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Mrs Nikky Jones

Mrs Nikky Jones

Statistician

Master of Science in biometry at Reading University, UK.

Bachelor of Science with Honours in applied statistics at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. 

Medicine & Health
National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre

Since 2018, Nicola Jones, MSc, has been employed by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, as the Biostatistician for the Opioid Agonist and Safety (OATS) Study. The OATS study aims to understand risk for mortality and other adverse outcomes using the individuals registered in the NSW Controlled Drugs Data Collection (CoDDaC) and linking this cohort to routinely collected health administrative data such as NSW Ambulatory Mental Health Data (MH-AMB), Emergency Department Data Collection (EDDC) & NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection (APDC) and additionally NSW Re-Offending Database. Prior to 2018 Nicola held several corporate statistical roles leading a team of Analysts, Statistical Consultant, SAS Instructor and Medical Statistician.

  • Journal articles | 2023
    Brothers TD; Lewer D; Jones N; Colledge-Frisby S; Bonn M; Wheeler A; Grebely J; Farrell M; Hickman M; Hayward A; Degenhardt L, 2023, 'Effect of incarceration and opioid agonist treatment transitions on risk of hospitalisation with injection drug use-associated bacterial infections: A self-controlled case series in New South Wales, Australia', International Journal of Drug Policy, 122,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Colledge-Frisby S; Jones N; Degenhardt L; Hickman M; Padmanathan P; Santo T; Farrell M; Gisev N, 2023, 'Incidence of suicide and self-harm among people with opioid use disorder and the impact of opioid agonist treatment: A retrospective data linkage study', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 246,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Downing BC; Hickman M; Jones NR; Larney S; Sweeting MJ; Xu Y; Farrell M; Degenhardt L; Jones HE, 2023, 'Prevalence of opioid dependence in New South Wales, Australia, 2014–16: Indirect estimation from multiple data sources using a Bayesian approach', Addiction, 118, pp. 1994 - 2006,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Havard A; Jones N; Bharat C; Gisev N; Pearson SA; Shakeshaft A; Farrell M; Degenhardt L, 2023, 'Mortality during and after specialist alcohol and other drug treatment: Variation in rates according to principal drug of concern and treatment modality', Drug and Alcohol Review, 42, pp. 1461 - 1471,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Larney S; Jones NR; Hickman M; Nielsen S; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2023, 'Does opioid agonist treatment reduce overdose mortality risk in people who are older or have physical comorbidities? Cohort study using linked administrative health data in New South Wales, Australia, 2002–17', Addiction, 118, pp. 1527 - 1539,
    Journal articles | 2022
    Brothers TD; Lewer D; Jones N; Colledge-Frisby S; Farrell M; Hickman M; Webster D; Hayward A; Degenhardt L, 2022, 'Opioid agonist treatment and risk of death or rehospitalization following injection drug use–associated bacterial and fungal infections: A cohort study in New South Wales, Australia', PLoS Medicine, 19, pp. e1004049,
    Journal articles | 2022
    Chaillon A; Bharat C; Stone J; Jones N; Degenhardt L; Larney S; Farrell M; Vickerman P; Hickman M; Martin NK; Bórquez A, 2022, 'Modeling the population-level impact of opioid agonist treatment on mortality among people accessing treatment between 2001 and 2020 in New South Wales, Australia', Addiction, 117, pp. 1338 - 1352,
    Journal articles | 2022
    Colledge-Frisby S; Jones N; Larney S; Peacock A; Lewer D; Brothers TD; Hickman M; Farrell M; Degenhardt L, 2022, 'The impact of opioid agonist treatment on hospitalisations for injecting-related diseases among an opioid dependent population: A retrospective data linkage study', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 236,
    Journal articles | 2022
    Jones NR; Hickman M; Nielsen S; Larney S; Dobbins T; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2022, 'The impact of opioid agonist treatment on fatal and non-fatal drug overdose among people with a history of opioid dependence in NSW, Australia, 2001–2018: Findings from the OATS retrospective linkage study', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 236,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Bharat C; Larney S; Barbieri S; Dobbins T; Jones NR; Hickman M; Gisev N; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'The effect of person, treatment and prescriber characteristics on retention in opioid agonist treatment: a 15-year retrospective cohort study', Addiction, 116, pp. 3139 - 3152,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Jones NR; Hickman M; Larney S; Nielsen S; Ali R; Murphy T; Dobbins T; Fiellin DA; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'Hospitalisations for non-fatal overdose among people with a history of opioid dependence in New South Wales, Australia, 2001–2018: Findings from the OATS retrospective cohort study', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 218,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Jones NR; Nielsen S; Farrell M; Ali R; Gill A; Larney S; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'Retention of opioid agonist treatment prescribers across New South Wales, Australia, 2001–2018: Implications for treatment systems and potential impact on client outcomes', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 219,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Larney S; Jones N; Fiellin DA; Nielsen S; Hickman M; Dobbins T; Murphy T; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2020, 'Data Resource Profile: The Opioid Agonist Treatment and Safety (OATS) Study, New South Wales, Australia', International Journal of Epidemiology, 49, pp. 1774 - 1775G,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Lewer D; Jones NR; Hickman M; Larney S; Ezard N; Nielsen S; Degenhardt L, 2020, 'Risk of discharge against medical advice among hospital inpatients with a history of opioid agonist therapy in New South Wales, Australia: A cohort study and nested crossover-cohort analysis', Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 217,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Lewer D; Jones NR; Hickman M; Nielsen S; Degenhardt L, 2020, 'Life expectancy of people who are dependent on opioids: A cohort study in New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Psychiatric Research, 130, pp. 435 - 440,
    Journal articles | 2019
    Jones NR; Shanahan M; Dobbins T; Degenhardt L; Montebello M; Gisev N; Larney S, 2019, 'Reductions in emergency department presentations associated with opioid agonist treatment vary by geographic location: A retrospective study in New South Wales, Australia', Drug and Alcohol Review, 38, pp. 690 - 698,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Larney S; Hickman M; Fiellin DA; Dobbins T; Nielsen S; Jones NR; Mattick RP; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2018, 'Using routinely collected data to understand and predict adverse outcomes in opioid agonist treatment: Protocol for the Opioid Agonist Treatment Safety (OATS) Study', BMJ Open, 8, pp. e025204,
  • Conference Presentations | 2024
    Tran D; Varney B; Jones N; Bharat C; Brett J; Oei J; Pearson SA; Degenhardt L; Havard A, 2024, 'Trends in the use of opioid agonist treatment for opioid dependence in pregnancy', presented at 2024 NDARC Annual Research Symposium, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney NSW, 20 September 2024,
    Conference Presentations | 2024
    Varney B; Bharat C; Brett J; Degenhardt L; Jones N; Oei J; Pearson SA; Havard A; Tran DT, 2024, 'Use of opioid agonist therapy in pregnancy: Timing of initiation and treatment retention', presented at 2024 NDARC Annual Research Symposium, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney NSW, 20 September 2024,
    Conference Presentations | 2024
    Zhou J; Varney B; Bharat C; Degenhardt L; Jones N; Havard A; Tran DT, 2024, 'Retention in opioid agonist treatment following childbirth and associated factors', presented at 2024 NDARC Annual Research Symposium, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney NSW, 20 September 2024,
    Conference Posters | 2024
    Zhou J; Varney B; Bharat C; Degenhardt L; Jones N; Havard A; Tran DT, 2024, 'Retention in opioid agonist treatment following childbirth and associated factors', Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney NSW, presented at 2024 NDARC Annual Research Symposium, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney NSW, 20 September 2024
    Conference Abstracts | 2022
    Colledge-Frisby S; Jones N; Degenhardt L; Farrell M; Kwa J; Padmanathan P; Santo T; Hickman M; Gisev N, 2022, 'Suicide and self-harm among people prescribed opioid agonist treatment in New South Wales: A retrospective data linkage study', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 41, pp. S47 - S48,
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Bharat C; Larney S; Barbieri S; Dobbins T; Jones NR; Hickman M; Gisev N; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'THE EFFECT OF PERSON, TREATMENT AND PRESCRIBER CHARACTERISTICS ON RETENTION IN OPIOID AGONIST TREATMENT: A 15-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, pp. S46 - S47,
    Conference Abstracts | 2021
    Bharat C; Larney S; Barbieri S; Dobbins T; Jones NR; Hickman M; Gisev N; Ali R; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'The effect of prescriber, treatment, and client characteristics on retention in opioid agonist treatment: A 15-year retrospective cohort study', in PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, WILEY, Vol. 30, pp. 357 - 357,
    Conference Papers | 2021
    Colledge S; Larney S; Jones NR; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'THE INCIDENCE OF INJECTING-RELATED DISEASES AMONG PEOPLE PRESCRIBED OPIOID AGONIST TREATMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES: A RETROSPECTIVE DATA LINKAGE STUDY USING HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION DATA', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, pp. S58 - S58,
    Conference Abstracts | 2021
    Jones NR; Hickman M; Larney S; Nielsen S; Ali R; Dobbins T; Fiellin DA; Degenhardt L, 2021, 'INCIDENCE OF FATAL AND NON-FATAL DRUG OVERDOSE AMONG PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF OPIOID DEPENDENCE INCREASE IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF TREATMENT CESSATION: RETROSPECTIVE LINKAGE STUDY', in DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, WILEY, Vol. 40, pp. S87 - S87,

Using the linked data from the project: Health service use of people with opioid use disorders, we were able to show that, among people with opioid use disorder, urgent ED presentations and associated costs are reduced during periods of OAT relative to periods out of OAT. This difference was seen regardless of geographical remoteness and suggests that life-threatening events (e.g. overdose) are reduced in frequency while in OAT.  A more complex picture was identified in relation to low acuity ED presentations.  For OAT clients in major cities, low acuity presentations were significantly less frequent during periods of treatment compared to time out of treatment. This was not the case in regional/remote areas.  This may reflect difficulties in accessing OAT, and possibly primary care more broadly, in regional/remote NSW.  People living outside major cities may have difficulties accessing a community-based general practitioner who prescribes OAT.  The current OATS project has identified that OAT prescribing is increasingly concentrated in a small group of mature prescribers, and new prescribers have not been retained. There is a need to identify and respond to the reasons that contribute to newer prescribers to cease prescribing and put in place strategies to increase retention and broaden the base of doctors involved in such prescribing.