Australian Health Review : a Publication of the Australian Hospital Association

ObjectiveEarly, targeted treatment is critical to recovery and overall health following a work-related illness or injury. Limited research has explored the important dimensions of work-specific injury rehabilitation from both client and staff perspectives.MethodsA total of 17 participants (13 clients with work-related injuries, 3 physiotherapists, 1 project manager) involved in a unique program providing allied health treatment in combination with return-to-work services, were interviewed. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis...

ObjectiveStudies of Australian health workforce demographics tend to be limited to single professions, a set geographic area, or based on incomplete data. This study aims to comprehensively describe changes to the demographic characteristics of Australia's regulated health professions over 6 years.MethodsData were sourced from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration database, and a retrospective analysis of 15 of the 16 regulated health professions between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2021 was conducted...

ObjectiveTo determine the proportion of staff employed in smaller Victorian public acute healthcare facilities with evidence of immunity to hepatitis B.MethodsFor optimal long-term immunity, a completed hepatitis B vaccination course and post vaccination hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) level ≥10 mIU/mL is desirable for all high-risk staff employed in healthcare facilities. For the financial years 2016/17-2019/20, a standardised surveillance module developed by the Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre was completed by the smaller Victorian public acute healthcare facilities (individual hospitals with <100 acute care beds or their multi-site health service)...

ObjectiveTo utilise a concept mapping process to identify key opportunities for electronic medical record (EMR) optimisation for allied health professionals (AHPs).MethodsA total of 26 participants (allied health managers, clinicians and healthcare consumers) completed the concept mapping process, which included generating statements, and then subsequently sorting all statements into groups, and also ranking each statement for importance and changeability (0 = not important/changeable, 4 extremely important/changeable)...

ObjectiveThis study explored approaches of government policymakers to health policy evaluation (HPE) in Australian rural and remote settings.MethodsSemi-structured interviews captured experiences and insights of 25 policymakers in the Northern Territory Department of Health. Data were thematically analysed using an inductive approach to coding and theme development.ResultsWe identified five main themes about HPE in rural and remote settings: (1) centring the rural and remote context; (2) balancing ideology, power and evidence; (3) working with community; (4) strengthening policy workforce capabilities in monitoring and evaluation; and (5) valuing evaluation through leadership...

ObjectiveLittle is known about the epidemiology of medical emergencies occurring in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study is to draw attention to the importance of auditing emergency events in the ICU. We hypothesised that emergency events occurring in the ICU would be clustered during periods of decreased medical and nursing attention and would occur in patients who had a higher illness severity and a greater risk of death.MethodsA retrospective observational cohort study was carried out in a 36-bed tertiary intensive care unit...

ObjectiveThe personal importation scheme is a legislative mechanism that allows health consumers to import unapproved medicines under certain conditions. This article analyses the legal and policy basis for the scheme and considers how reforms to advertising laws for therapeutic goods may restrict communications about it. The article represents the first published analysis of the personal importation scheme's interaction with the communications of health professionals and buyer's clubs. It considers how these communications may be affected by legal amendments, particularly where unapproved medicines may be accessed through the scheme...

The landmark 2021 Resolution on Oral Health by the 74th World Health Assembly has elevated the importance of oral health into the global health policy agenda. This has led to the development and adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Oral Health in 2022. It acknowledged the need to integrate oral health as part of universal health coverage (UHC), which is supported by national clinical leadership for oral health. Although Australia is a signatory WHO member state, it is yet to appoint a Commonwealth Chief Dental Officer to provide national clinical leadership...

ObjectiveTo describe change in costs to different funders over time for women giving birth in Queensland between 2012 and 2018.MethodsA whole-of-population linked administrative dataset was used that contained all health service use in Queensland for women who gave birth between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2018 and their babies. Aggregated costs for mother and baby from pregnancy to 12 months postpartum were used to compare the change in costs to funders over time.ResultsThere was an increase in mean total cost to all funders per birth in the public system and private system from 2012 to 2018...

In this article, we examine the role and effectiveness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA and Europe and consider possible lessons for future pandemic planning in Australia. We also 'map' the interjurisdictional communication pathways that have been secured since the election of the new Commonwealth government. We suggest a number of steps that could be taken to upgrade the collection, distribution, accessibility and timelines of key information required to improve pandemic management and national health outcomes...

ObjectivesTo compare outpatient attendance rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ('Aboriginal') and non-Aboriginal patients at a large metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia, and to describe the barriers and enablers experienced by urban-dwelling Aboriginal patients in attending hospital outpatient appointments.MethodsThis study used a mixed-method approach. Proportions of referred patients who booked and attended outpatient appointments were extracted from a health service database. Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal cohorts were compared using chi-squared tests...

ObjectiveTo examine the potential therapeutic value of new medicines approved in the US and both approved and not approved in Australia.MethodsA list of new medicines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 was assembled and it was determined which of these medicines were also approved in Australia. Three metrics - first in class, priority review and therapeutic rating by two independent organisations - were used to determine the potential therapeutic value of the medicines...

What is known about the topic? When assessing real growth in costs, it is important to adjust for inflation through indexation to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The change in prices or costs over time can be calculated in constant currency amounts by adjusting by a ratio of the CPI in the year of interest to the CPI in the baseline year. What does this paper add? Rosenberg et al. (2022) did not calculate out-of-pocket costs in constant currency, which does not give an accurate estimation of costs adjusted for inflation...

The purpose of this perspective article is to emphasise the importance of the 'First 2000 Days' policy of life from conception to age five, and to propose new directions in which the policy's implementation could be extended for the benefit of children and families. The proposed approach highlights principles of responsiveness, integration, sustainability and equity, specifying initiatives that embody the kind of innovation each principle aspires to. The article also proposes innovations in data collection and linkages that would strengthen the implementation of first 2000 days policies and frameworks...

The objective of this case study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Wide Bay region coronavirus vaccination program in preventing hospitalisation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Population vaccination data and the vaccination status of patients hospitalised with confirmed COVID-19 have been used to evaluate preventable hospitalisations and risk reduction during and after a 2 month period following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wide Bay after removal of public health measures in Queensland in December 2021...

ObjectiveThis study provides an overview of opioid dispensing in Queensland from 2008 to 2018 by recipient age, drug, oral morphine equivalent and remoteness.MethodsData were obtained from the Queensland Monitoring of Drugs of Dependence System database for 2008-18 and analysed using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to account for population growth. Opioid dispensing by age, drug, oral morphine equivalent and remoteness were assessed.ResultsThe number of prescriptions for Schedule 8 opioid medicines dispensed in Queensland increased from 190 to 430 per 1000 population over the study period (2...

ObjectivePhase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces cardiovascular risk factors, morbidity and mortality after a cardiac event. Traditional Australian CR programs are located in metropolitan areas and delivered by an expert, multidisciplinary team. Referral and uptake barriers for people living in rural and remote locations are significantly affected by geographical isolation. This scoping review aimed to explore how phase II CR services in rural and remote Australia are being delivered.MethodsA scoping review was conducted to obtain all published literature relating to CR service delivery for people living in rural and remote Australia...

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate how healthcare practitioners use real-time prescription monitoring tools in clinical practice.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to Australian prescribers and pharmacists who use a real-time prescription monitoring tool. Data were analysed and descriptive statistics summarised participant characteristics and responses. A Chi-squared test was conducted to test the difference between prescribers and pharmacists.ResultsThe majority of participants agreed that real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) information is useful (92...

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As all Australian states now have voluntary assisted dying legislation, and with territories likely to follow, the focus shifts to how these systems are operating in practice and can be improved. Evidence to date shows voluntary assisted dying has been implemented safely, but some access challenges remain. The legislation in each state requires the voluntary assisted dying system must be reviewed and such reviews must be evidence-based.