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Australian Health Review Australian Health Review Society
Journal of the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association

Australian Health Review

Australian Health Review

Australian Health Review explores health policy and management including healthcare delivery systems, clinical programs and health financing. Read more about the journalMore

Editor-in-Chief: Sonĵ Hall

Publishing Model: Hybrid. Open Access options available.

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Latest

These articles are the latest published in the journal. Australian Health Review is published under a continuous publication model. More information is available on our Continuous Publication page.

Published online 18 March 2025

AH24279Value-based health care definition and characteristics: an evidence-based approach

H. Khalil 0000-0002-3302-2009, M. Ameen, C. Davies, R. Arunkumar and C. Liu
 

What is known about the topic? Value-based health care (VBHC) is a widely-cited concept aimed at improving patient outcomes relative to the cost of care while maintaining a focus on quality and patient-centred practices. What does this paper add? This paper contributes a simplified, data-driven definition of VBHC using word frequency analysis to identify key themes, making the concept accessible for practitioners, stakeholders, and non-experts. What are the implications for practitioners? The derived definition serves as a practical entry point for integrating value-based care principles into everyday healthcare delivery, ultimately supporting better patient outcomes and more efficient use of resources.

Published online 11 March 2025

AH24343Rheumatic heart disease 2025 – current status and future challenges

Benjamin Jones and David S. Celermajer
 

What is known about the topic? Rheumatic heart disease is a disease of poverty, much commoner in Indigenous than in other communities. What does this paper add? This paper briefly reviews the problems and reflects in potential solutions, known and emerging. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners may be interested to see where ther might be hope for a better future, for rheumatic heart disease prevention.

Published online 03 March 2025

AH24231Exploring the unique value of clinician scientist roles to the health services in which they are employed: a scoping review

Peter Buttrum, Prudence Butler, Adrienne Young 0000-0002-4498-4342, Diann Eley 0000-0001-7256-9325 and Shaun O’Leary
 

What is known about the topic? The value of contemporary clinician scientist roles is almost exclusively described in terms of the benefits to universities by way of academic metrics such as publications and grants. What does this paper add? This paper explores the unique value of these roles to the health services in which they work, outside of academic metrics and the career benefits to individual researchers. What are the implications for practitioners? Implications for practitioners and health service managers include better describing the value of clinician scientist roles and informing important future research.

Published online 03 March 2025

AH25034Cardiac arrest in Australia: a call to action

Elizabeth D. Paratz 0000-0002-2122-9889, Garry Jennings, Susan Timbs, Janet E. Bray, Jodie Ingles, Greg Page, Jamie Vandenberg and Andre La Gerche
 

What is known about the topic? Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) represents a major cause of premature mortality globally, with an enormous effect on victims, families, and communities. SCA prevention should be considered a health priority in Australia. What does this paper add? This paper provides key strategies and points of implementation in a framework to improve cardiac arrest outcomes. What are the implications for practitioners? A multi-faceted strategy will include community awareness, improved fundamental mechanistic understanding, preventive strategies, implementation of best-practice resuscitation strategies, secondary risk assessment of family members, and development of (near) real-time registries to inform areas of need and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Challenges of patient access to specialised care and equity within the Australian and New Zealand healthcare system should also be recognised.

Published online 25 February 2025

AH24296Environmental, Social and Governance principles in Australian publicly funded healthcare: an extension of value-based care

Aletha Ward, Mark E. Holmes, Isabella Ward 0009-0004-7757-3832, Zerina Lokmic-Tomkins, Leah East and Tracy Levett-Jones
 

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.

Published online 25 February 2025

AH24341Health research governance of data access: a black-box challenge

Paula McDonald, Robyn Mayes, Peter Frederiksen, Christina Malatzky, Alicia Feldman 0000-0002-0210-1847, Janet M. Davies and Diana Leon-Espinoza
 

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.

Published online 25 February 2025

AH24335Paramedic to general practitioner referral pathways within Australian jurisdictional ambulance clinical practice guidelines: a document analysis

Belinda Delardes 0000-0001-8966-5858, Mostyn Gooley, Kelly-Ann Bowles and Samantha Chakraborty 0000-0002-9708-4532
 

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.

Published online 18 February 2025

AH24053Manifesting change: an organisation’s approach to burnout, recruitment, and retention of junior doctors in Western Australia

Katie McLeod, Deepan Krishnasivam and George Eskander
 

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.

Published online 18 February 2025

AH24329A review of patient-centred measures in breast cancer care and impact on care efficiency

Elizabeth Wei Tan 0000-0003-1044-082X and Christobel Mary Saunders
 

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.

Published online 17 February 2025

AH24234Comprehensive day-to-day care and support needs of older Australians requiring government-funded home-based aged care: a scoping review

Rachel McKittrick 0000-0002-2208-1716, Elizabeth Manias 0000-0002-3747-0087, Martin Hensher, James Meroiti and Alison M. Hutchinson
 

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.

Published online 11 February 2025

AH24249Optimal lung cancer care pathways: a Tasmanian perspective

Chui Lyn Leong 0000-0002-8602-5924, Ingrid Cox 0000-0001-5130-4088, Renae Grundy, Nick Harkness, Andrew J. Palmer, Barbara de Graaff and Emma Ball
 

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.

Published online 11 February 2025

AH24338State- and territory-based differences that impede the establishment of a harmonised national registry

Larissa K. Lloyd, Calum Nicholson, Geoff Strange and David S. Celermajer
 

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.

Published online 10 February 2025

AH24268Trends in retention and attrition in nine regulated health professions in Australia

Jade Tan, Rechu Divakar, Lee Barclay, Sunita Bayyavarapu Bapuji, Sarah Anderson and Eva Saar
 

What is known about the topic? The Australian health workforce is growing, but national shortages persist due to various factors. What does this paper add? Among surveyed practitioners, 78.9% intended to stay in their profession, while 6.8% were unsure of their future. Additionally, 5.3% intended to leave their profession, citing mental burnout, retirement, feeling undervalued and lack of professional satisfaction. Key predictors of practitioner intentions included age, gender, self-employment and weekly hours worked. What are the implications for practitioners? Interventions that may improve retention rates are likely to be workplace related, including reducing mental burnout, increasing work satisfaction, and employee recognition.

Published online 10 February 2025

AH24235Mandatory and statutory compliance screening for undergraduate nursing students in Australia: a review of compliance requirements

Alycia Jacob 0000-0003-2458-6715, Paula Ince 0009-0006-2197-675X, Carolyn Ross, Susan Hua, Bill Swannie, Lara Demetrios and Darren Falconer
 

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.

Just Accepted

These articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. They are still in production and have not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

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Empowering First Nations communities and committing to long-term political action are essential to addressing the systemic health disparities they face. True change requires giving them control over their healthcare and sustained efforts to tackle the root causes of inequity for lasting justice and healing.

The papers in this collection are free to read for two months, from 11 March 2025.

Last Updated: 11 Mar 2025

Australia needs a mental health system the community can rely on and long-term strategic and systemic reformation of mental health care is critical. The featured papers in this Special Focus comment on the Oakden Report and the agenda for change and organisational reform, the use of stepped care approaches to enable effective mental health care, the vital role of family carers and their partnerships with mental health providers, eMental health care as a treatment option for young people, the need to facilitate ongoing development of ‘lived experience’ roles, the scarcity of quality guidelines to address the physical health of people with severe mental illness, and the largely unrecognised and valuable skill set of the mental health nurse.

Last Updated: 02 Dec 2020

In October 2020, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety published its report, setting out some of the devastating effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the sector. The aged care sector has long been in need of reform, it continues to struggle to meet the needs of its population, and the pandemic has made the issue more visible than ever before. The featured papers in this Special Focus comment on the changing trends in residential aged care use, the longstanding (and global) issue of an increasing older and more clinically complex population, the work of case managers in community aged care, and the value of advance care planning among residential aged care facility residents.

Last Updated: 02 Dec 2020

Hospitals globally are in the midst of a digital transformation. The featured papers in this Special Focus comment on the challenges and considerations of health services undergoing this rapid digital transformation and discuss decision-making processes for new technologies, what can be done to maximise the benefits of digital change, and the complex challenges of implementing and examining the effects of technology.

Last Updated: 30 Sep 2020

Every year has a few defining moments, but the paradigm shifts around the world in 2020 have been phenomenal with healthcare and the economy bearing the brunt of the crisis – one where there is no end in sight. In the midst of the inequities highlighted by COVID, June 30 marked Derek Feeley’s last day as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s President and CEO, the legacy he leaves is a greater questioning of the equity of healthcare improvement initiatives and ‘Who gets left behind?’ at a time of the rise of the global Black Lives Matter campaigns; a topic further explored by Dr Chris Bourke and colleagues looking at support for Indigenous health leaders.

Last Updated: 05 Aug 2020

The paradigm shifts around the world in 2020 have been phenomenal with healthcare and the economy bearing the brunt of the crisis. In the midst of the inequities highlighted by COVID, June 30 marked Derek Feeley’s last day as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s President and CEO, the legacy he leaves is a greater questioning of the equity of healthcare improvement initiatives and ‘Who gets left behind?’ at a time of the rise of the global Black Lives Matter campaigns; a topic further explored by Dr Chris Bourke and colleagues looking at support for Indigenous health leaders.

Last Updated: 05 Aug 2020

Dr Bronwyn Evans, CEO of Engineers Australia, was one of a select group, led by the Defence Department, who met in 2019 to ask the ‘What if…?’ and test Australia’s vulnerabilities. In Policy Reflection, she looks for the positives surfacing through the COVID-19 crisis and how we may build on these for a stronger Australia moving forward.

Last Updated: 05 Aug 2020

The strength of nations and their governments are under the spotlight with SARS-CoV-2 – some have risen to the challenges; others have faltered with dire consequences. Ian Burgess, CEO, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Professor Stephen Duckett reflect on Australian leadership through the crisis and some of the lessons for future political and governance reform. Keeping healthcare affordable is a major focus in this issue. The economic onslaught of the pandemic will leave millions in financial dire straits adding to the numbers already struggling with the burden of healthcare costs. A heartfelt thank you to all those at the frontlines and behind the scenes who have cared for us and fellow global citizens.

Last Updated: 03 Jun 2020

There has never been a better time to acknowledge the great role of our nurses and midwives than as we tackle COVID-19. To celebrate this International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife in 2020, we feature two Policy Reflections by esteemed nurse leaders and four articles that delve into issues facing policy and practice.

Last Updated: 03 Apr 2020

19 March 2020 was Close the Gap Day. The four articles in this Special Focus highlight the continuing and urgent need to reduce health inequities and that Australians value health equity and outcomes for all.

Last Updated: 03 Apr 2020

This Research Front focuses on the allied health workforce. It features a selection of articles that contribute to the evidence base to inform decision-making regarding allied health workforce policy, practices and research.

Last Updated: 15 Jun 2015

Committee on Publication Ethics

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