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Chetter, Tamara G. "Statistical process control part 1: a primer for using statistical process control in health care process improvement." Australian Health Review 33, no. 3 (2009): 408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah090408.
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QUALITY IMPROVEMENT is increasingly important for health care organisations both nation-wide and internationally. There is greater recognition of both the variances in patient care and the gaps between evidence-based research and current practice. At the same time, demand, not only for the quantity of services, but for higher quality services, continues to grow. Realising this, most major hospitals across Australia are initiating the redesign of hospital processes in order to maximise the timeliness and quality of patient care. But changing a process does not always result in an improvement.1,2 For this reason, a key component of any quality improvement effort is the robust measurement, analysis, and interpretation of appropriate clinical outcomes and processes, to ensure beneficial changes occur.
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Cheluvappa, Rajkumar, and Selwyn Selvendran. "Antipodean Perspectives—Aged Care Nursing and the Multifaceted Role of the Aged Care Nurse." Nursing Reports 12, no. 3 (August 30, 2022): 629–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nursrep12030062.
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Healthy ageing refers to the development and maintenance of the functional ability of ageing individuals. Aged care nurses provide nursing care to elderly individuals and usually work in aged care residential facilities, nursing homes, home care services, and/or hospital departments. The registered nurse working in the aged care sector has several important roles. Key roles cover both therapeutic and preventative paradigms, as discussed in this paper. The aged care nurse is also “tasked with” holistic patient-centred care and the promotion of healthy ageing via advocacy and sociocultural roles. This paper examined, described, and analysed the multifaceted role of an aged care nurse from an Australian perspective. We conducted meticulous searches using PubMed, Google Scholar, government guidelines, authoritative body regulations, quality control guidelines, and government portals pertaining to aged care nursing in Australia. This paper relied upon the information garnered from publications, reports, and guidelines resulting from these searches and analyses. Multiple aspects of healthy ageing and holistic aged care nursing are discussed. The key roles of the aged care nurse are enumerated next, in accordance with the code of conduct from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The NMBA promotes evidence-based, culturally sensitive, consultative, holistic aged care clinical practice that includes input from care recipients, their decision makers, and/or their health care providers. The difficult issue of loneliness is discussed with strategies to ameliorate aspects of this. Good social networks, community interactions, meaningful friendships, and participation in personalised spiritual/religious practices improve the quality of aged care. The key topic of elder abuse and its forms are discussed apropos of aged care nursing. Healthy ageing is promoted by identifying and reporting elder abuse at the earliest. Current Australian law and recent federal legislation changes pertaining to aged care nursing are discussed next. As a result of these legislation changes, several new quality control imperatives (for aged care organisations/facilities) under the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) have been implemented. Residential and flexible aged care providers should now have robust ongoing documentation and a well-developed behaviour support plan (BSP) for each care recipient who currently requires or may require restrictive practices, which must be reported under the new serious incident reporting scheme (SIRS). Various strategies to promote healthy ageing and approaches to communicate effectively with aged care recipients are also discussed. Healthy ageing is promoted when age care recipients are empowered with making their own autonomous choices in “major and minor” aspects of life. Finally, approaches to optimise quality aged care nursing care are discussed. The Roper–Logan–Tierney model is one of the models used to assess and optimise nursing care. This is premised on the capability of an ageing individual to accomplish 12 basic activities of daily living.
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Hill, Anne-Marie, Rachael Moorin, Susan Slatyer, Christina Bryant, Keith Hill, Nicholas Waldron, Samar Aoun, et al. "Evaluating the provision of Further Enabling Care at Home (FECH+) for informal caregivers of older adults discharged home from hospital: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial." BMJ Open 11, no. 6 (June 2021): e046600. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046600.
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IntroductionThere are personal and societal benefits from caregiving; however, caregiving can jeopardise caregivers’ health. The Further Enabling Care at Home (FECH+) programme provides structured nurse support, through telephone outreach, to informal caregivers of older adults following discharge from acute hospital care to home. The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of the FECH+ programme on caregivers’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after care recipients’ hospital discharge.Methods and analysisA multisite, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with blinded baseline and outcome assessment and intention-to-treat analysis, adhering to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines will be conducted. Participants (N=925 dyads) comprising informal home caregiver (18 years or older) and care recipient (70 years or older) will be recruited when the care recipient is discharged from hospital. Caregivers of patients discharged from wards in three hospitals in Australia (one in Western Australia and two in Queensland) are eligible for inclusion. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. The intervention group receive the FECH+ programme, which provides structured support and problem-solving for the caregiver after the care recipient’s discharge, in addition to usual care. The control group receives usual care. The programme is delivered by a registered nurse and comprises six 30–45 min telephone support sessions over 6 months. The primary outcome is caregivers’ HRQOL measured using the Assessment of Quality of Life—eight dimensions. Secondary outcomes include caregiver preparedness, strain and distress and use of healthcare services. Changes in HRQOL between groups will be compared using a mixed regression model that accounts for the correlation between repeated measurements.Ethics and disseminationParticipants will provide written informed consent. Ethics approvals have been obtained from Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Health Care Group, Curtin University, Griffith University, Gold Coast Health Service and government health data linkage services. Findings will be disseminated through presentations, peer-reviewed journals and conferences.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000060943.
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Rhee, Joel, Anne Meller, Karolina Krysinska, Peter Gonski, Vasi Naganathan, Nicholas Zwar, Andrew Hayen, et al. "Advance care planning for patients with advanced illnesses attending hospital outpatient clinics study: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial." BMJ Open 9, no. 1 (January 2019): e023107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023107.
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IntroductionIt is unclear whether advance care planning (ACP) undertaken with patients living in the community can improve patient care and avoid unwanted interventions and hospital admissions. We have designed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to examine if ACP undertaken with patients with advanced illnesses attending hospital outpatient clinics can reduce unplanned hospital admissions and improve patient and caregiver well-being.Methods and analysisPragmatic RCT involving patients from subspecialty outpatient clinics at five clinical sites in Sydney, Australia. Participants will be ≥18 years screened as potentially having palliative care needs and at risk of dying in 6–12 months. The patients will be randomised to intervention or control group. Intervention group will undertake ACP discussions facilitated by a trained health professional. The control group will receive written information on ACP, representing the current standard of care. The primary outcome is the number of unplanned hospital admissions at the 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: (i) patient’s health-related quality-of-life and quality of chronic disease care; (ii) caregiver’s health-related quality-of-life and caregiver burden and (iii) other health outcomes including ambulance usage, emergency department presentations, hospital admissions, resuscitation attempts, intensive care unit admissions, deaths, documentation of patient wishes in patient records and audit of ACP discussions and documents. The staff’s self-reported attitudes and knowledge of ACP will also be measured. The data will be collected using self-report questionnaires, hospital records audit, audit of ACP documentation and data linkage analysis. Semistructured interviews and focus group discussions with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals will explore the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention.Ethics and disseminationApproved by South-East Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee and NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee. Results will be disseminated via conference presentations, journal publications, seminars and invited talks.Trial registration numberACTRN12617000280303.
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Abdel-Latif, Mohamed E., Gen Nowak, Barbara Bajuk, Kathryn Glass, and David Harley. "Variation in hospital mortality in an Australian neonatal intensive care unit network." Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition 103, no. 4 (October 26, 2017): F331—F336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2017-313222.
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BackgroundStudying centre-to-centre (CTC) variation in mortality rates is important because inferences about quality of care can be made permitting changes in practice to improve outcomes. However, comparisons between hospitals can be misleading unless there is adjustment for population characteristics and severity of illness.ObjectiveWe sought to report the risk-adjusted CTC variation in mortality among preterm infants born <32 weeks and admitted to all eight tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory Neonatal Network (NICUS), Australia.MethodsWe analysed routinely collected prospective data for births between 2007 and 2014. Adjusted mortality rates for each NICU were produced using a multiple logistic regression model. Output from this model was used to construct funnel plots.ResultsA total of 7212 live born infants <32 weeks gestation were admitted consecutively to network NICUs during the study period. NICUs differed in their patient populations and severity of illness.The overall unadjusted hospital mortality rate for the network was 7.9% (n=572 deaths). This varied from 5.3% in hospital E to 10.4% in hospital C. Adjusted mortality rates showed little CTC variation. No hospital reached the +99.8% control limit level on adjusted funnel plots.ConclusionCharacteristics of infants admitted to NICUs differ, and comparing unadjusted mortality rates should be avoided. Logistic regression-derived risk-adjusted mortality rates plotted on funnel plots provide a powerful visual graphical tool for presenting quality performance data. CTC variation is readily identified, permitting hospitals to appraise their practices and start timely intervention.
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Long, R., J. Luzuriaga, C. Biondi, A. Woods, P. Jackson, C. Anderiesz, C. Giles, and H. Zorbas. "Collection and Reporting of System-Wide Cancer Treatment Activity Data As Part of the Stage, Treatment and Recurrence (STaR) Project." Journal of Global Oncology 4, Supplement 2 (October 1, 2018): 74s. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jgo.18.61400.
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Background: The need for high quality, comprehensive national data on the treatments applied to cancers is widely recognized within the Australian cancer control community. The analysis and reporting of cancer treatment data will greatly enhance our ability to better understand cancer care activity and outcomes - and in particular the treatments being applied across population groups. Aim: To collect and report national data on cancer treatments, as part of Cancer Australia's Stage, Treatment and Recurrence (STaR) project. The linking of this data with national data on stage at diagnosis, survival and recurrence, will help inform policy and practice and ultimately improve cancer outcomes. Methods: Cancer Australia developed a dataset of selected surgical procedures for the treatment of the top five incidence cancers (prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, and melanoma). A dataset of key selected radiotherapy, and systemic therapies for the treatment of all cancer types was also developed. Data for reporting system-wide treatment activity were extracted from existing national health administrative datasets, including: the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD). The scope of the analysis was selected surgical procedures, radiotherapy procedures, or pharmaceutical agents administered with the general intent to change the outcome of the cancer and/or provide symptom relief/ palliative care. Results: The data reported provide a high-level national system-wide overview of cancer treatments applied, including: • More than 1 million radiotherapy services were provided for all cancers combined in Australia (as indicated by MBS reimbursement claims data) for the years 2013 to 2015 inclusive; • The number of people receiving systemic anticancer therapies in Australia for all cancers combined (as indicated by PBS reimbursement claims data) increased from 198,756 in 2012 to 247,939 in 2016; and • The number of hospital separations recorded in the NHMD (i.e., episodes of admitted patient care) for patients with a principal diagnosis of cancer undergoing surgery for the treatment of the top five high incidence cancers in Australia increased from 53,516 in 2010 to 57,651 in 2015. Conclusion: National cancer treatment data were successfully collected and reported. Australia is one of very few countries in the world to collect and report national system-wide treatment data with a specific focus on cancer. These data will be linked to cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, survival and recurrence data to help inform for population-level reporting of cancer outcomes.
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McDerby, Nicole, Sam Kosari, Kasia Bail, Alison Shield, Gregory Peterson, and Mark Naunton. "Residential Aged Care Pharmacist: An Australian Pilot Trial Exploring the Impact on Quality Use of Medicines Indicators." Medicines 7, no. 4 (April 20, 2020): 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/medicines7040020.
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Background: This pilot study aimed to assess whether an on-site pharmacist could influence indicators of quality use of medicines in residential aged care. Methods: A pharmacist was embedded in a residential aged care home for six months. A similar control site received usual care. Polypharmacy, drug burden index, antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use, hospital admission rates and length of stay, and emergency department presentation rates were outcomes used to indicate medication use quality. Data were extracted from participating resident health records. Results: Fifty-eight residents at the study site and 39 residents at the control site were included in the analysis. There was a reduction in the proportion of residents at the study site who had at least one hospital admission at follow-up (28% to 12%, p < 0.01), but no significant difference in other outcomes. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that a residential care pharmacist may positively influence indicators of medication use quality in aged care; however, further research is needed to expand on these findings.
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Conway, Jane, Sophie Dilworth, Carolyn Hullick, Jacqueline Hewitt, Catherine Turner, and Isabel Higgins. "A multi-organisation aged care emergency service for acute care management of older residents in aged care facilities." Australian Health Review 39, no. 5 (2015): 514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah15049.
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This case study describes a multi-organisation aged care emergency (ACE) service. The service was designed to enable point-of-care assessment and management for older people in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Design of the ACE service involved consultation and engagement of multiple key stakeholders. The ACE service was implemented in a large geographical region of a single Medicare Local (ML) in New South Wales, Australia. The service was developed over several phases. A case control pilot evaluation of one emergency department (ED) and four RACFs revealed a 16% reduction in presentations to the ED as well as reductions in admission to the hospital following ED presentation. Following initial pilot work, the ACE service transitioned across another five EDs and 85 RACFs in the local health district. The service has now been implemented in a further 10 sites (six metropolitan and four rural EDs) across New South Wales. Ongoing evaluation of the implementation continues to show positive outcomes. The ACE service offers a model shown to reduce ED presentations and admissions from RACFs, and provide quality care with a focus on the needs of the older person.
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Gough, K., and M. Krishnasamy. "Variation in the Quality of Experiences of Cancer Care at Five Large Metropolitan Health Services in Australia: Implications for Performance Measurement and Improvement." Journal of Global Oncology 4, Supplement 2 (October 1, 2018): 90s. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jgo.18.32400.
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Background: Using insights gained from the National Health Service in England, an alliance of organizations committed to cancer control in Australia conducted a large-scale survey aimed at better understanding the quality of cancer care. Aims: To understand sources of variation in the quality of patients' experiences of cancer care; and to identify patients with the largest potential to benefit from strategic quality improvement initiatives. Methods: The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre commissioned a cross-sectional survey of adult cancer patients treated as day cases or inpatients at five partner health services in 2015. Data comprised responses to the National Health Service (NHS) Cancer Patient Experiences Survey, ICD-10-AM codes and postcodes. Some survey items were modified to suit the Australian population based on advice from local experts and consumers. Aspects of care covered by the survey included: timeliness and experience of diagnosis; treatment decision-making; provision of support information; experience of operations, hospital doctors, ward nurses, hospital care and home care and support; experience of care as a day or outpatient; follow-up care with general practitioners; and overall cancer care. Consistent with NHS methodology, cancer care questions were recoded to binary variables reflecting more or less positive experiences and cancer type was defined based on ICD-10-AM codes. Postcodes were converted to an index of relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage using an Australian standard. Proportions were used to summarize the characteristics of patients who had more and less positive experiences of cancer care; then, logistic regression was used to model the probability of having less positive experiences. Age, gender, language spoken at home, socioeconomic group and cancer type were included in the models. Univariate models were used to calculate unadjusted odds ratios. Multivariate models were used to calculate the odds ratios of less positive experiences adjusting for patient characteristics and cancer type. Results: A total of 2526 patients completed the survey (response rate: 41%). As a general rule, and consistent with findings from the NHS, a substantial majority of patients (80% or more) reported positively on many aspects of care. Even so, more often than not aggregated data obscured striking disparities between patients diagnosed with different types of cancers. Overall, patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fared the worst; more than half reported less favorably on multiple aspects of care. Variation in perceptions of care was not as pronounced for different age groups, genders and language groups and we identified little variation between socioeconomic groups. Conclusion: At the very least, cancer system performance should be appraised by cancer type. Aggregation may conceal gross inequities and thwart attempts to identify those patients most likely to benefit from targeted service improvements.
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Young, Jane M., Phyllis N. Butow, Jennifer Walsh, Ivana Durcinoska, Timothy A. Dobbins, Laura Rodwell, James D. Harrison, et al. "Multicenter Randomized Trial of Centralized Nurse-Led Telephone-Based Care Coordination to Improve Outcomes After Surgical Resection for Colorectal Cancer: The CONNECT Intervention." Journal of Clinical Oncology 31, no. 28 (October 1, 2013): 3585–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2012.48.1036.
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Purpose To investigate the effectiveness of a centralized, nurse-delivered telephone-based service to improve care coordination and patient-reported outcomes after surgery for colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods Patients with a newly diagnosed colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to the CONNECT intervention or usual care. Intervention-group patients received standardized calls from the centrally based nurse 3 and 10 days and 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge from hospital. Unmet supportive care needs, experience of care coordination, unplanned readmissions, emergency department presentations, distress, and quality of life (QOL) were assessed by questionnaire at 1, 3, and 6 months. Results Of 775 patients treated at 23 public and private hospitals in Australia, 387 were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 369 to the control group. There were no significant differences between groups in unmet supportive care needs, but these were consistently low in both groups at both follow-up time points. There were no differences between the groups in emergency department presentations (10.8% v 13.8%; P = .2) or unplanned hospital readmissions (8.6% v 10.5%; P = .4) at 1 month. By 6 months, 25.6% of intervention-group patients had reported an unplanned readmission compared with 27.9% of controls (P = .5). There were no significant differences in experience of care coordination, distress, or QOL between groups at any follow-up time point. Conclusion This trial failed to demonstrate substantial benefit of a centralized system to provide standardized, telephone follow-up for postoperative patients with colorectal cancer. Future interventions could investigate a more tailored approach.
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Khano, Sonia, Lena Sanci, Susan Woolfenden, Yvonne Zurynski, Kim Dalziel, Siaw-Teng Liaw, Douglas Boyle, et al. "Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial of an integrated general practitioner-paediatrician model of primary care." BMJ Open 12, no. 9 (September 2022): e063449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063449.
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IntroductionAustralia’s current healthcare system for children is neither sustainable nor equitable. As children (0–4 years) comprise the largest proportion of all primary care-type emergency department presentations, general practitioners (GPs) report feeling undervalued as an integral member of a child’s care, and lacking in opportunities for support and training in paediatric conditions. This Strengthening Care for Children (SC4C) randomised trial aims to evaluate a novel, integrated GP-paediatrician model of care, that, if effective, will improve GP quality of care, reduce burden to hospital services and ensure children receive the right care, at the right time, closer to home.Methods and analysisSC4C is a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of 22 general practice clinics in Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. General practice clinics will provide control period data before being exposed to the 12-month intervention which will be rolled out sequentially each month (one clinic per state) until all 22 clinics receive the intervention. The intervention comprises weekly GP-paediatrician co-consultation sessions; monthly case discussions; and phone and email paediatrician support, focusing on common paediatric conditions. The primary outcome of the trial is to assess the impact of the intervention as measured by the proportion of children’s (0–<18 years) GP appointments that result in a hospital referral, compared with the control period. Secondary outcomes include GP quality of care; GP experience and confidence in providing paediatric care; family trust in and preference for GP care; and the sustainability of the intervention. An implementation evaluation will assess the model to inform acceptability, adaptability, scalability and sustainability, while a health economic evaluation will measure the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.Ethics and disseminationHuman research ethics committee (HREC) approval was granted by The Royal Children’s Hospital Ethics Committee in August 2020 (Project ID: 65955) and site-specific HRECs. The investigators (including Primary Health Network partners) will communicate trial results to stakeholders and participating GPs and general practice clinics via presentations and publications.Trial registration numberAustralia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry 12620001299998.
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Gordon, Louisa G., Amy J. Spooner, Natasha Booth, Tai-Rae Downer, Adrienne Hudson, Patsy Yates, Alanna Geary, Christopher O’Donnell, and Raymond Chan. "Do nurse navigators bring about fewer patient hospitalisations?" Journal of Health Organization and Management 33, no. 1 (March 18, 2019): 51–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jhom-02-2018-0063.
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Purpose Nurse navigators (NNs) coordinate patient care, improve care quality and potentially reduce healthcare resource use. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an evaluation of hospitalisation outcomes in a new NN programme in Queensland, Australia. Design/methodology/approach A matched case-control study was performed. Patients under the care of the NNs were randomly selected (n=100) and were matched to historical (n=300) and concurrent (n=300) comparison groups. The key outcomes of interest were the number and types of hospitalisations, length of hospital stay and number of intensive care unit days. Generalised linear and two-part models were used to determine significant differences in resources across groups. Findings The control and NN groups were well matched on socio-economic characteristics, however, groups differed by major disease type and number/type of comorbidities. NN patients had high healthcare needs with 53 per cent having two comorbidities. In adjusted analyses, compared with the control groups, NN patients showed higher proportions of preventable hospitalisations over 12 months, similar days in intensive care and a smaller proportion had overnight stays in hospital. However, the NN patients had significantly more hospitalisations (mean: 6.0 for NN cases, 3.4 for historical group and 3.2 for concurrent group); and emergency visits. Research limitations/implications As many factors will affect hospitalisation rates beyond whether patients receive NN care, further research and longer follow-up is required. Originality/value A matched case-control study provides a reasonable but insufficient design to compare the NN and non-NN exposed patient outcomes.
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Stoelwinder, Johannes U., and Margaret A. Abernethy. "The Design and Implementation of a Management Information System for Australian Public Hospitals." Health Services Management Research 2, no. 3 (November 1989): 176–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/095148488900200302.
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Existing management information systems (MIS) in hospitals are often inadequate. This has occurred because of a variety of antecedents, including past funding mechanisms, organisational structure and the accepted role of management. A variety of new pressures, including demands for increased accountability, greater resource control and changing relationships between physicians and hospitals are demanding improved MIS to enable the hospital to manage. This paper explores these influences on past and future hospital MIS. It describes the design of a MIS that enables patient care to be costed in clinically meaningful ways. Patient costs may be aggregated to cost specific diagnoses and procedures, Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG), a clinician's case load, a clinical unit or a division. The information can be used for clinical budgeting, flexible budgeting, utilisation review and quality assurance.
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Cadilhac, Dominique A., Tara Purvis, Monique F. Kilkenny, Mark Longworth, Katherine Mohr, Michael Pollack, and Christopher R. Levi. "Evaluation of Rural Stroke Services." Stroke 44, no. 10 (October 2013): 2848–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/strokeaha.113.001258.
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Background and Purpose— The quality of hospital care for stroke varies, particularly in rural areas. In 2007, funding to improve stroke care became available as part of the Rural Stroke Project (RSP) in New South Wales (Australia). The RSP included the employment of clinical coordinators to establish stroke units or pathways and protocols, and more clinical staff. We aimed to describe the effectiveness of RSP in improving stroke care and patient outcomes. Methods— A historical control cohort design was used. Clinical practice and outcomes at 8 hospitals were compared using 2 medical record reviews of 100 consecutive ischemic or intracerebral hemorrhage patients ≥12 months before RSP and 3 to 6 months after RSP was implemented. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses of patient outcomes are presented. Results— Sample: pre-RSP n=750; mean age 74 (SD, 13) years; women 50% and post-RSP n=730; mean age 74 (SD, 13) years; women 46%. Many improvements in stroke care were found after RSP: access to stroke units (pre 0%; post 58%, P <0.001); use of aspirin within 24 hours of ischemic stroke (pre 59%; post 71%, P <0.001); use of care plans (pre 15%; post 63%, P <0.001); and allied health assessments within 48 hours (pre 65%; post 82% P <0.001). After implementation of the RSP, patients directly admitted to an RSP hospital were 89% more likely to be discharged home (adjusted odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.34–2.66). Conclusions— Investment in clinical coordinators who implemented organizational change, together with increased clinician resources, effectively improved stroke care in rural hospitals, resulting in more patients being discharged home.
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Wu, Jane, Steven G. Faux, John Estell, Stephen Wilson, Ian Harris, Christopher J. Poulos, and Linda Klein. "Early rehabilitation after hospital admission for road trauma using an in-reach multidisciplinary team: a randomised controlled trial." Clinical Rehabilitation 31, no. 9 (February 1, 2017): 1189–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215517694462.
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Objective: To investigate the impact of an in-reach rehabilitation team for patients admitted after road trauma. Design: Randomised control trial of usual care versus early involvement of in-reach rehabilitation team. Telephone follow-up was conducted by a blind assessor at three months for those with minor/moderate injuries and six months for serious/severe injuries. Setting: Four participating trauma services in New South Wales, Australia. Subjects: A total of 214 patients admitted during 2012-2015 with a length of stay of at least five days. Intervention: Provision of rehabilitation services in parallel with ward based therapy using an in-reach team for the intervention group. The control group could still access the ward based therapy (usual care). Main measures: The primary outcome was acute length of stay. Secondary outcomes included percentage requiring inpatient rehabilitation, function (Functional Independence Measure and Timed Up and Go Test), psychological status (Depression Anxiety and Stress Score 21), pain (Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire) and quality of life (Short Form-12 v2). Results: Median length of stay in acute care was 13 days (IQR 8-21). The intervention group, compared to the control group, received more physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions (median number of sessions 16.0 versus 11.5, P=0.003). However, acute length of stay did not differ between the intervention and control groups (median 15 vs 12 days, P=0.37). There were no significant differences observed in the secondary outcomes at hospital discharge and follow-up. Conclusion: No additional benefit was found from the routine use of acute rehabilitation teams for trauma patients over and above usual care.
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Pomare, Chiara, Kate Churruca, Janet C. Long, Louise A. Ellis, Brett Gardiner, and Jeffrey Braithwaite. "Exploring the ripple effects of an Australian hospital redevelopment: a protocol for a longitudinal, mixed-methods study." BMJ Open 9, no. 7 (July 2019): e027186. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027186.
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IntroductionHospital redevelopment projects typically intend to improve hospital functioning and modernise the delivery of care. There is research support for the proposition that redevelopment along evidence-based design principles can lead to improved quality and safety. However, it is not clear how redevelopment influences the wider context of the hospital and its functioning. That is, beyond a limited examination of intended outcomes (eg, improved patient satisfaction), are there additional consequences (positive, negative or unintended) occurring within the hospital after the physical environment is changed? Is new always better? The primary purpose of this study is to explore the ripple effects of how hospital redevelopment may influence the organisation, staff and patients in both intended and unintended ways.Methods and analysisWe propose to conduct a longitudinal, mixed-methods, case study of a large metropolitan hospital in Australia. The study design consists of a series of measurements over time that are interrupted by the natural intervention of a hospital redevelopment. How hospital redevelopment influences the wider context of the hospital will be assessed in six domains: expectations and reflections of hospital redevelopment, organisational culture, staff interactions, staff well-being, efficiency of care delivery and patient experience. Methods of data collection include a hospital-wide staff survey, semistructured interviews, a network survey, a patient experience survey, analysis of routinely collected hospital data and observations. In addition to a hospital-level analysis, a total of four wards will be examined in-depth, with two acting as controls. Data will be analysed using thematic, statistical and network analyses, respectively, for the qualitative, quantitative and relational data.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been reviewed and approved by the relevant Ethics Committee in New South Wales, Australia. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and in report format to the stakeholders.
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Zhang, Anthony L., Shefton J. Parker, De Villiers Smit, David McD Taylor, and Charlie C. L. Xue. "Acupuncture and Standard Emergency Department Care for Pain And/Or Nausea and Its Impact on Emergency Care Delivery: A Feasibility Study." Acupuncture in Medicine 32, no. 3 (June 2014): 250–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2013-010501.
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Objective To evaluate the feasibility of delivering acupuncture in an emergency department (ED) to patients presenting with pain and/or nausea. Methods A feasibility study (with historical controls) undertaken at the Northern Hospital ED in Melbourne, Australia, involving people presenting to ED triage with pain (VAS 0–10) and/or nausea (Morrow Index 1–6) between January and August 2010 (n=400). The acupuncture group comprised 200 patients who received usual medical care and acupuncture; the usual care group comprised 200 patients with retrospective data closely matched from ED electronic health records. Results Refusal rate was 31%, with ‘symptoms under control owing to medical treatment before acupuncture’ the most prevalent reason for refusal (n=36); 52.5% of participants responded ‘definitely yes’ for their willingness to repeat acupuncture, and a further 31.8% responded ‘probably yes’. Over half (57%) reported a satisfaction score of 10 for acupuncture treatment. Musculoskeletal conditions were the most common conditions treated n=117 (58.5%), followed by abdominal or flank pain n=49 (24.5%). Adverse events were rare (2%) and mild. Pain and nausea scores reduced from a mean±SD of 7.01±2.02 before acupuncture to 4.72±2.62 after acupuncture and from 2.6±2.19 to 1.42±1.86, respectively. Conclusions Acupuncture in the ED appears safe and acceptable for patients with pain and/or nausea. Results suggest combined care may provide effective pain and nausea relief in ED patients. Further high-quality, sufficiently powered randomised studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of the add-on effect of acupuncture are recommended.
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Ding, Hang, Mohan Karunanithi, Derek Ireland, Lisa McCarthy, Rekha Hakim, Kirsten Phillips, Rahul Pradhan, et al. "Evaluation of an innovative mobile health programme for the self-management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (MH-COPD): protocol of a randomised controlled trial." BMJ Open 9, no. 4 (April 2019): e025381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025381.
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IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death globally. In outpatient care, the self-management of COPD is essential, but patient adherence to this remains suboptimal. The objective of this study is to examine whether an innovative mobile health (mHealth)-enabled care programme (MH-COPD) will improve the patient self-management and relevant health outcomes.Methods and analysisA prospective open randomised controlled trial has been designed. In the trial, patients with COPD will be recruited from The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. They will then be randomised to participate in either the MH-COPD intervention group (n=50 patients), or usual care control group (UC-COPD) (n=50 patients) for 6 months. The MH-COPD programme has been designed to integrate an mHealth system within a clinical COPD care service. In the programme, participants will use a mHealth application at home to review educational videos, monitor COPD symptoms, use an electronic action plan, modify the risk factors of cigarette smoking and regular physical activity, and learn to use inhalers optimally. All participants will be assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. The primary outcomes will be COPD symptoms and quality of life. The secondary outcomes will be patient adherence, physical activity, smoking cessation, use of COPD medicines, frequency of COPD exacerbations and hospital readmissions, and user experience of the mobile app.Ethics and disseminationThe clinical trial has been approved by The Prince Charles Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/16/QPCH/252). The recruitment and follow-up of the trial will be from January 2019 to December 2020. The study outcomes will be disseminated according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement through a journal publication, approximately 6 months after finishing data collection.Trial registration numberACTRN12618001091291.
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Sandy-Hodgetts, Kylie, Richard Parsons, Richard Norman, Mark W. Fear, Fiona M. Wood, and Scott W. White. "Effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy in the prevention of surgical wound complications in the cesarean section at-risk population: a parallel group randomised multicentre trial—the CYGNUS protocol." BMJ Open 10, no. 10 (October 2020): e035727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035727.
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IntroductionCaesarean delivery is steadily becoming one of the more common surgical procedures in Australia with over 100 000 caesarean sections performed each year. Over the last 10 years in Australia, the caesarean section rate has increased from 28% in 2003 to 33% in 2013. On the international stage, the Australian caesarean delivery rates are higher than the average for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Australia ranked as 8 out of 33 and is second to the USA. Postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) and wound complications are the most common and costly event following a caesarean section. Globally, complication rates following a caesarean delivery vary from 4.9% to 9.8%. Complications such as infection and wound breakdown affect the postpartum mother’s health and well-being, and contribute to healthcare costs for clinical management that often spans the acute, community and primary healthcare settings. Published level one studies using advanced wound dressings in the identified ‘at-risk’ population prior to surgery for prophylactic intervention are yet to be forthcoming.Methods and analysisA parallel group randomised control trial of 448 patients will be conducted across two metropolitan hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, which provide obstetric and midwifery services. We will recruit pregnant women in the last trimester, prior to their admission into the healthcare facility for delivery of their child. We will use a computer-generated block sequence to randomise the 448 participants to either the interventional (negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) dressing, n=224) or comparator arm (non-NPWT dressing, n=224). The primary outcome measure is the occurrence of surgical wound dehiscence (SSWD) or SSI. The Centres for Disease Control reporting definition of either superficial or deep infection at 30 days will be used as the outcome measure definition. SWD will be classified as per the World Union of Wound Healing Societies grading system (grade I–IV). We will assess recruitment rate, and adherence to intervention and follow-up. We will assess the potential effectiveness of NPWT in the prevention of postpartum surgical wound complications at three time points during the study; postoperative days 5, 14 and 30, after which the participant will be closed out of the trial. We will use statistical methods to determine efficacy, and risk stratification will be conducted to determine the SWD risk profile of the participant. Follow-up at day 30 will assess superficial and deep infection, and wound dehiscence (grade I–IV) and the core outcome data set for wound complications. This study will collect health-related quality of life (European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions 5-Level Scale), mortality and late complications such as further surgery with a cost analysis conducted. The primary analysis will be by intention-to-treat. This clinical trial protocol follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained through St John of God Health Care (HREC1409), Western Australia Department of Health King Edward Memorial Hospital (HREC3111). Study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. We used the SPIRIT checklist when writing our study protocol.Trial registration numberAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618002006224p).
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Du, Huiyun, Phillip J. Newton, Chakra Budhathoki, Bronwyn Everett, Yenna Salamonson, Peter S. Macdonald, and Patricia M. Davidson. "The Home-Heart-Walk study, a self-administered walk test on perceived physical functioning, and self-care behaviour in people with stable chronic heart failure: A randomized controlled trial." European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 17, no. 3 (August 31, 2017): 235–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474515117729779.
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Background: Adherence to self-care recommendations is associated with improved patient outcomes and improved quality of life for people living with heart failure. The Home-Heart-Walk (HHW) is an intervention to promote physical activity adapting the elements of a six minute walk test, a reliable and valid measure. This adaptation was designed to support self-monitoring of physical functioning and promote the self-care of people with heart failure. The primary outcome of the Home-Heart-Walk was perceived physical functioning and the secondary outcomes were six-minute walk test distance, health related quality of life, self-care behaviour, self-efficacy and physical activity level. Methods: A multicentre randomized controlled trial. Participants ( N=132) were recruited from three academic hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Participants were randomized to either the Home-Heart-Walk group or the control group. Perceived physical functioning, health related quality of life, self-care behaviour, exercise self-efficacy and physical activity level were measured at baseline and at three- and six-month follow-up. Results: After adjusting for baseline scores, there were no statistically significant between-group differences in perceived physical functioning, six-minute walk test distance, health related quality of life and exercise self-efficacy at follow-up. The intervention group had improvement in self-care behaviour ( F(1,129) = 4.75, p = 0.031) and physical activity level ( U = 1713, z = −2.12, p = 0.034) at the six-month follow-up compared with the control group. Conclusion: The Home-Heart-Walk did not improve the perceived physical functioning of the intervention group. Although the feasibility and acceptability of this strategy to support self-monitoring and improve self-care behaviour was demonstrated, self-reported adherence was unreliable; newer technologies may offer better assessment of adherence.
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Curtis, Kate, Margaret Fry, Sarah Kourouche, Belinda Kennedy, Julie Considine, Hatem Alkhouri, Mary Lam, et al. "Implementation evaluation of an evidence-based emergency nursing framework (HIRAID): study protocol for a step-wedge randomised control trial." BMJ Open 13, no. 1 (January 2023): e067022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067022.
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IntroductionPoor patient assessment results in undetected clinical deterioration. Yet, there is no standardised assessment framework for >29 000 Australian emergency nurses. To reduce clinical variation and increase safety and quality of initial emergency nursing care, the evidence-based emergency nursing framework HIRAID (History, Identify Red flags, Assessment, Interventions, Diagnostics, communication and reassessment) was developed and piloted. This paper presents the rationale and protocol for a multicentre clinical trial of HIRAID.Methods and analysisUsing an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design, the study incorporates a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial of HIRAID at 31 emergency departments (EDs) in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The primary outcomes are incidence of inpatient deterioration related to ED care, time to analgesia, patient satisfaction and medical satisfaction with nursing clinical handover (effectiveness). Strategies that optimise HIRAID uptake (implementation) and implementation fidelity will be determined to assess if HIRAID was implemented as intended at all sites.Ethics and disseminationEthics has been approved for NSW sites through Greater Western Human Research Ethics Committee (2020/ETH02164), and for Victoria and Queensland sites through Royal Brisbane & Woman’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (2021/QRBW/80026). The final phase of the study will integrate the findings in a toolkit for national rollout. A dissemination, communications (variety of platforms) and upscaling strategy will be designed and actioned with the organisations that influence state and national level health policy and emergency nurse education, including the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care. Scaling up of findings could be achieved by embedding HIRAID into national transition to nursing programmes, ‘business as usual’ ED training schedules and university curricula.Trial registration numberACTRN12621001456842.
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Turnidge, John D., and Kathy T. Meleady. "Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) surveillance system: coordinating national data on antimicrobial use and resistance for Australia." Australian Health Review 42, no. 3 (2018): 272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah16238.
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Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the process of establishment and coordination of the national Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) surveillance system. Methods Existing surveillance programs conducted by health organisations at state or multi-jurisdictional levels were reviewed, and gaps and opportunities identified for the development of a national system. In view of the time frame available as part of the Australian Government Department of Health funding agreement, the strategy used by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care was to commence work with existing surveillance programs, expanding and enhancing them and developing new systems where gaps were identified. Using the specifications of the AURA national system, the data from each of these elements were then analysed and reported. The system provides coverage for the acute and community sectors for antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance. Results The AURA surveillance system integrates eight streams of surveillance activities, including passive and targeted surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance from hospitals (public and private) and the community (general practitioners and aged care homes). A gap was identified in timely surveillance of critical antimicrobial resistances (CARs), which resulted in the development of the national CARAlert system. The first comprehensive analyses of data across the surveillance programs was published in June 2016, providing baseline data for future reports to build on. Conclusion The AURA surveillance system has established the framework and foundation systems for an integrated and comprehensive picture of both antimicrobial use and resistance in Australia over time. National coordination and support will improve data collection, standardisation and analysis, and will facilitate collaboration across the states and territories, the Australian Government and the private sector. AURA publications will inform policy development and clinical decision making and improve consumer awareness of antimicrobial use and resistance. The system will continue to develop as a comprehensive system, with additional data over time, and appropriate clinical and epidemiological review. What is known about this topic? Surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance is critical to inform effective policy development and public health responses to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Until now, surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance in Australia has been fragmented, with state and territory and professional group differences in data collection, analysis and reporting. What does this paper add? This paper profiles the development of the AURA surveillance system, the first nationally coordinated surveillance system for antimicrobial use and resistance, and its use of a partnership approach with contributing programs in order to promote participation and to obtain data to inform strategies to prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance. This paper highlights the establishment phase, noting that the system continues to be improved with growing participation from all sectors. What are the implications for practitioners? National surveillance data from the AURA surveillance system provides evidence for action to guide improvements in infection control, antimicrobial prescribing and the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance across all healthcare sectors. It will also enable trends to be identified and reported on, and have the capability of determining the effect of interventions to improve and rationalise antimicrobial prescribing.
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Barrett, Stephen, Stephen Begg, Paul O’Halloran, Christopher M. Doran, and Michael Kingsley. "Physical activity telephone coaching intervention for insufficiently physically active ambulatory hospital patients: Economic evaluation of the Healthy 4U-2 randomised controlled trial." PLOS ONE 17, no. 6 (June 23, 2022): e0270211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270211.
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The Healthy 4U-2 randomised controlled trial demonstrated that a physical activity (PA) telephone coaching intervention was effective for improving objectively-measured PA and health-related outcomes. The current study reports on an economic evaluation performed alongside the trial to determine whether this effective intervention is also cost-effective from a healthcare funder perspective. Participants (N = 120) were insufficiently physically active adults recruited from an ambulatory care clinic in a public hospital in regional Australia. The primary outcome was change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) measured using accelerometers. Changes in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were derived from the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-12). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for each outcome. Uncertainty of cost-effectiveness results were estimated using non-parametric bootstrapping techniques and sensitivity analyses. The mean intervention cost was $132 per person. The control group incurred higher overall costs compared to intervention ($2,465 vs. $1,743, respectively). Relative to control, the intervention resulted in incremental improvements in MVPA and QALYs and was deemed cost-effective. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that compared to control, the intervention would be cost-effective for improving MVPA and QALYs at very low willingness to pay thresholds. Sensitivity analyses indicated that results were robust to varied assumptions. This study shows that PA telephone coaching was a low-cost strategy for increasing MVPA and QALYs in insufficiently active ambulatory hospital patients. Findings of health benefits and overall cost-savings are uncommon and PA telephone coaching offers a potentially cost-effective investment to produce important public health outcomes.
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Collier, Janice M., and Julie Bernhardt. "The Therapy ‘Pill’: Achieving Treatment Dose Within a Rehabilitation Trial." Brain Impairment 9, no. 2 (September 1, 2008): 191–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1375/brim.9.2.191.
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AbstractBackground: Developing high quality clinical trials within rehabilitation research is achievable and should be pursued wherever possible. One of the greatest challenges rehabilitation trialists face is defining experimental and control interventions and ensuring that the intervention dose is delivered as planned. Aim: We describe procedures employed within a pilot randomised controlled trial of a rehabilitation intervention to monitor therapy dose. Method: The trial setting was two acute stroke units in large teaching hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. The design was a randomised controlled trial of very early mobilisation (commenced within 24 hours of stroke onset) plus standard care (VEM) versus standard care alone. Assessors were blinded to group and analysis was intention to treat. All therapy data (both intervention and control) were acquired using personal digital assistants. Monitoring of therapy dose and feedback to trial staff was given 6 months into the trial by a researcher independent of the trial team. Results: Before feedback, therapists were barely meeting intervention protocol minimum targets. Following feedback, compliance with trial protocol was achieved. Conclusion: Monitoring of the therapy dose within a clinical trial is important to achieve trial quality. This article shows how monitoring including feedback leads to improved delivery of the therapy ‘pill’.
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Pathirathna, Ravindra, Pamila S. Adikari, WKWS Kumarawansa, Damitha Balasooriya, and Mahendra Senavirathna. "New Normal Context in Health Care Settings after COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Literature Review." Recent Advances in Biology and Medicine 7, no. 1 (January 27, 2021): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.18639/rabm.2021.1237255.
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COVID-19 is an infectious disease that rapidly developed into a pandemic status. This deemed a need for new strategies to carry out routine health care activities. The recent practices and adaptations of the system as a response to the pandemic status were called a new normal situation. The aim of the study was to describe principles for adaptation to a new normal context for health care settings in COVID-19 pandemic. This narrative review of literature was conducted based on policy documents, guidelines, and public notices issued by the government and other key policymakers from the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and Canada between June 15, 2020, and July 15, 2020, available on their government websites. The study revealed several principles, namely, enhanced surveillance, phasedown strategy for restoring routine services, vulnerability, dynamics of the service demand, new principles in human resource management, infection control measures, supply and usage of personal protective equipment, demand for intensive-care unit bed capacity, coordination and collaboration internally and externally, promotion and utility of remote care, ensuring equity, pre-hospital communication and assessment before reaching service facility, enhancing clinician participation in local-level decision-making, and risk assessments within all levels of service facility. The results of this study exposed new principles that facilitated managerial decision-making to the adaptation of new strategies. This new normal context created many challenges for resource management, which needed to consider dynamics of demand of services, prevention of spreading infections, and readiness for surge of cases while safeguarding quality and safety.
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Mumford, Virginia, Mary Ann Kulh, Clifford Hughes, Jeffrey Braithwaite, and Johanna Westbrook. "Controlled pre–post, mixed-methods study to determine the effectiveness of a national delirium clinical care standard to improve the diagnosis and care of patients with delirium in Australian hospitals: a protocol." BMJ Open 8, no. 1 (January 2018): e019423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019423.
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IntroductionDelirium, an acute confusional state, affects up to 29% of acute inpatients aged 65 years and over. The Australian Delirium Clinical Care Standard (the Standard) contains evidence-based, multicomponent interventions, to identify and reduce delirium. This study aims to: (1) conduct a controlled, before-and-after study to assess the clinical effectiveness of the Standard to improve diagnosis and treatment of delirium; (2) conduct a cost-effectiveness study of implementing the Standard and (3) evaluate the implementation process.Methods and analysisThe study will use a controlled, preimplementation and postimplementation mixed-methods study design, including: medical record reviews, activity-based costing analysis and interviews with staff, patients and their family members. The study population will comprise patients 65 years and over, admitted to surgical, medical and intensive care wards in four intervention hospitals and one control hospital. The primary clinical outcome will be the incidence of delirium. Secondary outcomes include: length of stay, severity and duration of delirium, inhospital mortality rates, readmission rates and use of psychotropic drugs. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated through activity-based costing analysis and outcome data, and the implementation process appraised through the qualitative results.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been received for two hospitals. Additional hospitals have been identified and ethics applications will be submitted once the tools in the pilot study have been tested.The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presented to national and international conferences. Results seminars will provide a quality feedback mechanism for staff and health policy bodies.
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Musial, Jane, Andrea Cawte, Robert Mullins, Mary Hannan-Jones, and Susan de Jersey. "Implementation and evaluation of a university–hospital partnership program for Type 2 diabetes." Australian Health Review 46, no. 1 (November 16, 2021): 78–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah21173.
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Objective The aims of this study were to determine whether a university–hospital partnership program for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) would: be well attended; reduce the number of patients on the diabetes out-patient waiting list who have been waiting longer than the recommended; increase discharge from the hospital clinic; increase university health clinic (UHC) occasions of service; be sustainable; and be acceptable to participants. Method A prospective observational study was conducted between 2016 and 2019. Participants with T2D were referred to a UHC, initially from a hospital diabetes wait list. The final program consisted of 10 weeks: before and after individual assessments, as well as 8 weeks of exercise and education facilitated by health professionals and students. Participant demographic characteristics and data on attendance, discharge and follow-up requirements, the percentage of patients waiting longer than the recommended for a new hospital out-patient appointment, university activity and patient satisfaction were collected. Results In all, 130 participants commenced the program, 80% completed at least six of eight group sessions and 80% attended the final assessment. The percentage of people waiting longer than recommended decreased from 63% to 16%. The hospital discharged 87% and 59% of participants from the dietitian and endocrinologist respectively. The UHC recorded 2056 occasions of service and 2056 student experiences including dietetics, exercise physiology, psychology, nursing, optometry, social work and podiatry students relating to the program. Satisfaction was high, as measured by the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction, with a mean score of 23.9 from a possible score of 28.0 (n = 93). Conclusion The partnership resulted in a new model of care for patients with T2D and increased learning experiences for students. What is known about the topic? Diabetes is the fastest growing disease in Australia, placing unsustainable demands on the health system. Access to patient-centred care and self-management education is essential to optimise glycaemic control, prevent or delay complications and maintain quality of life. The increasing demand of diabetes on the health system affects access to timely care, with unacceptably long wait times reported, resulting in an increase in morbidity and mortality and poor patient satisfaction. A potential solution is the use of clinical students to contribute to service delivery. Student-assisted and student-led health clinics have increased access to care across the globe for many years. What does the paper add? Although group education has the potential to reduce the burden on clinical service delivery, it was unclear whether a partnership program using students and university and hospital resources would be acceptable to people with T2D and whether this model delivered at a UHC would be sustainable and of benefit to both the health service and university. The results of the evaluation suggest that a university–hospital partnership program is well accepted by participants, well attended, reduces the number of patients waiting for a hospital appointment longer than the acceptable waiting times, increases UHC activity and provides interdisciplinary student experiences. As such, this paper provides evidence that this model of care offers a potential solution to increasing demands for health services for diabetes and student clinical experience. What are the implications for practitioners? Partnerships between UHCs and hospitals offer a sustainable solution to increasing demand for diabetes services and student training requirements. The description of the development, implementation and evaluation processes can be used by practitioners and educators as a framework for the translation of similar models of care to meet demands in other areas where demand for health services exceeds capacity.
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Armstrong, Elizabeth, Juli Coffin, Deborah Hersh, Judith M. Katzenellenbogen, Sandra Thompson, Leon Flicker, Meaghan McAllister, et al. "Healing Right Way: study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial to enhance rehabilitation services and improve quality of life in Aboriginal Australians after brain injury." BMJ Open 11, no. 9 (September 2021): e045898. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045898.
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IntroductionDespite higher incidence of brain injury among Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal Australians, suboptimal engagement exists between rehabilitation services and Aboriginal brain injury survivors. Aboriginal patients often feel culturally insecure in hospital and navigation of services post discharge is complex. Health professionals report feeling ill-equipped working with Aboriginal patients. This study will test the impact of a research-informed culturally secure intervention model for Aboriginal people with brain injury.Methods and analysisDesign: Stepped wedge cluster randomised control trial design; intervention sequentially introduced at four pairs of healthcare sites across Western Australia at 26-week intervals.Recruitment: Aboriginal participants aged ≥18 years within 4 weeks of an acute stroke or traumatic brain injury.Intervention: (1) Cultural security training for hospital staff and (2) local, trial-specific, Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinators supporting participants.Primary outcome: Quality-of-life using EuroQOL-5D-3L (European Quality of Life scale, five dimensions, three severity levels) Visual Analogue Scale score at 26 weeks post injury. Recruitment of 312 participants is estimated to detect a difference of 15 points with 80% power at the 5% significance level. A linear mixed model will be used to assess the between-condition difference.Secondary outcome measures: Modified Rankin Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Modified Caregiver Strain Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at 12 and 26 weeks post injury, rehabilitation occasions of service received, hospital compliance with minimum care processes by 26 weeks post injury, acceptability of Intervention Package, feasibility of Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator role.Evaluations: An economic evaluation will determine the potential cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Process evaluation will document fidelity to study processes and capture changing contexts including barriers to intervention implementation and acceptability/feasibility of the intervention through participant questionnaires at 12 and 26 weeks.Ethics and disseminationThe study has approvals from Aboriginal, university and health services human research ethics committees. Findings will be disseminated through stakeholder reports, participant workshops, peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers.Trial registration numberACTRN12618000139279.
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Crittenden, Tamara, David I. Watson, Julie Ratcliffe, Philip A. Griffin, and Nicola R. Dean. "Does breast reduction surgery improve health-related quality of life? A prospective cohort study in Australian women." BMJ Open 10, no. 2 (February 2020): e031804. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031804.
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ObjectivesTo assess the health burden of breast hypertrophy and the comparative effectiveness of breast reduction surgery in improving health-related quality of life.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingA major public tertiary care hospital in Australia.ParticipantsWomen with symptomatic breast hypertrophy who underwent breast reduction surgery were followed for 12 months. A comparison control cohort comprised women with breast hypertrophy who did not undergo surgery.InterventionsBilateral breast reduction surgery for women in the surgical cohort.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome measure was health-related quality of life measured preoperatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures included post-surgical complications.Results209 patients in the surgical cohort completed questionnaires before and after surgery. 124 patients in the control hypertrophy cohort completed baseline and 12-month follow-up questionnaires. At baseline, both groups had significantly lower scores compared with population norms across all scales (p<0.001). In the surgical cohort significant improvements were seen across all eight SF-36 scales (p<0.001) following surgery. Within 3 months of surgery scores were equivalent to those of the normal population and this improvement was sustained at 12 months. SF-36 physical and mental component scores both significantly improved following surgery, with a mean change of 10.2 and 9.2 points, respectively (p<0.001). In contrast, SF-36 scores for breast hypertrophy controls remained at baseline across 12 months. The improvement in quality of life was independent of breast resection weight and body mass index.ConclusionBreast reduction significantly improved quality of life in women with breast hypertrophy. This increase was most pronounced within 3 months of surgery and sustained at 12-month follow-up. This improvement in quality of life is comparable to other widely accepted surgical procedures. Furthermore, women benefit from surgery regardless of factors including body mass index and resection weight.
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Milch, Vivienne, Carolyn Der Vartanian, Melissa Austen, Rhona Wang, Candice-Brooke Woods, Lillian Liu, Stephen P. Ackland, Cleola Anderiesz, and Dorothy Mary Kate Keefe. "COVID-19 and cancer care: Embedding high-value changes into practice." Journal of Clinical Oncology 39, no. 15_suppl (May 20, 2021): e18685-e18685. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e18685.
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e18685 Background: Health systems pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic have driven adoption of innovative models of cancer care which optimise resources and protect patients and staff. High-value changes should be identified and retained to improve resilience of cancer care. Methods: Cancer Australia reviewed the literature and consulted with oncology health professionals, cancer control experts and consumers to examine elements of cancer care that changed during the pandemic. Strategies that support high-value care and improve cancer outcomes were identified. Results: The pandemic highlighted models of care which minimise risk of infection for cancer patients, whilst optimising outcomes. Of the numerous cancer care elements that we examined, this abstract focuses on key enhancements in digital health and treatment practices. Digital health helped maintain quality and continuity of cancer care during the pandemic. Use of telehealth (for clinical and supportive care), e-prescribing, and e-ordering of investigations increased, supported by national health system funding. Shared care between care settings was facilitated by rapid uptake of telehealth, e-health records, virtual multidisciplinary team meetings and secure messaging. Treatment modifications included hypofractionated radiotherapy, transitioning to oral chemotherapy where possible, and home-based palliative care. Lower thresholds adopted for use of G-CSF with chemotherapy to reduce risk of febrile neutropenia, aimed to decrease hospital admission rates. It is important to address barriers to uptake of these high value changes. For digital health, variations in patient access to telehealth and digital health literacy can be reduced through technical and coordination support (tailored to people with diverse needs and backgrounds), with telehealth consultations offered in safe, accessible clinical or community settings. Administrative and technical burdens in health service settings can be mitigated through sustainable IT infrastructure, standardised processes for appointments, and improving staff digital health capabilities. Patient anxiety regarding changes in care plans can be mitigated through transparent, accessible, and culturally appropriate communication, documentation and shared decision-making. Clinician uncertainty in calculating risks and benefits in treatment modifications can be addressed through evidence-based standardised care procedures and risk-stratification protocols. Conclusions: Many modifications to cancer care made during the pandemic can have long-term benefits and should become standard care, including enhancements in digital health and treatment practices. Strategies have been identified which enable these changes and address barriers to uptake at the system-, service-, practitioner-, and patient-level. Efforts to embed high value changes are required across the cancer control sector.
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Walpole, Euan Thomas, Philippa Youl, Danica Cossio, Michelle Frances Morris, and Shoni Philpot. "Development of key performance indicator (KPI) for real-time monitoring of treatment of early breast cancer to control socioeconomic and indigenous systemic bias." Journal of Clinical Oncology 40, no. 16_suppl (June 1, 2022): 10566. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.10566.
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10566 Background: Disparity in outcome for different cancer groups exist particularly for indigenous and poor socioeconomic background. Patient and treatment data on a population basis was examined. Methods: Population data for the state of Queensland, Australia (population 5.2M) collected by Cancer Alliance Queensland as part of government cancer registry roles plus additional linked data available as a gazetted quality assurance committee was examined to find patients with early breast cancer treated with surgery, chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) between 2005-2015. Results: A cohort of 8279 women received treatment with 89.3% having the surgery, CT, RT sequence. Time to completement threshold was 37 weeks using empirical cutpoint estimation in Stata. Overall survival (OS) was 94% at 5 years if < 37 weeks versus 88.5% if not. (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of socioeconomic and clinical characteristics for survival was also significant for increasing age, indigenous status, socioeconomic disadvantage, multiple co morbidities and advancing disease stage. Private hospital cases had a better outcome. When delay is analysed between treatments, only time to CT from surgery > 9.5 weeks was significant for OS (HR 1.42 p < 0.001). Indigenous status, socioeconomic status and private facility no longer were significant. Multiple co morbidities and advanced stage were still significantly associated with poorer survival. Funnel plots of treatment centre show the association with public hospital treatment and lower volume centre with delay. Conclusions: This data is retrospective so can inform local service evaluation but implementation of a KPI for delay to adjuvant chemotherapy of 9.5 weeks can provide real time targets for patient care. We measured delay in the recent 5 years (before survival available) which shows consistent delays and it will included as a reporting function of MDT management software. Whilst the increased use of neoadjuvant CT will assist, systematic reporting of this KPI has potential to remove treatment biases for indigenous and lower socioeconomic patients. More recent data will be available for presentation.
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Fadil Azim, Darlina H., Azmee Mohd Ghazi, Siew Hoon Ong, Hariyati S. Abdul Majid, Karen Morgan, and Anne Hickey. "Improving physical and psychological outcomes of cardiac patients using the Naluri app: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial." HRB Open Research 5 (November 17, 2022): 75. http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13629.1.
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Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) continues to be a significant burden to public health. Poor treatment and management can lead to more severe cardiac events that could result in death or disability. Early interventions like cardiac rehabilitation programs can provide patients the required knowledge, skills and support to recover from and prevent more cardiac events. Electronic health (eHealth) interventions have potential to complement hospital-based rehabilitation programs. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Naluri app in improving health behaviours, clinical and psychological outcomes in a sample of cardiac patients in Malaysia. Methods: This study is a two-arm, parallel, superiority randomized control trial to be conducted at the Malaysian National Heart Institute. A total of 200 patients will be randomly assigned to either a 16-week theory-based Naluri app in addition to usual care (treatment) or to usual care only (control). Outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 16 weeks. Health behaviour outcomes include physical activity and diet. Clinical outcomes include BMI, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and lipid levels. Psychological outcomes include anxiety, depression, and health related quality of life (HRQOL). The Naluri app theoretical framework is based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) theory. Risk perception, self-efficacy, planning, intentions, outcome expectancies, illness perceptions and psychological outcomes will be measured using self-reported measures. Discussion: This trial will determine the effectiveness of the Naluri app intervention in improving various outcomes of cardiac patients after four months. It will provide data on the applicability of the HAPA theory in Mobile health (mHealth) intervention and the acceptance and efficacy of mHealth as a cardiac rehabilitation program for patients in Malaysia. The results may inform the potential implementation of the app for use with patients with other chronic illnesses like diabetes, stroke, and depression. Registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (14/01/2019, ACTRN12619000104156).
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Giangregorio, Lora M., Lehana Thabane, Jonathan D. Adachi, Maureen C. Ashe, Robert R. Bleakney, E. Anne Braun, Angela M. Cheung, et al. "Build Better Bones With Exercise: Protocol for a Feasibility Study of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of 12 Months of Home Exercise in Women With a Vertebral Fracture." Physical Therapy 94, no. 9 (September 1, 2014): 1337–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130625.
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BackgroundOur goal is to conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate whether exercise can reduce incident fractures compared with no intervention among women aged ≥65 years with a vertebral fracture.ObjectivesThis pilot study will determine the feasibility of recruitment, retention, and adherence for the proposed trial.DesignThe proposed RCT will be a pilot feasibility study with 1:1 randomization to exercise or attentional control groups.SettingFive Canadian sites (1 community hospital partnered with an academic center and 4 academic hospitals or centers affiliated with an academic center) and 2 Australian centers (1 academic hospital and 1 center for community primary care, geriatric, and rehabilitation services).ParticipantsOne hundred sixty women aged ≥65 years with vertebral fracture at 5 Canadian and 2 Australian centers will be recruited.InterventionThe Build Better Bones With Exercise (B3E) intervention includes exercise and behavioral counseling, delivered by a physical therapist in 6 home visits over 8 months, and monthly calls; participants are to exercise ≥3 times weekly. Controls will receive equal attention.MeasurementsPrimary outcomes will include recruitment, retention, and adherence. Adherence to exercise will be assessed via calendar diary. Secondary outcomes will include physical function (lower extremity strength, mobility, and balance), posture, and falls. Additional secondary outcomes will include quality of life, pain, fall self-efficacy, behavior change variables, intervention cost, fractures, and adverse events. Analyses of feasibility objectives will be descriptive or based on estimates with 95% confidence intervals, where feasibility will be assessed relative to a priori criteria. Differences in secondary outcomes will be evaluated in intention-to-treat analyses via independent Student t tests, chi-square tests, or logistic regression. The Bonferroni method will be used to adjust the level of significance for secondary outcomes so the overall alpha level is .05.LimitationsNo assessment of bone mineral density will be conducted. The proposed definitive trial will require a large sample size.ConclusionsThe viability of a large-scale exercise trial in women with vertebral fractures will be evaluated, as well as the effects of a home exercise program on important secondary outcomes.
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Rahmawati, Sitti, Mark A. Graber, Mohammad Hakimi, Ali Ghufron Multi, Indra Bastian, and Nurulhuda Rahman. "Cost Comparison of Emergency Cesarean Section in Indonesia: The impact of Australian Model of Diagnosis-related Groups as a Payment System for Patient Care in Hospitals." Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 9, E (March 8, 2021): 216–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.5831.
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BACKGROUND: The cesarean section in Indonesia was higher, still worrying for women and babies’ health with pregnancy complications. It will have psychological effects such as trauma and stress during labor and its consequences on labor cost. AIM: This study’s purpose was to determine the cost of cesarean delivery as a diagnosis of transition-related groups and the Australian-diagnosis-related groups (AR-DRGs) model’s impact. METHODS: The research method is descriptive qualitative study. The 42 samples are pregnant women and that selected by purposive sampling. The data are collected from a secondary data source of medical record installations, observations, interview interviews, and focus group discussion with health professionals, nurses, doctors, and midwives. Data analysis is based on the activity-based costing system method. It includes cost treatment per disease diagnosis, cesarean section AR-DRG 370 method as a payment method for hospital treatment. RESULTS: Determinants of cost differences in cesarean section surgery are based on AR-DRG 370 related to diabetes and eclampsia (complications and comorbidities) with relatively high-cost rates of O01A DRGs of US$ 2639 due to high-risk pregnancy complications. Complications of mild pregnancy (DRGO01D) with different categories of uterine rupture and sepsis have a low-cost average at the total cost of US$ 1251. Payment ability of an average of 42 respondents shows the costs category of DRGs O01A-DRGs O01D US$ 7088 or US$ 169, per patient and length of stay 4–6 days. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of Australia’s AR-DRGs model of transition DRG prospective payment shows that the health system can improve the quality of professional services in hospitals and control costs, and labor costs are cheaply profitable for hospitals. The results are accurate and experienced to be applied in Indonesian hospitals.
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Koffman, Jonathan, Emel Yorganci, Fliss Murtagh, Deokhee Yi, Wei Gao, Stephen Barclay, Andrew Pickles, et al. "The AMBER care bundle for hospital inpatients with uncertain recovery nearing the end of life: the ImproveCare feasibility cluster RCT." Health Technology Assessment 23, no. 55 (October 2019): 1–150. http://dx.doi.org/10.3310/hta23550.
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Background Patients admitted to hospital with a terminal illness and uncertain recovery often receive inconsistent care and do not have the opportunity to die in their preferred place of death. Previous end-of-life care packages, such as the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient, have sometimes been badly implemented. The AMBER (Assessment; Management; Best practice; Engagement; Recovery uncertain) care bundle was developed to remedy this. It has not been evaluated in a randomised trial, but a definitive trial would face many hurdles. Objective To optimise the design of and determine the feasibility of a pragmatic, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial of the AMBER care bundle compared with best standard care. Design A feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial including semistructured interviews with patients and relatives, focus groups with health-care professionals, non-participant observations of multidisciplinary team meetings, a standard care survey, heat maps and case note reviews. Retrospective data were collected from the family or close friends of deceased patients via a bereavement survey. Setting Four general medical wards at district general hospitals in England. Participants There were 65 participants (control, n = 36; intervention, n = 29). There were 24 interviews, four focus groups, 15 non-participant meeting observations, six case note reviews and three heat maps, and 15 of out 23 bereavement, standard care surveys were completed. Intervention The AMBER care bundle is implemented by a nurse facilitator. It includes the development and documentation of a medical plan, consideration of outcomes, resuscitation and escalation status and daily plan revisiting. The AMBER care bundle encourages staff, patients and families to talk openly about their preferences and priorities should the worst happen. Main outcome measures Two ‘candidate’ primary outcomes were selected to be evaluated for a future definitive trial: Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale patient/family anxiety and communication subscale and ‘howRwe’. The secondary outcome measures were Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale symptoms, Australian-modified Karnofsky Performance Status scale, EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version, Client Service Receipt Inventory, recruitment rate, intervention fidelity and intervention acceptability. Results Data were collected for 65 patients. This trial was not powered to measure clinical effectiveness, but variance and changes observed in the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale subscale indicated that this measure would probably detect differences within a definitive trial. It was feasible to collect data on health, social and informal care service use and on quality of life at two time points. The AMBER care bundle was broadly acceptable to all stakeholders and was delivered as planned. The emphasis on ‘clinical uncertainty’ prompted health-care professional awareness of often-overlooked patients. Reviewing patients’ AMBER care bundle status was integrated into routine practice. Refinements included simplifying the inclusion criteria and improving health-care professional communication training. Improvements to trial procedures included extending the time devoted to recruitment and simplifying consent procedures. There was also a recommendation to reduce data collected from patients and relatives to minimise burden. Limitations The recruitment rate was lower than anticipated. The inclusion criteria for the trial were difficult to interpret. Information sheets and consent procedures were too detailed and lengthy for the target population. Health-care professionals’ enthusiasm and specialty were not considered while picking trial wards. Participant recruitment took place later during hospital admission and the majority of participants were lost to follow-up because they had been discharged. Those who participated may have different characteristics from those who did not. Conclusions This feasibility trial has demonstrated that an evaluation of the AMBER care bundle among an acutely unwell patient population, although technically possible, is not practical or feasible. The intervention requires optimisation. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN36040085. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Portfolio registration number 32682. Funding This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 55. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Bae, Jang-Whan, Seoung-Il Woo, Joongyub Lee, Sang-Don Park, Sung Woo Kwon, Seong Huan Choi, Gwang-Seok Yoon, Mi-Sook Kim, Seung-Sik Hwang, and Won Kyung Lee. "mHealth Interventions for Lifestyle and Risk Factor Modification in Coronary Heart Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial." JMIR mHealth and uHealth 9, no. 9 (September 24, 2021): e29928. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/29928.
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Background Self-management of lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors is challenging in older patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). SMS text messaging could be a potential support tool for self-management and the most affordable and accessible method through a mobile phone. High-quality evidence had been lacking, and previous studies evaluated the effects of SMS text messaging on the subjective measures of short-term outcomes. Recently, a large-sized randomized controlled trial in Australia reported promising findings on the objective measures upon 6-month follow-up. However, an examination of the effectiveness of such interventions in an Asian population with unique demographic characteristics would be worthwhile. Objective This study examined the effectiveness of a 1-way SMS text messaging program to modify the lifestyle and cardiovascular disease risk factors of patients who underwent the first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A parallel, single-blinded, 1:1 random allocation clinical trial was conducted with 879 patients treated through PCI. They were recruited during hospital admission from April 2017 to May 2020 at 2 university hospitals in the Republic of Korea. In addition to standard care, the intervention group received access to a supporting website and 4 SMS text messages per week for 6 months regarding a healthy diet, physical activity, smoking cessation, and cardiovascular health. Random allocation upon study enrollment and SMS text messaging after hospital discharge were performed automatically using a computer program. The coprimary outcomes were low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and BMI. The secondary outcomes were change in lifestyle and adherence to the recommended health behaviors. Results Of the eligible population, 440 and 439 patients who underwent PCI were assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. The 1-way SMS text messaging program significantly enhanced physical activity (P=.02), healthy diet (P<.01), and medication adherence (P<.04) among patients with CHD. Hence, more people were likely to control their cardiovascular disease risk factors per the recommendations. The intervention group was more likely to control all 5 risk factors by 62% (relative risk 1.62, 95% CI 1.05-2.50) per the recommendations. On the other hand, physiological measures of the primary outcomes, including LDL-C levels, SBP, and BMI, were not significant. Most participants found the SMS text messaging program useful and helpful in motivating lifestyle changes. Conclusions Lifestyle-focused SMS text messages were effective in the self-management of a healthy diet, exercise, and medication adherence, but their influence on the physiological measures was not significant. One-way SMS text messages can be used as an affordable adjuvant method for lifestyle modification to help prevent the recurrence of cardiovascular disease. Trial Registration Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) KCT0005087; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/19282
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Oh, Byeongsang, Thomas Eade, Andrew Kneebone, Nick Pavlakis, Stephen Clarke, Guy Eslick, Jo River, and Michael Back. "Factors Affecting Whether Or Not Cancer Patients Consider Using Acupuncture." Acupuncture in Medicine 35, no. 2 (April 2017): 107–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2016-011115.
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Objective To explore the factors associated with utilisation of an acupuncture service in a tertiary oncology setting in an Australian public hospital. Method Cancer patients attending oncology clinics at a university teaching hospital were invited to participate in the evaluation of acupuncture services from June 2014 to May 2015. Patients had a prior diagnosis of cancer (albeit at different stages) and were planning to receive, or were already receiving, systemic and/or radiation cancer treatment. Results The majority (81%) of participants indicated that they would consider the use of acupuncture during their cancer treatment. The most common reasons given for not considering acupuncture included adequate control of symptoms already with medical treatment, inconvenient clinic timing, and needle phobia. The main reasons given for considering acupuncture use included its perceived capability of reducing fatigue, boosting energy levels, improving immune function, and reducing pain and anxiety. Patients considering acupuncture use also demonstrated significantly higher levels of stress (p<0.001), anxiety and depression (p<0.001), fatigue (p<0.001), and lower global quality of life (p<0.01) compared to those who were not considering acupuncture. Conclusions The findings show that demand for acupuncture by cancer patients is high. A substantial proportion of cancer patients intend to use acupuncture to manage cancer and/or cancer treatment-related symptoms. Discussion with patients about acupuncture and other complementary therapies during the consultation may improve cancer care.
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Wilkinson, Anne, Susan Slatyer, Anna Nowak, Cathy Pienaar, and Anil Tandon. "An evaluation of the QUAL-EC in the clinical care of patients with advanced cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology 35, no. 31_suppl (November 1, 2017): 85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2017.35.31_suppl.85.
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85 Background: We piloted the Quality of Life at the End of Life (QUAL-E) in Australian palliative care in-patients (N = 52) and demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and face validity. An unexpected finding was the potential for the QUAL-E to prompt psycho-social-spiritual discussion when conducted as an interview, indicating opportunities for enhanced support.We compared a 17-item QUAL-E-Cancer (QUAL-EC) to the Distress Thermometer Screening Tool (DT) and participants’ experience when the QUAL-EC was conducted as an interview. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed methods design was used. Convenience sampling recruited patients (N = 50) with advanced cancer and a prognosis of less than 12 months from a tertiary hospital. Participants completed the DT, followed by the QUAL-EC which was digitally recorded as an interview. Results: Correlational and thematic analysis found that 39.6% of participants reported severe distress (score ≥7) while 40% reported moderate distress (score 4-6) on the DT. Levels of distress significantly correlated with two QUAL-EC domains: symptom control ( r= 0.52, p < 0.001) and preparation for end of life ( r= 0.32, p < 0.05). Qualitative analysis identified six themes: the health care team; family issues; approaching death; worry; coping and QUAL-EC experience. Feasibility: completion of the QUAL-EC ranged from 3-14 minutes (M = 7.37 minutes, SD 3.05 minutes). Acceptability: Participants overwhelmingly found the questions to be clear and did not find the questions hard to understand, hard to answer or stressful. Ninety per cent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they were glad they took part. Conclusions: Patient distress was associated with either symptom burden or concerns about their family/loved ones. When distress is identified on screening, the QUAL-EC offers good potential for nuanced, versus vague, assessment of globalised distress (e.g., DT) as an aid in targeting patient-centered clinical/psycho-social interventions.
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Brady, Bernadette, Balwinder Sidhu, Matthew Jennings, Golsa Saberi, Clarice Tang, Geraldine Hassett, Robert Boland, et al. "The Natural Helper approach to culturally responsive disease management: protocol for a type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised controlled trial of a cultural mentor programme." BMJ Open 13, no. 1 (January 2023): e069120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069120.
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IntroductionChronic disease is a leading cause of death and disability that disproportionately burdens culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Self-management is a cornerstone of effective chronic disease management. However, research suggests that patients from CALD communities may be less likely to engage with self-management approaches. The Natural Helper Programme aims to facilitate patient engagement with self-management approaches (ie, ‘activation’) by embedding cultural mentors with lived experience of chronic disease into chronic disease clinics/programmes. The Natural Helper Trial will explore the effect of cultural mentors on patient activation, health self-efficacy, coping efforts and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) while also evaluating the implementation strategy.Methods and analysisA hybrid type-1 effectiveness-implementation cluster-randomised controlled trial (phase one) and a mixed-method controlled before-and-after cohort extension of the trial (phase 2). Hospital clinics in highly multicultural regions in Australia that provide healthcare for patients with chronic and/or complex conditions, will participate. A minimum of 16 chronic disease clinics (clusters) will be randomised to immediate (active arm) or delayed implementation (control arm). In phase 1, the active arm will receive a multifaceted strategy supporting them to embed cultural mentors in their services while the control arm continues with usual care. Each cluster will recruit an average of 15 patients, assessed at baseline and 6 months (n=240). In phase 2, clusters in the control arm will receive the implementation strategy and evaluate the intervention on an additional 15 patients per cluster, while sustainability in active arm clusters will be assessed qualitatively. Change in activation over 6 months, measured using the Patient Activation Measure will be the primary effectiveness outcome, while secondary effectiveness outcomes will explore changes in chronic disease self-efficacy, coping strategies and HRQoL. Secondary implementation outcomes will be collected from patient–participants, mentors and healthcare providers using validated questionnaires, customised surveys and interviews aligning with the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework to evaluate acceptability, reach, dose delivered, sustainability, cost-utility and healthcare provider determinants.Ethics and disseminationThis trial has full ethical approval (2021/ETH12279). The results from this hybrid trial will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberACTRN12622000697785.
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Redfern, Julie, Karice Hyun, Anna Singleton, Nashid Hafiz, Rebecca Raeside, Lissa Spencer, Bridie Carr, et al. "ITM support for patients with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial." BMJ Open 9, no. 3 (March 2019): e023863. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023863.
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IntroductionSimple and scalable strategies are needed to improve ‘out-of-hospital’ support and management for people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease. Text messaging via mobile phones has been shown to be effective in helping promote lifestyle change and is supported by quantitative and qualitative evidence. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness and implementation of a 6-month text messaging support programme for people with CVD and respiratory disease as an addition to cardiac and pulmonary outpatient rehabilitation.Methods and analysisPragmatic randomised controlled trial (n=310) to test the effectiveness of a 6-month text message support programme on clinical outcomes in people with CVD and chronic respiratory disease who are attending outpatient cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. The study includes a nested process evaluation to inform scalability and implementation across settings. The intervention group will receive a text message support programme comprising five messages per week for 26 weeks and the control group will continue with standard care. The primary outcome is exercise capacity (6 min walk distance). Secondary outcomes include clinical measures (proportion of people meeting the Australian guideline-recommended blood pressure and cholesterol targets), lifestyle outcomes (smoking rates, achievement of national guidelines for nutrition and physical activity), quality of life, mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), medication adherence and attendance at and completion of rehabilitation.Ethics and disseminationPrimary ethics approval was received from the Sydney Local Health District Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee and associated Governance committees at sites. Results will be disseminated via the usual scientific forums including peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences. At its conclusion, the study will determine the effectiveness and implementation of a simple programme that aims to improve health outcomes and attendance at rehabilitation for people with CVD and chronic respiratory disease.Trial registration numberACTRN12616001167459
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Wilkinson, Anne, Susan Slatyer, Anna K. Nowak, Cathy Pienaar, Anil Tandon, and Mark Wallace. "Evaluating the utility of the QUAL-EC in the clinical care of patients with advanced cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology 35, no. 15_suppl (May 20, 2017): e21507-e21507. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.e21507.
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e21507 Background: We piloted the Quality of Life at the End of Life (QUAL-E) in Australian palliative care in-patients (N = 52) and demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and face validity. An unexpected finding was the potential for the QUAL-E to prompt psycho-social-spiritual discussion when conducted as an interview, indicating opportunities for enhanced support. We compared a 17-item QUAL-E-Cancer (QUAL-EC) to the Distress Thermometer Screening Tool (DT) and participants’ experience when the QUAL-EC was conducted as an interview. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed methods design was used. Convenience sampling recruited patients (N = 50) with advanced cancer and a prognosis of less than 12 months from a tertiary hospital. Participants completed the DT, followed by the QUAL-EC which was digitally recorded as an interview. Results: Correlational and thematic analysis found that 39.6% of participants reported severe distress (score ≥ 7) while 40% reported moderate distress (score 4-6) on the DT. Levels of distress significantly correlated with two QUAL-EC domains: symptom control ( r= 0.52, p < 0.001) and preparation for end of life ( r= 0.32, p < 0.05). Qualitative analysis identified six themes: the health care team; family issues; approaching death; worry; coping and QUAL-EC experience. Feasibility: completion of the QUAL-EC ranged from 3-14 minutes (M = 7.37 minutes, SD 3.05 minutes). Acceptability: Participants overwhelmingly found the questions to be clear and did not find the questions hard to understand, hard to answer or stressful. Ninety per cent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they were glad they took part. Conclusions: Patient distress was associated with either symptom burden or concerns about their family/loved ones. When distress is identified on screening, the QUAL-EC offers good potential for nuanced, versus vague, assessment of globalised distress (e.g., DT) as an aid in targeting patient-centered clinical/psycho-social interventions.
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Ryan, Annika, Christine L. Paul, Martine Cox, Olivia Whalen, Andrew Bivard, John Attia, Christopher Bladin, et al. "TACTICS - Trial of Advanced CT Imaging and Combined Education Support for Drip and Ship: evaluating the effectiveness of an ‘implementation intervention’ in providing better patient access to reperfusion therapies: protocol for a non-randomised controlled stepped wedge cluster trial in acute stroke." BMJ Open 12, no. 2 (February 2022): e055461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055461.
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IntroductionStroke reperfusion therapies, comprising intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), are best practice treatments for eligible acute ischemic stroke patients. In Australia, EVT is provided at few, mainly metropolitan, comprehensive stroke centres (CSC). There are significant challenges for Australia’s rural and remote populations in accessing EVT, but improved access can be facilitated by a ‘drip and ship’ approach. TACTICS (Trial of Advanced CT Imaging and Combined Education Support for Drip and Ship) aims to test whether a multicomponent, multidisciplinary implementation intervention can increase the proportion of stroke patients receiving EVT.Methods and analysisThis is a non-randomised controlled, stepped wedge trial involving six clusters across three Australian states. Each cluster comprises one CSC hub and a minimum of three primary stroke centre (PSC) spokes. Hospitals will work in a hub and spoke model of care with access to a multislice CT scanner and CT perfusion image processing software (MIStar, Apollo Medical Imaging). The intervention, underpinned by behavioural theory and technical assistance, will be allocated sequentially, and clusters will move from the preintervention (control) period to the postintervention period.Primary outcomeProportion of all stroke patients receiving EVT, accounting for clustering.Secondary outcomesProportion of patients receiving IVT at PSCs, proportion of treated patients (IVT and/or EVT) with good (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0–2) or poor (mRS score 5–6) functional outcomes and European Quality of Life Scale scores 3 months postintervention, proportion of EVT-treated patients with symptomatic haemorrhage, and proportion of reperfusion therapy-treated patients with good versus poor outcome who presented with large vessel occlusion at spokes.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (18/09/19/4.13, HREC/18/HNE/241, 2019/ETH01238). Trial results will be disseminated widely through published manuscripts, conference presentations and at national and international platforms regardless of whether the trial was positive or neutral.Trial registration numberACTRN12619000750189; UTNU1111-1230-4161.
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Wilkinson, Anne, Susan Slatyer, Anna Nowak, Cathy Pienaar, Anil Tandon, and Mark Wallace. "Evaluating the utility of the QUAL-EC in the clinical care of patients with advanced cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology 33, no. 29_suppl (October 10, 2015): 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2015.33.29_suppl.86.
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86 Background: We piloted the Quality of Life at the End of Life (QUAL-E) in Australian palliative care in-patients (N=52) and demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and face validity. An unexpected finding was the potential for the QUAL-E to prompt psycho-social-spiritual discussion when conducted as an interview, indicating opportunities for enhanced support. For this study, we compared a 17-item QUAL-E-Cancer (QUAL-EC) to the Distress Thermometer Screening Tool (DT) and participants’ experience when the QUAL-EC was conducted as an interview. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed methods design was used. Convenience sampling recruited patients (N=50) with advanced cancer and a prognosis of less than 12 months from a tertiary hospital. Participants completed the DT, followed by the QUAL-EC which was digitally recorded as an interview. Results: Correlational and thematic analysis found that 39.6% of participants reported severe distress (score ≥7) while 40% reported moderate distress (score 4-6) on the DT. Levels of distress significantly correlated with two QUAL-EC domains: symptom control (r=0.52, p<0.001) and preparation for end of life (r=0.32, p<0.05). Qualitative analysis identified six themes: the health care team; family issues; approaching death; worry; coping and QUAL-EC experience. Feasibility: completion of the QUAL-EC ranged from 3-14 minutes (M=7.37 minutes, SD 3.05 minutes). Acceptability: Participants overwhelmingly found the questions to be clear and did not find the questions hard to understand, hard to answer or stressful. Ninety percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they were glad they took part. Conclusion. Patient distress was associated with either symptom burden or concerns about their family/loved ones. Conclusions: When distress is identified on screening, the QUAL-EC offers good potential for nuanced, versus vague assessment of globalised distress (e.g., DT) as an aid in targeting patient-centered clinical/psycho-social interventions.
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Ambrens, Meghan, Anne Tiedemann, Kim Delbaere, Stephanie Alley, and Corneel Vandelanotte. "The effect of eHealth-based falls prevention programmes on balance in people aged 65 years and over living in the community: protocol for a systematic review of randomised controlled trials." BMJ Open 10, no. 1 (January 2020): e031200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031200.
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IntroductionBetween 20% and 28% of community-dwelling older people experience a fall each year. Falls can result in significant personal and socioeconomic costs, and are the leading cause of admission to hospital for an older person in Australia. Exercise interventions that target balance are the most effective for preventing falls in community-dwellers; however, greater accessibility of effective programmes is needed. As technology has become more accessible, its use as a tool for supporting and promoting health and well-being of individuals has been explored. Little is known about the effectiveness of eHealth technologies to deliver fall prevention interventions. This protocol describes a systematic review with meta-analysis that aims to evaluate the effect of eHealth fall prevention interventions compared with usual care control on balance in people aged 65 years and older living in the community.Methods and analysisWe will perform a systematic search of the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, Embase and PsychINFO and citation search of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed Central, Cochrane Database Central and PEDro for randomised controlled trials that use an eHealth technology to deliver a fall prevention intervention to community-dwellers aged ≥65 years, that are published in English, and include a balance outcome (primary outcome). The screening and selection of articles for review will be undertaken by two independent reviewers. The PEDro scale and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations will be used to assess study quality. The results will be synthesised descriptively, and if sufficient data are available and the studies are not overly heterogeneous, a meta-analysis will be conducted using the random effects model.Ethics and disseminationAs this will be a systematic review, without involvement of human participants, there will be no requirement for ethical approval. The results of this systematic review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and dissemination to policymakers and consumers to maximise health impact.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018115098.
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Pascarelli, Emil, and Anthony Ciorciari. "Pre-Hospital Care Quality Program." Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 1, S1 (1985): 48–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1049023x00043752.
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Paramedic units have awakened a new concept in prehospital care in the USA. New emergency medical services (EMS) administrations, better educated personnel, and mass public awareness through media events have all contributed to the change.Operational changes designed to tighten control of the emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic came about through deployment of ambulances and categorization and designation of emergency hospitals. Clinical changes have given the EMS responder, particularly the paramedic, a great deal of freedom in the care given to patients. The paramedic, who uses subjective criteria, can administer care ranging from Standard First Aid to advanced cardiology. Subjective control should be rigid for the EMT or paramedic, when cognitive abilities include only knowledge, comprehension and application, but not for those who have had a chance to exercise analytic and synthetic skills in pre-hospital training programs.
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Berhane, Melkamu, Tsinuel Girma, Workneh Tesfaye, Nega Jibat, Mulumebet Abera, Sufian Abrahim, Samira Aboubaker, et al. "Implementation research on management of sick young infants with possible serious bacterial infection when referral is not possible in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia: Challenges and solutions." PLOS ONE 16, no. 8 (August 9, 2021): e0255210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255210.
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Introduction Of 2.5 million newborn deaths each year, serious neonatal infections are a leading cause of neonatal death for which inpatient treatment is recommended. However, manysick newborns in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia do not have access to inpatientcare. A World Health Organization (WHO) guideline recommends simplified antibiotic treatment atan outpatient level for young infants up to two months of age with possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI), when referral is not feasible.We implemented this guidelinein Ethiopia to increase coverage of treatment and to learn about potential facilitating factors and barriers for implementation. Methods We conducted implementation research in two districts (Tiro Afata and Gera) in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, to learn about the feasibility of implementing the WHO PSBI guideline within a programme setting using the existing health care structure. We conducted orientation meetings and policy dialogue with key stakeholders and trained health extension workers and health centre staff to identify and manage sick young infants with PSBI signs at a primary health care unit. We established a Technical Support Unit (TSU) to facilitate programme learning, built health workers’ capacity and provided support for quality control, monitoring and data collection.We sensitized the community to appropriate care-seeking and supported the health care system in implementation. The research team collected data using structured case recording forms. Results From September 2016 to August 2017, 6185 live births and 601 sick young infants 0–59 days of age with signs of PSBI were identified. Assuming that 25% of births were missed (total births 7731) and 10% of births had an episode of PSBI in the first two months of life, the coverage of appropriate treatment for PSBI was 77.7% (601/773). Of 601 infants with PSBI, fast breathing only (pneumonia) was recorded in 432 (71.9%) infants 7–59 days of age; signs of clinical severe infection (CSI) in 155 (25.8%) and critical illnessin 14 (2.3%). Of the 432 pneumonia cases who received oral amoxicillin treatment without referral, 419 (97.0%) were successfully treated without any deaths. Of 169 sick young infants with either CSI or critical illness, only 110 were referred to a hospital; 83 did not accept referral advice and received outpatient injectable gentamicin plus oral amoxicillin treatment either at a health post or health centre. Additionally, 59 infants who should have been referred, but were not received injectable gentamicin plus oral amoxicillin outpatient treatment. Of infants with CSI, 129 (82.2%) were successfully treated as outpatients, while two died (1.3%). Of 14 infants with critical illness, the caregivers of five accepted referral to a hospital, and nine were treated with simplified antibiotics on an outpatient basis. Two of 14 (14.3%) infants with critical illness died within 14 days of initial presentation. Conclusion In settings where referral to a hospital is not feasible, young infants with PSBI can be treated on an outpatient basis at either a health post or health centre, which can contribute to saving many lives. Scaling-up will require health system strengthening including community mobilization. Registration Trial is registered on Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12617001373369.
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Nikonova, E. V., and L. V. Laktionova. "QUALITY CONTROL OF MEDICAL CARE IN MULTIFIELD HOSPITAL." Journal of Clinical Practice 1, no. 3 (September 15, 2010): 9–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.17816/clinpract139-14.
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The article is devoted to the regulation of the technological process of treatment in medical facilities, quality and control care. We consider a modern system of quality control of medical care includes the study of patient satisfaction with medical care, identification of defects, medical errors and other factors that adversely effect and resulting in a decline in the quality and effectiveness of medical care, assessment of the completeness and timeliness of diagnostic measures, the adequacy of the selection and compliance with therapeutic measures, correct and accurate diagnosis, choosing the most rational management decisions and conduct rapid corrective actions, monitor the implementation of management decisions.
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Yang, Tze Wei Wilson, and Md Rafiqul Islam. "Quality of acute stroke care in a regional Victorian hospital, Australia." Australian Journal of Rural Health 27, no. 2 (April 2019): 153–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12491.
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Gopal, Dr Kiran, and Dr Shivakumar S. Solabannavar. "Quality control study of hospital laundry in a tertiary care hospital." Tropical Journal of Pathology and Microbiology 5, no. 2 (December 31, 2020): 983–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.17511/jopm.2019.i12.03.
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White, Kevin, and Fran Collyer. "Health Care Markets in Australia: Ownership of the Private Hospital Sector." International Journal of Health Services 28, no. 3 (July 1998): 487–510. http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/a9u4-jxgx-87y7-5b34.
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Over the past decade, the Australian hospital sector has undergone a massive economic and administrative reorganization with ramifications for both the private and the public sectors. Changes such as privatization, deregulation, and the entry of foreign capital into the hospital sector are occurring in the hospital systems of many countries, including Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These developments are radically transforming the hospital sector, altering established relationships between the state, the medical profession, the consumer, and the corporate investor, and raising important questions about the future of hospital services in regard to equity, accessibility, and quality.