International journal of evidence-based healthcare
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Mar 2020
Reducing adverse medication events in mental health: Australian National Survey.
To determine the extent to which evidence-based medication safety practices have been implemented in public and private mental health inpatient units across Australia. ⋯ Gaps in medication safety practices included limited use of individual patient supply systems for medication distribution, a high reliance on ward stock systems and high reliance on paper-based systems for medication prescribing and administration. With regards to service provision, clinical pharmacist involvement in medical reconciliation services, therapeutic drug monitoring and interdisciplinary ward rounds should be increased. Discharge and post-discharge services were major gaps in service provision.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Sep 2019
Evaluation of prescribing patterns of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in a tertiary setting.
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) are among the most commonly prescribed analgesics despite their adverse effect profile. The main objective of this pilot study is to assess the prescribing patterns of NSAIDs in an Australian hospital and to examine predictors for prescribing patterns. ⋯ About half of the patients audited were prescribed NSAIDs appropriately. Factors affecting the prescribing of NSAIDs included: older age, patients' gastrointestinal risks as well as pharmacist input. This pilot study presents an opportunity for pharmacists to promote adherence to NSAIDs prescribing guidelines.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Jun 2019
Feasibility, appropriateness and meaningfulness analysis of the Sunfrail Tool to the European Portuguese population during cross-cultural adaptation process.
Frailty is an age-related condition characterized by increased vulnerability to negative outcomes. To enable informed decision-making and implementation of individually tailored practices for frailty management, it is necessary to develop screening tools that cover different domains of individual functioning, reliably predict future adverse outcomes and are generalizable to healthcare settings other than primary care. The Sunfrail Tool, an easy-to-use nine-item instrument, seems to meet all these requirements. The current study aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Sunfrail Tool for the European Portuguese population and to perform the feasibility, appropriateness and meaningfulness analyses of the Sunfrail Tool Portuguese version.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Mar 2019
Implementing best practice into the emergency department triage process.
Triage is the process by which emergency departments (EDs) sort patients presenting for medical treatment. The Australasian Triage Scale, validated to measure urgency, answers the question 'This patient should wait for medical assessment and treatment no longer than…' Multiple patients may present within short time frames, and some will have conditions that have outcomes directly related to timeliness of treatment such as stroke, sepsis and myocardial infarction. The safety of patients within the ED is thus directly related to the triage system. This project aimed to compare current triage practice within a metropolitan ED with evidence-based practice guidelines produced by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and College of Emergency Nurses Australasia. ⋯ WHAT DOES THIS ARTICLE ADD.
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Int J Evid Based Healthc · Mar 2019
The updated Joanna Briggs Institute Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare.
The Joanna Briggs Institute Model for Evidence-Based Healthcare was first conceptualized in 2005. This developmental framework for evidence-based practice situated healthcare evidence, in its broadest sense, and its role and use within complex healthcare settings. The Model was recently reviewed with a view to understanding its utility by health professionals, researchers and policy makers, and the analysis revealed a need to reconsider the composition and language of the Model to ensure its currency on the international stage. ⋯ The Model has been an important part of the Institute's development, both from a scientific and organizational perspective. Given the changing international discourse relating to evidence and its translation into policy and practice over the course of the last decade, it was opportune to revisit the Model and assess its ongoing applicability in its current form. Some alterations have been made for consideration in the hope that the Model reflects the Institute's current conceptualization of evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) and to increase its relevance and use pragmatically.