Recently added articles from Australian Health Review:
Orthopaedic trauma from road crashes: is enough being done?
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract A file review of patients presenting to the Emergency Department of St Vincent's Hospital with fractures sustained in a road crash was completed to describe patterns of orthopaedic injury, acute intervention and separation as well as the cost of care for adult road crash ...
The cost and compensability of trauma patients
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Injury in Australia was responsible for 400 000 hospitalisations in 2002. This study aimed to examine the direct costs of trauma patients in a Level 1 trauma centre and determine the compensability of those patients. Data on all admitted patients (206) filling trauma criteria ...
It's not that bad: the views of consumers and carers about routine outcome measurement in mental health
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract The mandatory use of routine outcome measurement (ROM) has been introduced into all public sector mental health services in Australia over the past 6 years. Qualitative processes were used to engage consumers and carers in suggesting how the measures can be used in clinical ...
Alcohol and other drug treatment experiences of hepatitis C-positive and negative clients: implications for hepatitis C treatment
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract To assess whether HCV-positive clients perceive that alcohol and other drug (AOD) staff discriminate against them, this study compared the treatment experiences of 120 HCV-positive clients with those of 120 HCV-negative clients attending the same AOD treatment facility. Despite ...
Medicare-related service use and costs among people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and respiratory conditions
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Objective: To compare Medicare-related costs and service utilisation of people with diagnosed diabetes, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to those who were previously undiagnosed, and those without these conditions. Design, setting and participants: ...
Local trends in emergency department attendances by older patients in an ageing national population
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Nursing-led aged care services were set up at our Emergency Department (ED) in 2004-05 to assist in the appropriate discharge of older patients. This study examined local trends in ED attendances by older patients. A retrospective study was conducted at an inner-city adult ED in ...
Patterns of recovery following knee and hip replacement in an Australian cohort
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Most literature reporting the impressive results from knee and hip replacement derives from international data. Few Australian studies have comprehensively compared outcomes after joint replacement up to 1 year. This paper compares the patterns of recovery across physical and ...
Health smart cards: differing perceptions of emergency department patients and staff
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract An analytical, cross-sectional survey of 270 emergency department patients and 92 staff undertaken in three tertiary referral hospital emergency departments was completed to compare the perceptions of patients and staff regarding the use of health smart cards containing patient ...
The effect of guidance in the use of routine outcome measures in clinical meetings
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Routine outcome measures (ROM) have now been introduced into all Australian public mental health services, but experience suggests that many clinical staff lack expertise in using them. In 2005 under the Quality Through Outcomes Network (QUATRO), the Victorian Department of ...
Developing a national research and development centre in assistive technologies for independent living
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract Assistive technology (AT) plays a pivotal role in the lives of people who require assistance with one or more aspects of daily living. Ranging from simple devices such as an augmented fork to complex devices like a power wheelchair with integrated environmental control, AT is a ...
Managing clinical processes in health services
Feb 01, 2009; ... Managing clinical processes in health services Sorensen R, ledema R Churchill Livingstone Australia, 2008 ISBN: 9780729538251. xiv + 269 pages. RRP: $60.00. THIS AUSTRALIAN TEXT provides the reader with a framework to manage the clinical processes within health services. It will assist ...
VLADS for Dummies
Feb 01, 2009; ... VLADS for Dummies Queensland Health Clinical Practice Improvement Centre Wiley Publishing Australia, 2008 ISBN: 978 0 7314 0829 0. xii + 136 pages. RRP: $4.13. THIS STRAIGHTFORWARD BOOK in the typical "Dummies" series style is an excellent resource for clinicians and health managers who ...
Smart health cards or health smart cards?
Feb 01, 2009; ... There is plenty of activity throughout the world focusing on encrypting personal health (and other) information on credit card-sized plastic "smart" cards. These cards are embedded with a computer chip and could provide easy access to essential health information. As with many new technologies, ...
A profile of physiotherapy clinical education
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine clinical education placement data to generate a profile of providers and examine the students' exposure to health care and educational factors during clinical education. A retrospective audit of clinical placement rosters was undertaken ...
Allied, scientific and complementary health professionals: a new model for Australian allied health
Feb 01, 2009; ... Abstract There is no standard or agreed definition of "allied health" nationally or internationally. This paper reviews existing definitions of allied health, and considers aspects of allied health services and service delivery in order to produce a new model of allied health that will ...
Improving Aboriginal health
Nov 01, 2008; ... In recognition of the recent achievements of the Close the Gap campaign, this issue of AHR contains a set of papers focusing on Aboriginal health. At the national Indigenous Health Equality Summit in Canberra in March 2008, the Close the Gap Statement of Intent was signed. This Statement of ...
Waiting lists: waiting for the evidence!
Nov 01, 2008; ... Abstract On 26 February 2008, Victorian State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu described as a "blow out" the increase in average elective surgery waiting times from 202 days in September 2007 to 235 days in February 2008. Likewise, the Australian Medical Association is concerned that 800 ...
Editorial
Nov 01, 2008; ... TWO ARTICLES ARE FEATURED in this AHR issue's Models of Care section. The first article by May and colleagues entitled "Integrated models or mayhem? Lessons learnt from three integrated primary health care entities in regional New South Wales" reviews integrated general practices and ...
Integrated models or mayhem? Lessons learnt from three integrated primary health care entities in regional New South Wales
Nov 01, 2008; ... Abstract While "integration" may be a policy imperative at present, the reality of integrating services whilst managing the business of service delivery and best patient outcomes is both challenging and unfamiliar territory for most general practitioners. Recent policy changes in general ...
Community-governed health services in Cape York: does the evidence point to a model of service delivery?
Nov 01, 2008; ... Abstract Health service delivery model reforms are currently underway in Cape York in an effort to improve health outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These reforms include the transition of the Apunipima Cape York Health Council from an advocacy agency to ...