Australian Health Review

What is known about the topic? Climate-related disclosures will be mandated for Australian Securities Exchange listed companies from January 2025; however this does not include all publicly funded healthcare service providers. What does this paper add? This paper proposes integrating Environmental, Social and Governance principles into health care as a natural extension of the traditional value-based care focus. What are the implications for practitioners? Healthcare practitioners may need to broaden their focus beyond direct health outcomes to include environmental impact, social responsibility and ethical governance in their decision-making and practices.

What is known about the topic? Governance barriers in health organisations hinder research progress, with prior studies focusing on regulatory and ethical hurdles affecting data access and utilisation. What does this paper add? This paper highlights the specific challenges of securing data access in Local Hospital Networks for health systems research, including institutional reputation concerns, despite alignment with strategic priorities and ethics compliance. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners must advocate for transparent, consistent governance and institutional accountability to facilitate research that improves equity in research opportunity and outcomes within health systems.

What is known about the topic? Many ambulance patients do not require emergency department care; however, paramedics feel unsupported to refer patients to general practitioners. What does this paper add? Across Australian ambulance services, 15% of clinical practice guidelines for low-acuity presentations contain pathways to refer patients to general practitioners, however, the majority of these guidelines lack clarity about when, why, and how to refer patients to GPs. What are the implications for practice? There is a need to expand the breadth of paramedic-to-GP referral pathways within practice guidelines to be representative of paramedic scope of work. This should be presented clearly to ensure front-end usability.

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.