Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association
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The aim of this study was to determine the patient characteristics associated with unplanned return visits, using routinely collected hospital data, to assist in developing strategies to reduce their occurrence. ⋯ Although patient characteristics associated with unplanned return visits have been identified, the reasons underpinning the unplanned return visit rate, such as patient service preference and attitudes, need to be more fully investigated.
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One of the elements of the health reform plan, as agreed to by Australian state and federal governments, is to introduce a 4-h National Access Target, to reduce emergency department (ED) waiting times. This article highlights the flawed rationale behind the 4-h rule, the UK experience of this rule and discusses the potential dangers it poses to Australian patients. An alternative solution proposed is the separation of elective and emergency surgical streams to reduce the variability in demand for inpatient services.
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To ascertain the improvements in length of stay and discharge rates following the opening of an acute medical unit (AMU). ⋯ An AMU was successful in decreasing ED length of stay and contributed to decreasing hospital length of stay. However, we suggest that local context is crucially important in tailoring an AMU to obtain maximal benefit, and that AMUs are not a 'one size fits all' solution.