Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association
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This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the care coordination (CC) program operating in the Emergency Department (ED) of The Northern Hospital in improving outcomes for older people and reducing ED admissions and re-presentations. This was achieved by comparing admissions from ED to wards pre and post commencement of the CC program, and measuring patient health-related quality of life pre and post CC intervention. ⋯ Results indicate a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients admitted from the ED to a ward since the inception of the program, a significant difference in the mean-related quality of life scores before and after intervention by care coordination, and staff and patient satisfaction with the service. The readmission data collected in the present evaluation will serve as a baseline measure for future evaluations.
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Waiting time for public hospital care is a regular matter for political debate One political response has been to suggest that expanding private sector activity will reduce public waiting times. This paper tests the hypothesis that increased private activity in the health system is associated with reduced waiting times using secondary analysis of hospital activity data for 2001-02. Median waiting time is shown to be inversely related to the proportion of public patients. Policymakers should therefore be cautious about assuming that additional support for the private sector will take pressure off the public sector and reduce waiting times for public patients.
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This paper analyses recent health reform agenda in Canada. From 1988 until 1997, the first phase of reforms focused on service integration through regionalisation and a rebalancing of services from illness care to prevention and wellness. ⋯ Despite numerous commissions and studies, some questions remain concerning the future direction of the public system. The Canadian reform experience is compared with recent Australian health reform initiatives in terms of service integration through regionalisation, primary care reform, Aboriginal health, the public-private debate, intergovernmental relations and the role of the federal government.
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Handover of patient care has been an ongoing problem within the health care sector. The process remains highly variable and there is a threat to patient safety. Despite the general belief that handover transitions in patient care have become routine, not enough attention or research has been directed at improving this period of care. ⋯ The results suggested a need for process change. Results revealed a handover process which was unstructured, informal and error prone, with the majority of doctors noting that there was no standard or formal procedure for handover. The research found that the majority of hospital doctors recognised the potential benefits of formalising and computerising this process.