The Medical journal of Australia
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To investigate whether bias in clinical history affects accuracy of electrocardiograph (ECG) interpretation among doctors working in emergency departments. ⋯ Bias in clinical history significantly influenced the accuracy of ECG interpretation. Strategies that reduce the detrimental impact of cognitive bias and improved ECG training for doctors are recommended.
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To compare the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the MBS initiative with the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative, to test contentions that Better Access is used more often by advantaged major city patients and that the role of GPs has been reduced to that of referrers. ⋯ Far from becoming "glorified referrers", GPs remain heavily involved in the management of depression. Better Access brought about an enormous increase in access to primary care management of depression, although advantaged major city patients gained most. Any changes to the system must not compromise the strong improvements in access that have occurred for all groups.
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Multicenter Study
A multicentre evaluation of two intensive care unit triage protocols for use in an influenza pandemic.
To determine the increase in intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability that would result from the use of the New South Wales and Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) triage protocols. ⋯ Both triage protocols resulted in increases in ICU bed availability, but the OHPIP protocol provided the greatest increase overall. With the NSW triage protocol, ICU bed availability increased as the protocol was escalated.