Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association
-
We administered an electronic survey in October-November 2006 to gauge stakeholder perspectives on Australia's recently adopted health workforce policies. Nearly all of the 41 survey respondents (65% response rate) ranked workforce as very important to overall health policy. ⋯ The survey results suggest the need for clear goals and measurable outcomes. Although they represented different organisations and perspectives, the health workforce policy opinion leaders that participated in this survey reflected remarkable commonality in goals, measures, alternatives, and potential threats.
-
This paper describes a service-based initiative to enhance capacity for evidence-based practice (EBP) in the South Western Sydney Area Health Service Division of Population Health. A working group planned an organisational response to a customised EBP needs assessment using the New South Wales Department of Health's framework for capacity building focussing on five key action areas; organisational development, workforce development, resource allocation, leadership and partnerships. ⋯ Because there was commitment and leadership from senior staff for the initiative, a comprehensive approach to building capacity for EBP in population health was possible. Evidence of impact needs to be collected in the future.
-
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) carried out a review of the roles of anaesthetists in providing acute care services in both public and private hospitals in Europe, North America and South-East Asia. As a result, ANZCA revised its education and training program and its processes relating to overseas-trained specialists. The new training program, introduced in 2004, formed the basis for submissions to the Australian Medical Council, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission/Australian Health Workforce Officials' Committee review of medical colleges. ⋯ Anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand play a pivotal role in providing services in both public and private hospitals, as well as supporting intensive care medicine, pain medicine and hyperbaric medicine. Anaesthesia allows surgery, obstetrics, procedural medicine and interventional medical imaging to function optimally, by ensuring that the patient journey is safe and has high quality care. Specialist anaesthetists in Australia now exceed Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee recommendations.
-
To forecast the number of patients who will present each month at the emergency department of a hospital in regional Victoria. ⋯ Time series analysis is shown to provide a useful, readily available tool for predicting emergency department demand. The approach and lessons from this experience may assist other hospitals and emergency departments to conduct their own analysis to aid planning.
-
To describe the process and results of a process redesign based on task analysis and lean thinking approaches aimed at improving emergency department (ED) efficiency. ⋯ ED process redesign based on task analysis and lean thinking approaches can result in improved ED efficiency.