Australian Health Review

What is known about the topic? There are widespread and longstanding issues with burnout and workplace issues for junior doctors. What does this paper add? This case study showcases the experience of a West Australian health service in improving junior doctors’ wellbeing, access to entitlements, and workplace culture to reduce burnout and recruit and retain a junior doctor workforce. What are the implications for practitioners? Addressing these issues with strong leadership, engagement, and innovative strategies can lead to significant improvements in junior doctor wellbeing and organisational outcomes.

What is known about the topic? Inefficient cancer care is a leading factor in poorer outcomes for patients, as well as affecting sustainability of our healthcare system. What does this paper add? This paper aims to explore the evidence that using patient-centric strategies when diagnosing and treating breast cancer improves care efficiency. What are the implications for practitioners? Ensuring we use, and measure the use of, patient-centric strategies in cancer care will improve efficiency; positively impacting patient satisfaction and economic outcomes.

What is known about the topic? The needs of Australians requiring home-based aged care have been examined from various perspectives. However, more information is required about their comprehensive day-to-day needs at the population level. What does this paper add? Only two relevant studies were located, indicating a gap in Australian research on this topic. What are the implications for practitioners? This knowledge gap could impact effective and efficient home-based aged care service-delivery design and workforce planning, since without direct measurement of the day-to-day care and support needs of individuals requiring home-based aged care, the requirements for optimally addressing these needs are not overtly apparent.

What is known about the topic? This is the first retrospective study assessing the optimal care pathways for lung cancer in Tasmania. What does this paper add? This paper provides insight into the timelines and delays involving the optimal care pathways for lung cancer prior to the introduction of lung cancer screening and compares the quality of delivery of health care against national quality indicators and standards. What are the implications for practitioners? The implications are that practitioners will need to consider reallocating resource utilisation especially with the upcoming national lung cancer screening program, to improve optimal care pathways to achieve national benchmarks and minimise variables between interstate health services to improve overall outcomes.

What is known about the topic? National clinical registries provide a rich resource for researchers, clinicians, policy makers and other stakeholders to perform investigations and make informed decisions. What does this paper add? This paper describes the state- and territory-based differences that preclude the establishment of a harmonised national registry in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? Without overcoming these differences, national registries cannot be truly harmonised, compromising the accuracy, as well as potential utility, of such resources.

What is known about the topic? Statutory compliance checking in relation to clinical placements is a significant burden for nursing students, academic faculty, and placement services. What does this paper add? An overview is provided of how statutory compliance regulations in Australian states and territories differ. Findings show that there is significant variation in process between Australian jurisdictions. What are the implications for practitioners? To streamline compliance checking nationally, there is a need to simplify the process and adopt a nationally standardised compliance checking approach.

What is known about the topic? While digitally delivered health care offers promising outcomes for chronic condition management, inadequate funding arrangements currently limit its application in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper outlines potential funding models for digital health, suggesting some practical approaches to overcome existing barriers and to better engage stakeholders, thereby strengthening the healthcare system’s ability to integrate digital health solutions. What are the implications for practitioners? A major contributor to the success of digital health services for chronic conditions is funding reform which supports broader access, improves patient activation, and ensures sustainable service delivery. Practitioners must advocate for and adapt to evolving payment models to enhance patient outcomes in a digital healthcare landscape.

What is known about the topic? The importance of authentic consumer engagement to shape decisions in health care is now well recognised. What does this paper add? We share our experience of working with consumers to develop strategies that aimed to optimise referrals to an evidence-based and cost-effective intervention; a pulmonary rehabilitation program. What are the implications for practitioners? Based on our experience, given their ability to navigate bureaucratic barriers within the system, future health researchers should consider actively recruiting senior hospital staff to be part of the co-design process from project inception.

What is known about the topic? Guidance on how researchers can influence policy is broad, tending to focus on communicating with policy audiences, rather than how to engage policy professionals. While the term evidence-based policy implies that researchers will have access to policymakers, in reality they have limited engagement with evidence, relying instead on briefs from advisers and policy professionals. What does this paper add? This paper provides an illustrative guide for a workshop model that facilitates evidence-informed policy. What are the implications for practitioners? Understanding what policy professionals require and when best to engage with the policy process will maximise the role researchers and other experts can have on informing policy.

What is known about the topic? Despite recognising the value of clinical supervision, many physiotherapists do not participate in regular supervision. What does this paper add? Our paper identified three themes explaining factors that influence participation in clinical supervision: the value of clinical supervision; operationalisation of organisational clinical supervision frameworks; and the clinical supervision culture. What are the implications for practitioners? Physiotherapists’ participation in clinical supervision could be facilitated by addressing all factors.

What is known about the topic? COVID-19 affected health care globally, including emergency department (ED) care. In Australia, findings predominately focus on public EDs. What does this paper add? ED presentation trends for one Queensland region, including both public and private sectors, are presented. Public sector costs and the impact of patients with COVID-19 on the ED are described. What are the implications for practitioners? Government policies and/or population behaviour change following initial pandemic restrictions accelerated presentations to the private sector. A virtual ward, along with designated testing centres and public health case coordination, were effective in reducing ED presentations of patients with COVID-19.

What is known about the topic? Mental health policy in Australia has been criticised for failing to promote an environment suitable for translational research. What does this paper add? This paper identifies that translational research functions are not well highlighted within mental health policy. What are the implications for practitioners? Policy makers can improve guidance for the mental health system by better integrating translational research and enhancing how it is talked about within policy. Practitioners should receive better guidance and policy environments to enable research translation.