The Medical journal of Australia
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To evaluate hospital length of stay (LOS) and admission rates before and after implementation of an evidence-based, accelerated diagnostic protocol (ADP) for patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) with chest pain. ⋯ Implementing an evidence-based ADP for assessing patients with chest pain was feasible across a range of hospital types, and achieved a substantial release of health service capacity through reductions in hospital admissions and ED LOS.
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To determine the proportion of Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Service (ACCHS) patients tested according to three national diabetes testing guidelines; to investigate whether specific patient characteristics were associated with being tested. ⋯ Some services achieved high rates of 3-yearly testing of Indigenous Australians for diabetes, but recommended rates of annual testing were rarely attained. ACCHSs may need assistance to achieve desirable levels of testing.