Australian Health Review[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Assessing the unmet need for diabetic eye screening in regional Queensland.
Bremner A, Squirrell D, Sillars B
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40262970 · Publisher ↗
Patients continue to self-present to ophthalmology with advanced diabetic retinopathy. An audit of people living with diabetes attending our regional diabetes clinic revealed a significant number had undetected vision-th...
Patients continue to self-present to ophthalmology with advanced diabetic retinopathy. An audit of people living with diabetes attending our regional diabetes clinic revealed a significant number had undetected vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy despite regular community optometry review. Further work is required to determine why and whether this is a more widespread issue.
The role of Medicare policy in fertility treatment decisions: perceptions of Australians considering, undertaking or who have undertaken medically assisted reproduction treatment.
Jaensch L, Grieger JA, Oxlad M
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40262969 · Publisher ↗
Objective Fertility treatments offer the only pathway to parenthood for many people, including those with infertility, single people and those in same-sex relationships. We aimed to explore how current Medicare policy af...
Objective Fertility treatments offer the only pathway to parenthood for many people, including those with infertility, single people and those in same-sex relationships. We aimed to explore how current Medicare policy affects Australians' fertility treatment decision-making. Methods Twenty-five people (22 females, 2 males, 1 agender/gender non-conforming) aged 26-54 who had used medically assisted reproduction treatments participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results We developed three themes. Theme 1: For those eligible, Medicare enhances accessibility - describes how Medicare influences affordability and, in turn, increases accessibility. Theme 2: Medicare alters treatment plans - demonstrates how Medicare influences who undertakes treatment, what treatment, when and how often. Theme 3: Medicare enables more treatment for some people - discusses how Medicare enables people to undertake more treatment than they could otherwise afford. Conclusions For eligible people, the current Medicare policy enhanced treatment accessibility and allowed them to undertake more treatment than they could have without financial assistance. However, Medicare policy also contributed to people altering their treatment plans, including who received treatment, the type, timing, frequency and amount of treatment. Given Medicare's influence on fertility treatment decisions, our findings support calls for changes to Medicare eligibility to enable equitable access to fertility treatment and a pathway to parenthood for all Australians.
Impacts of eHealth on hospitals: an updated narrative review of systematic reviews.
Abdelghani M, Yeh YT, Eden R … +5 more , Woods L, Mattison G, Macklin S, Canfell O, Sullivan C
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40258713 · Publisher ↗
Objective With the digital transformation of hospitals having unfolded globally, it is important to understand the impacts of eHealth on hospital practice. This study aims to update two previous narrative reviews of syst...
Objective With the digital transformation of hospitals having unfolded globally, it is important to understand the impacts of eHealth on hospital practice. This study aims to update two previous narrative reviews of systematic reviews and assess: (1) what is the current state of eHealth impacts in hospitals? and (2) how have these impacts changed over time? Methods A narrative review of systematic reviews investigating the impact of eHealth (i.e. Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS), ePrescribing, and Computerised Provider Order Entry (CPOE)) published between 2 August 2017 and 31 December 2021 was conducted using PubMed and Medline. A meta-review was conducted to qualitatively compare the results of this review with two previous reviews, spanning from 2010 to 2021. Results Fourteen studies were included in the narrative review and 42 studies informed the meta-review. eHealth technologies were associated with a diverse array of outcomes with varying degrees of sentiment (positive, negative, neutral, mixed) reported between 2017 and 2021. In contrast to EMR, CDSS, and ePrescribing, the outcomes of CPOE were reported less frequently and less favourably although improvements to resource utilisation were evident. The meta-review identified mixed findings for the outcomes of CPOE, EMR, and ePrescribing and largely positive findings for CDSS. Conclusions The mixed impacts reported for EMR, CPOE, and ePrescribing and the largely positive impacts for CDSS should provide confidence to healthcare stakeholders of the potential of eHealth for hospitals. However, the presence of mixed and negative impacts demonstrate that realising the potential of eHealth is not guaranteed and dedicated efforts are needed to improve its outcomes. Future research should seek to identify the mechanisms that can be used to improve the impacts of eHealth.
A 'True North Statement for Care': charting the course to better care for all Australians.
Golley RK, Middleton G, Lawless MT … +3 more , Anastasi L, Kitson AL, Chan RJ
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40199505 · Publisher ↗
Objective To shift the narrative from 'deficit dialogues' in health and social care in Australia, we aimed to generate a series of consensus 'ambition' statements representing what peak care stakeholders in Australia wan...
Objective To shift the narrative from 'deficit dialogues' in health and social care in Australia, we aimed to generate a series of consensus 'ambition' statements representing what peak care stakeholders in Australia want health and social care to look like in the future. Methods A multiphase co-design study with Australian 'care' stakeholders was undertaken. This consisted of a desk-based audit of Australian health and social care organisations (n =9) and a pre-forum survey (n =21 responses) (activity 1), the findings of which informed the national forum activities (activity 2, n =31 organisations), which became the content for the Delphi survey (activity 3, n =28 organisations). Results Through this process we distilled five ambition statements and 39 descriptors. These statements are our True North Statement for Better Care, providing a starting point to guide individual, organisation and system redesign across the life span. The statements require action at individual consumer, workforce and system level. Conclusions Creating the True North Statement for Better Care provides a united direction for heterogeneous groups to work together to improve care for consumers, their workforce and the systems they work in. This is an important initiative to change the way we value, talk about, do, own and research care. Further user testing is required to ensure the statements can be translated into action.
Advance care planning: empowering older frail people to document their end of life wishes.
Gonski P, Chan M, Hillman K
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40199503 · Publisher ↗
Objective To determine the features that are required to increase uptake of advance care directives (ACDs). Methods We conducted a study involving older patients attending aged care outpatient clinics and/or receiving ou...
Objective To determine the features that are required to increase uptake of advance care directives (ACDs). Methods We conducted a study involving older patients attending aged care outpatient clinics and/or receiving outreach services between March 2021 and December 2022. Patients were assessed using tools related to frailty, end of life and empowerment. If the person agreed to complete an ACD, they were guided through it, and it was subsequently uploaded on the electronic medical record. Results Of 170 patients referred to complete an ACD, 47% completed it. These patients had lower Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale and SPICT (Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool) scores. The Frailty and SPICT tools were easier to use, the PAM (Patient Activation Measure) was difficult to use and assess. Patients did, however, show satisfaction in the process. Conclusions Patients completing an ACD tended to be a little less frail and less likely to die in the following 12months. Increased uptake of ACD is more likely if the less frail are targeted, and assisted through the process by a health professional at a time and place that suits the person.
Accuracy of medication allergy documentation in My Health Record after severe adverse drug reactions.
Yang J, Lay W, Graudins LV … +3 more , Walker M, Zubrinich C, Aung AK
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40199485 · Publisher ↗
Background Inaccurate or incomplete documentation of severe medication allergies, such as anaphylaxis and severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCAR), may lead to harm from inadvertent re-exposure to implicated medica...
Background Inaccurate or incomplete documentation of severe medication allergies, such as anaphylaxis and severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCAR), may lead to harm from inadvertent re-exposure to implicated medications. My Health Record (MHR) is a national patient-controlled electronic health record in Australia linking hospital, general practitioner and community pharmacy records. The medication allergy/adverse reaction section should contain accurate information to aid prescribing. Objective To investigate the accuracy of documentation in MHR of confirmed medication-related anaphylaxis and SCAR and to determine barriers and facilitators to documentation. Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients with medication-related anaphylaxis and SCAR, validated between January 2019 and June 2023. Medication allergy documentation in MHR was reviewed after patient consent to determine accuracy with medication and reaction type, against the assessment made by the hospital Adverse Drug Reaction Review Committee and/or allergy clinic consultation. Results Forty-eight patients with anaphylaxis and 40 patients with SCAR (total 88) were included, involving 134 medications. Fourteen (15.9%) patients had their reactions documented accurately in MHR. When analysed per medication, 21 medications (15.7%) were documented accurately. Anaphylaxis, allergy clinic follow-up and life-threatening severity were factors significantly associated with a higher frequency of accurate allergy documentation in the MHR. Conclusion The accuracy of medication allergy documentation for severe allergies in the MHR is low, representing a risk of harm from inadvertent re-exposure. This study identifies several system level issues and makes recommendations to improve patient safety.
Sociodemographic and clinical factors affecting advance care planning: results from a large community cohort in New South Wales, Australia.
Yang E, Kabir A, Rhee J … +2 more , O'Callaghan C, Barr M
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40195078 · Publisher ↗
Objectives The ageing population and increasing chronic illness pose significant healthcare challenges, including care late in life. Advance care planning (ACP) is an ongoing process of making decisions regarding future...
Objectives The ageing population and increasing chronic illness pose significant healthcare challenges, including care late in life. Advance care planning (ACP) is an ongoing process of making decisions regarding future health care for patients. This process can include formal completion of an advance care directive (ACD), which is a legally binding document. ACP can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, but rates are low across Australia. This study assessed the sociodemographic and clinical predictors of individuals engaging with ACP and ACDs using data from the 45 and Up Study cohort in New South Wales. Methods A cross-sectional cohort study of 28,626 people responded to ACP-related questions in the wave 2 questionnaire of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study. ACP completion was recorded if people responded 'yes' to any of the three ACP questions, and ACD was recorded if they responded 'yes' to the ACD question. Poisson regression modelling was used to estimate the prevalence ratio and the 95%CI. Results A total of 28,626 people completed the ACP- and/or ACD-related questions, of whom 17,458 (61%) completed ACP and 3744 (13.1%) completed ACD. The predictors associated with an increased likelihood of ACP and ACD completion included having a will, advancing age, being female, having private health insurance, not currently working, and having one or more self-reported medical conditions. Predictors unique to increased overall ACP completion included having a university degree or higher, being married and having a health care concession card (Health Care Card). Being a carer increased ACD rates, whereas being married or in a de facto relationship decreased ACD completion. Conclusions These findings could inform interventions aimed at improving ACP uptake by identifying groups that engage less in ACP and provide a basis for future research.
Monitoring cross-setting care and outcomes among older people in aged care: a national framework is needed.
Inacio MC, Ryan O, Gray LC … +2 more , Caughey GE, Acac-Qmet Research Collaborators OBOT
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40174238 · Publisher ↗
Establishing an evidence-based framework to monitor and evaluate quality and safety of care for older people is critical. Despite progress in health system performance monitoring in Australia, slower progress has occurre...
Establishing an evidence-based framework to monitor and evaluate quality and safety of care for older people is critical. Despite progress in health system performance monitoring in Australia, slower progress has occurred for the older population accessing aged care services. With an aging population and increasing demands on aged care and healthcare systems, there is growing recognition of the need for more coordinated and integrated care across settings. It is not uncommon for older people accessing aged care to require a range of services administered by different organisations simultaneously (e.g. primary care, home care) and sequentially (e.g. hospitals, residential care). Aged care also represents an increasingly regulated sector, with significant investment in and growing recognition of the value of quality measurement. Accountability for care quality and safety is often shared among providers, with consequent challenges in attributing responsibility. Therefore, the development of a pragmatic national framework to support high-quality, person-centred care for the older population accessing aged care services across care settings is one opportunity for shared responsibility, care monitoring, and quality improvement activities that could lead to better outcomes for this population. The strategy for framework development proposed in this perspective has implications for aged care and healthcare providers, consumers, policy makers, regulators, and academics. Once implemented, this framework has the potential to drive consistent high-quality care to improve health outcomes and wellbeing among older people accessing aged care services.
The trend of once-off versus follow-up Medicare-reimbursed psychiatric consultations and increased telehealth availability: an interrupted time series analysis.
Woon LS, Bastiampillai T, Looi JCL
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Apr · PMID 40164090 · Publisher ↗
Objective The Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth items were expanded in March 2020 and consolidated in January 2022. We aim to describe the trend of the ratio of MBS psychiatric video items for once-o...
Objective The Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth items were expanded in March 2020 and consolidated in January 2022. We aim to describe the trend of the ratio of MBS psychiatric video items for once-off assessments to follow-up sessions and examine the effect of telehealth consolidation. Methods Psychiatric once-off item to follow-up item ratios in face-to-face (F2F) and video modes were computed from state and territory-level monthly Medicare data (January 2016-December 2023). We performed a multilevel interrupted times series analysis (ITSA) of once-off video consultations with telehealth consolidation as the intervention, followed by subgroup analyses by age groups. Finally, in the young adult group (25-44years), we performed a multiple-group ITSA comparing video once-off to follow-up ratios between genders. Results The once-off to follow-up ratio for video items after telehealth consolidation greatly increased compared with F2F items, with rapid growth in once-off assessments. Sustained high video once-off assessment usage occurred in the youth (15-24years) and young adult (25-44years) groups, while other age groups showed declines following the initial rise. The male group showed a greater initial increase in the video once-off to follow-up ratio among young adults but the ratio continued to rise only in the female group. Conclusions The evolving trends of reimbursed telepsychiatry consultations require further examination given their potential implications concerning service quality, health equity, health attitudes and behaviours, and healthcare costs.
Value-based health care definition and characteristics: an evidence-based approach.
Khalil H, Ameen M, Davies C … +2 more , Arunkumar R, Liu C
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Mar · PMID 40096742 · Publisher ↗
Objective The aim of this study was to develop a concise, accessible definition of value-based health care (VBHC) and identify its main characteristics through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature. Methods A s...
Objective The aim of this study was to develop a concise, accessible definition of value-based health care (VBHC) and identify its main characteristics through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature. Methods A scoping review methodology was employed to map definitions and characteristics of VBHC from nine databases, including JBI EBP Database, Cochrane Reviews, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE(R), APA PsycINFO, and others, from inception until November 2023. The scoping review aimed to clarify existing concepts and identify gaps in VBHC definitions and frameworks across various geographical contexts. Additionally, qualitative data on VBHC were analysed from the included studies using a word cloud generated via an online tool and a word frequency table generated from Excel. This dual analysis informed the creation of a simplified, data-driven definition of VBHC along with its key characteristics. Results The word frequency analysis highlighted common themes, including 'care,' 'outcomes,' 'quality,' 'efficiency,' and 'cost.' Based on these frequently mentioned terms, a simplified definition of VBHC was formulated, focusing on patient-centred care that aims to improve health outcomes relative to costs. Comparisons with existing literature revealed that while the derived definition is more accessible and concise, it lacks the depth of the academic definitions, which emphasise strategic implementation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and nuanced measurement of outcomes. Conclusion This study provides a simplified, data-driven definition of VBHC that can facilitate understanding and implementation among practitioners and stakeholders. Integrating this accessible definition can bridge the gap between theory and practice, ultimately supporting better health outcomes and system sustainability.
Beyond social determinants of health.
Veasey AE
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Mar · PMID 40064050 · Publisher ↗
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Rheumatic heart disease 2025 - current status and future challenges.
Jones B, Celermajer DS
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Mar · PMID 40064049 · Publisher ↗
Rheumatic heart disease remains a major health problem for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this Reflection, potential solutions to this lamentable situation are reviewed.
Rheumatic heart disease remains a major health problem for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this Reflection, potential solutions to this lamentable situation are reviewed.
Exploring the unique value of clinician scientist roles to the health services in which they are employed: a scoping review.
Buttrum P, Butler P, Young A … +2 more , Eley D, O'Leary S
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Mar · PMID 40024250 · Publisher ↗
Objective This scoping review explored the unique value or impacts of clinician scientists (CSs) to the health services in which they work and metrics used to identify and measure this value. Methods Five databases, grey...
Objective This scoping review explored the unique value or impacts of clinician scientists (CSs) to the health services in which they work and metrics used to identify and measure this value. Methods Five databases, grey literature, and the internet were searched in April 2024 to identify articles that described and measured the value or impact of CSs within clinical health services. CSs were defined as having dual clinical and research qualifications and work duties. Articles were screened at title, abstract, and full text level against inclusion and exclusion criteria, before extracting data and analysing the included articles. Results The search identified 5368 articles, with six eligible for inclusion. Articles were qualitative in nature (structured interviews or multiple case study reports) and had relatively few participants. The reported value or impacts included educating colleagues on research skills and processes, promoting evidence-based practice, fostering inter-institutional collaboration, and conducting clinically relevant research. No articles recommended a detailed suite of metrics as to how this value or impact could be measured. Conclusions There is limited literature describing the unique value or impact of CSs to the health services in which they work. While some articles described aspects of CS value, no articles provided metrics for how specific CS value could be measured.
Cardiac arrest in Australia: a call to action.
Paratz ED, Jennings G, Timbs S … +5 more , Bray JE, Ingles J, Page G, Vandenberg J, La Gerche A
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Mar · PMID 40024248 · Publisher ↗
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) represents a major cause of premature mortality globally, with an enormous effect on victims, families, and communities. Cardiac arrest prevention should be considered a health priority in Aus...
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) represents a major cause of premature mortality globally, with an enormous effect on victims, families, and communities. Cardiac arrest prevention should be considered a health priority in Australia. A multi-faceted strategy will include community awareness, improved fundamental mechanistic understanding, preventive strategies, implementation of best-practice resuscitation strategies, secondary risk assessment of family members, and development of (near) real-time registries to inform areas of need and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Challenges of patient access to specialised care and equity within the Australian and New Zealand healthcare system should also be recognised.
Paramedic to general practitioner referral pathways within Australian jurisdictional ambulance clinical practice guidelines: a document analysis.
Delardes B, Gooley M, Bowles KA … +1 more , Chakraborty S
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39993731 · Publisher ↗
Objectives We aimed to compare the prevalence and clarity of paramedic to general practitioner (GP) referral pathways among clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) of Australian jurisdictional ambulance services (JASs). Meth...
Objectives We aimed to compare the prevalence and clarity of paramedic to general practitioner (GP) referral pathways among clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) of Australian jurisdictional ambulance services (JASs). Methods We completed a document analysis on all publicly available Australian JAS CPGs that were accessed online during 2024. We appraised CPGs according to the AGREE II Domain 4: Clarity of Presentation criteria. Results We located 711 CPGs across the eight Australian JASs, of which 109 (15%) referenced a pathway to GP referral. Overall, 5.5% (n =6/109) of CPGs met all the AGREE II Domain 4 criteria and considerations. The items most frequently satisfied across CPGs were (i) 'specific recommendations are appropriately selected and reflect the key messages of the guideline' and (ii) 'specific recommendations are grouped together in one section', both of which were met in 96% (105/109) of CPGs. The item least often satisfied was 'uncertainty in the interpretation and discussion of the evidence is reflected in the recommendations and explicitly stated', with only 17% (18/109) of CPGs including a discussion of evidence supporting or cautioning referral to GP pathways. Inclusion of a 'specific and unambiguous statement of the recommended action' was also consistently lacking from CPGs, with only 23% (25/109) of CPGs with referral pathways giving a specific timeframe within which the patient should be seen by a GP. Conclusion A minority of Australian JAS CPGs include a referral to GP pathway, however, these recommendations are generally non-specific and ambiguous, limiting usability for paramedics.
Health research governance of data access: a black-box challenge.
McDonald P, Mayes R, Frederiksen P … +4 more , Malatzky C, Feldman A, Davies JM, Leon-Espinoza D
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39993730 · Publisher ↗
This article addresses organisational governance, including perceived reputational concerns, by health data custodians as the principal barrier to timely and transparent research. Although existing literature primarily a...
This article addresses organisational governance, including perceived reputational concerns, by health data custodians as the principal barrier to timely and transparent research. Although existing literature primarily addresses ethics reviews and site-specific research approvals, our experience with a Local Hospital Network uncovered additional active barriers within this complex health system. We position these experiences in relation to literature that has documented inefficiencies in health research governance processes that lead to lost knowledge capital and opportunities for significant advancements in health systems research.
Environmental, Social and Governance principles in Australian publicly funded healthcare: an extension of value-based care.
Ward A, Holmes ME, Ward I … +3 more , Lokmic-Tomkins Z, East L, Levett-Jones T
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39993724 · Publisher ↗
Australia's publicly funded healthcare system is financed through a complex mix of Commonwealth, State, Territory and private sources, which include activity-based funding, fee for service and block funding. These models...
Australia's publicly funded healthcare system is financed through a complex mix of Commonwealth, State, Territory and private sources, which include activity-based funding, fee for service and block funding. These models may be insufficient to meet future budgetary constraints, and healthcare systems in Australia and worldwide are increasingly adopting value-based healthcare (VBHC), which is defined as 'health outcomes that matter to patients relative to the resources or costs required, over a full cycle of care'. There is no national Australian strategy for the adoption of VBHC, and examining other industries or policies may provide solutions to enhance implementation. For example, as of January 2025, the Australian Securities Exchange will mandate climate-related disclosures for listed companies. This change reflects a growing societal and shareholder emphasis on environmental accountability. Our paper argues that universally applying Environmental, Social and Governance principles across all healthcare sectors represents a strategic evolution of VBHC to ensure fiscally responsible climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
A review of patient-centred measures in breast cancer care and impact on care efficiency.
Tan EW, Saunders CM
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39961135 · Publisher ↗
Objective Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with rising prevalence and costs. Inefficient care leads to poorer outcomes and strains healthcare systems. This review explores the association betw...
Objective Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with rising prevalence and costs. Inefficient care leads to poorer outcomes and strains healthcare systems. This review explores the association between breast cancer management strategies and efficiency in delivering care. Methods An exploratory single database review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-P) guidelines was conducted by searching MEDLINE for studies on patient-centred care, efficiency, and breast cancer published 2014-present. Data extraction and synthesis followed PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. Results Eleven studies were included (one systematic review, one randomised control trial (RCT), four comparative studies, three observational studies, one budget analysis, and one protocol). Seven studies found a positive association between patient-centred care and efficiency; six showed statistical significance. These included reduced diagnostic delays (n =3), improved shared decision-making with decision aids (n =3), need to address ethnic/socioeconomic status disparities (n =2), and survivorship interventions/experience (n =3). Conclusion This is the first review analysing multiple strategies to improve delivery of care, demonstrating improved efficiency throughout the treatment journey in breast cancer by using patient-centred care. Further implementation studies are needed to understand how to optimise outcomes and healthcare sustainability.
Manifesting change: an organisation's approach to burnout, recruitment, and retention of junior doctors in Western Australia.
McLeod K, Krishnasivam D, Eskander G
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39961133 · Publisher ↗
Facing unprecedented levels of junior medical officer (JMO) vacancies, absenteeism, and burnout, the Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (SCGOPHCG) collaborated with JMOs to create and implement the JMO M...
Facing unprecedented levels of junior medical officer (JMO) vacancies, absenteeism, and burnout, the Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (SCGOPHCG) collaborated with JMOs to create and implement the JMO Manifesto in January of 2023. With the aim of improving the organisation's attraction, recruitment, and retention of JMOs, this initiative consisted of five strategic imperatives that addressed key workplace issues affecting JMOs: (1) part-time work opportunities, (2) access to leave and (3) overtime pay, (4) limited support for workplace issues (particularly after-hours), and (5) poor workplace culture and bullying. Led by the Clinical Services team, the JMO Manifesto was an investment in building JMO wellbeing, trust, and engagement with simple but innovative strategies. The effectiveness of these strategies was evaluated by comparing pre- and post-JMO Manifesto results from routinely collected organisational data (e.g. vacancy rates) and JMO feedback through the annual Hospital Health Check survey by the Australian Medical Association. Within 6months, the SCGOPHCG was fully recruited, had created 35 new part-time positions and new processes for managing leave, overtime claims, and support for JMOs. Eighteenmonths in, we remain the top-ranking public health service provider for access to leave, claiming of un-rostered overtime, workplace culture and morale, and wellbeing support for JMOs in Western Australia. The JMO Manifesto highlights the importance of healthcare organisations investing in the engagement and wellbeing of their junior doctors to achieve a sustainable medical workforce.
Comprehensive day-to-day care and support needs of older Australians requiring government-funded home-based aged care: a scoping review.
McKittrick R, Manias E, Hensher M … +2 more , Meroiti J, Hutchinson AM
Aust Health Rev · 2025 Feb · PMID 39956137 · Publisher ↗
Objective This study aimed to locate and describe research studies in which the comprehensive day-to-day care and support needs of older Australians requiring home-based aged care have been measured and reported in detai...
Objective This study aimed to locate and describe research studies in which the comprehensive day-to-day care and support needs of older Australians requiring home-based aged care have been measured and reported in detail. Methods A scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute guidance. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature was undertaken. Results Screening identified 2/866 eligible records. Researchers studying the 'service needs' of older people (n =50) residing in a rural/remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community found a high need for home care (86%), transport (59%), and allied health (46%) services. In the second study, older people (n =55) from a regional community had 38/79 'underlying care needs' including for washing/bathing, managing urinary incontinence, and arranging/keeping appointments. The authors of each study took a different perspective of 'needs' - that is, their participants' need for specific service types (e.g. transport) versus their fundamental underlying needs (e.g. arranging/keeping appointments) which give rise to service needs. Conclusions The findings suggest Australian aged care providers and policy-makers lack a strong evidence base about the comprehensive underlying day-to-day care and support needs experienced by older Australians, to optimally inform both the design of home-based aged care programs and services, and workforce skill and skill mix requirements for the sector. Future studies about the population's underlying day-to-day care and support needs, with larger and more representative study populations (e.g. making use of routinely collected aged care datasets), would be beneficial. Such studies would provide important information to support the development of a government-funded home-based aged care system optimised to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of the population it is seeking to support.
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