviewing all available references and unpublished data from the authors, in total, 394 species of heterobranch sea slugs have been recorded to date in the Southern Ocean > 41° S, with Nudibranchia standing out with 209 species and Cephalaspidea with 90 species. The marine heterobranchs of Tasmania (154 species) and southern New Zealand (120 species) have been well studied. Sea slug fauna of the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions have been the subject of several partial studies; however, there are still many gaps in knowledge across both areas. Eighty-nine different species of sea slug have been recorded so far in strictly Antarctic waters (West Antarctica, 45 species; Weddell Sea, 48 species; Ross Sea, 51 species; East Antarctica, 42 species), while in the various Subantarctic regions, there are 93 species (36 species from South Georgia, 17 species from the South Orkneys, 12 species from south Sandwich, 6 species from Bouvet, 10 species from Prince Edward and Crozet Islands, 15 species from Kerguelen, 3 species from Macquarie Island, 29 species from the Falkland Islands and 71 species from the coast of South America). In the taxonomic section, for each of the species, the location and the authors of the records are indicated, and for many of the species, interesting biological, taxonomic or biogeographic observations are also provided. The importance of sampling in underexplored areas is discussed, as well as greater-depth sampling for a better understanding of the sea slugs of the Southern Ocean.

The incidence and determinants of traumatic brain injury deaths occurring outside hospital in Australia.

To identify the determinants of death occurring outside of hospital following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) across Australia. Design, setting: Retrospective observational study using National Coronial Information System (NCIS) data. People who died during the five-year study period between 2015 and 2020 and were recorded in the NCIS as having intracranial injury as a cause or contributor to death. The primary outcome was the location of death, specifically whether death occurred outside an acute hospital setting. There were 3751 deaths with msTBI, of which 1064 (28.4%) occurred outside of an acute hospital setting and 605 (16.1%) occurred outside any medical service. The odds of death occurring outside hospital were lower for male patients (odds ratio [OR]: 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5-0.7), penetrating injuries (OR 5.2, 95% CI: 3.0-8.9) and highest in the Northern Territory followed by Queensland. The odds of death occurring outside any medical service area (e.g. hospital, rehabilitation, nursing home) were higher for: younger adults (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 1.0-12.7), those with penetrating injuries (OR 8.9, 95% CI: 4.5-17.3), and where the time between injury and death was less than 24 h. The odds of death outside any medical service area were less for people with msTBI in South Australia (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0-0.2). Approximately, one in six msTBI deaths occurred outside of any medical service area. Opportunities exist to improve access to emergency care for people sustaining msTBI across Australia.

The Role of Repeat Skeletal Muscle Biopsy: Indications, Yield and Outcomes

ABSTRACTIntroduction/AimsMuscle biopsy performed to investigate weakness and/or pain may be nondiagnostic and prompt repeat biopsy. We determined the indications and yield of rebiopsy.MethodsPatients who underwent > 1 muscle biopsy (South Australia, 2000–2023) were identified. Biopsy indication and histological diagnosis at initial (B1) and subsequent (B2) biopsy were documented. Two histological outcomes were defined: change from non‐specific (B1) to specific diagnosis (B2) (Outcome 1) or change in specific diagnosis (Outcome 2). Clinical records were reviewed to determine if rebiopsy affected clinical decision making.ResultsRepeat biopsies accounted for 112/3089 (3.6%) of biopsies. The main indications for repeating a biopsy were specific diagnostic query (36/112, 32.1%), most commonly inclusion body myositis (IBM) or genetic myopathy, and unexpected clinical trajectory (74/112, 66.1%).Almost half of rebiopsies (48/112, 42.9%) met Outcome 1 (31/48) or 2 (17/48). Altered histological diagnosis impacted clinical decision‐making in 17/22 (77.3%) patients. 21/34 (61.8%) with an initial non‐specific myopathy achieved Outcome 1. B2 showed prominent atrophy in seven patients; 3/7 had non‐specific myopathy on B1.Open biopsy method for repeat biopsy was associated with Outcome 1 or 2 (OR 4.3 [IQR 1.6–11.5], p = 0.004).DiscussionRepeat muscle biopsy achieved a specific diagnosis in 43% of cases and frequently impacted clinical decision‐making. The highest yield was when IBM was suspected clinically, or when B1 showed non‐specific myopathy. Non‐specific myopathy may progress to histological atrophy; the role of untreated inflammation in driving this is unclear.