Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association最新文献

{"title":"MindLink: preliminary evidence on a virtual Community of Practice for child and adolescent mental health in the Australian context.","authors":"Valsamma Eapen, Antonio Mendoza Diaz","doi":"10.1071/AH25191","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25191","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Faced with rising demands and limited resources available in most communities to address child and adolescent mental health presentations, increasing cross-specialty collaboration with healthcare providers such as paediatricians is critical. In this regard, there is growing interest in capacity building models such as 'Communities of Practice' to fill this gap. The purpose of this case study is to present the experience of implementing 'MindLink', a virtual Community of Practice model in the Australian public health system for cross-specialty upskilling and collaboration between paediatrics and child and adolescent mental health. The overall aim included understanding the specific areas of need for paediatricians in enhancing knowledge regarding mental health issues where further support was indicated and the perceived usefulness of the MindLink sessions. The approach leveraged the principles of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model for capacity building utilising complex case discussions. The findings identified specific areas where further knowledge and support was desired including pharmacological management, formulation/conceptualisation and diagnostic classification. The perceived benefits included formal and informal collaboration, shared learning and a peer-support network. This has implications due to the potential to improve patient outcomes while also reducing staff burn-out.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145508458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The current state of legislation and education of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Australia.","authors":"Yanfang Zheng, Siheng Xie, Yinghao Wang, Mingqing Huang","doi":"10.1071/AH25228","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This paper aims to analyse the institutional design and practical challenges of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Australia based on its legislative history, current regulatory framework, and educational system development, thereby providing references for TCM internationalisation under China's 'Belt and Road' Initiative.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study delineates Australia's TCM legislative trajectory, dissects its registration and regulatory architecture, and examines its TCM education evolution - from private training to university programs - along with curriculum, faculty, and clinical placement features, while identifying existing challenges.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Australia established TCM's legal status via state-led pilots through to national legislation, with a registration system centred on public safety. Its education integrates TCM-Western medicine but faces inconsistent curricula and language barriers. TCM lacks Medicare coverage, and some herbal medicines are restricted.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Australia's experience shows a pathway for TCM institutionalisation in Western societies. Refining standards, optimising education through China-Australia cooperation, and enhancing public communication will promote TCM's sustainable development and provide replicable models for its internationalisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health workforce policy in Queensland: mapping the state government landscape.","authors":"Stephanie M Topp, Thu Nguyen, Lana M Elliott","doi":"10.1071/AH25134","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to systematically map the scope, focus, and distribution of Queensland's health workforce (HWF) policies and examine their alignment with strategic HWF objectives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive policy review was conducted using documents sourced from the Queensland Health and Health Workforce Queensland websites between January and May 2025. Documents were coded by policy type (system-level, individual-level, employment), document type, strategic domain (supply, distribution, performance), health profession, policy author, and publication year.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 275 policy documents were identified. Among 11 major policy groupings, most policies related to 'general HWF' and 'medical doctors and specialists' with minimal policy attention to pharmacists, physician assistants, paramedics, and aged care workers. Employment-focused policies accounted for 52% of all documents, compared with 38% focused on individual career development and only 10% on system-level strategic objectives. Most documents addressed workforce performance (65%), with fewer addressing supply (39%) or distribution (11%). Employment policy documents were largely authored by human resources and industrial relations bodies, reflecting the prominence of these actors in the HWF policy landscape.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite a high volume of HWF policy in Queensland, the policy architecture is fragmented. Profession-specific siloes, a strong emphasis on employment and industrial policy, and uneven focus across supply, distribution and performance domains suggest coordination and alignment challenges when it comes to addressing broader workforce goals. Further work is needed to understand whether and how these patterns may constrain the development of integrated, equitable workforce strategies capable of addressing persistent system-wide planning issues such as skills mix, retention and rural maldistribution.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Australia's research investment in the health of justice-involved populations.","authors":"Stuart A Kinner, Rohan Borschmann, Rebecca Shuttleworth, Sarah Pellicano, Fiona Kouyoumdjian, Brie Williams","doi":"10.1071/AH25181","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25181","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to quantify and describe National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding for research on the health of justice-involved people (i.e. people who are incarcerated or otherwise under criminal justice supervision).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched the NHMRC funding database for the period 2000-2022 using keywords and names of prominent researchers. Potentially relevant grants were independently reviewed by two authors for inclusion. Information about included grants was independently extracted by the same two authors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of A$16.4 billion in NHMRC funding over the period 2000-2022, A$38.7 million (0.22%) was for justice health research. Most grants were for research in Australia's most populous eastern states and focused on mental health, substance use and/or infectious disease. Only A$4.5 million (0.03% of the total NHMRC allocation) was for research on the health of justice-involved children and adolescents.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>NHMRC funding for justice health research in Australia is out of step with the substantial health and economic burden associated with Australian criminal justice systems. Greater investment in independent, high-quality research in the justice health field has the potential to improve public health, reduce costs and reduce health inequities. More funding for research on non-communicable disease, disability, and the health of justice-involved children and adolescents is required.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13078507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145282111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies to reduce 'failure to attend' rates in specialist clinics: an implementation framework.","authors":"Brigette M de Visser, Tamzin M Dimmock, Colleen L White, Peter A Schulz, Alison Hardman, Glen P Westall","doi":"10.1071/AH25155","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>High levels of patients failing to attend specialist clinic appointments contribute to extended waiting times and the inherent clinical risk related to deferred care. We undertook three separate sub-studies to better understand failure to attend (FTA) drivers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An initial quantitative study was performed to identify variables linked to a high FTA rate. A second qualitative study recruited 60 patients to identify barriers and facilitators to clinic attendance. Based on these findings, the following four interventions were evaluated to reduce FTA: (i) increased frequency of SMS messaging, (ii) real-time booking of review appointments, (iii) incorporation of behavioural nudges in SMS messages, and (iv) targeted communications to 'high-risk' FTA patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>New patients and patients who had previously missed a clinic were at greatest risk of failing to attend. The qualitative analysis identified factors that contributed to high FTA rates. These were incorporated into four FTA interventions that successfully reduced FTA rates, albeit by differing rates (net reduction in FTA ranging from 10.8 to 54.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We described an integrated approach to reduce FTA rates in specialist clinics, thereby improving clinic capacity and reducing the risk of adverse clinical outcomes related to deferred access to care.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145607666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'Most important is understanding primary care in the context of the whole health system.' The data-use aspirations of primary care leaders in Australia: a qualitative study.","authors":"Andrew D Webster, Deborah Askew, Vivian Lyall, Jason D Pole, Geoffrey Spurling","doi":"10.1071/AH25115","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to understand data-use aspirations of primary care leaders in Australia for driving health system improvement and the barriers to achieving this.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 15 Australian primary care leaders across 6 states and territories was undertaken. Participants were responsible for management or leadership functions within their primary care health service or organisation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants expressed aspirations for a more comprehensive, integrated, and connected approach to primary care data use: a 'whole system view' with which to understand the impacts of primary care on the broader health system. Participants identified a misalignment between the primary purpose for which the data is initially generated (to support direct patient care and practice administration) and its secondary quality improvement use. Although participants recognise that significant progress has been made in connecting and harmonising healthcare data, limitations in time and technical capabilities among frontline practitioners continue to impede the development and completion of bottom-up data-driven quality improvement activities.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates that although primary care leaders aspire to a whole-system approach to data use, significant barriers remain. A key misalignment persists between the primary function of data collection for clinical and administrative purposes and its secondary application for quality improvement. Despite progress in national data linkage and harmonisation initiatives, the limited time and technical knowledge available to frontline practitioners continue to constrain practice-level engagement in data-driven improvement. Opportunities exist to strengthen the links between practices and their local Primary Health Networks and Practice Based Research Networks to facilitate capacity building in this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145484011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to: Telehealth use in Voluntary Assisted Dying: a systematic review.","authors":"Imogen Summers, Elizabeth Reymond, Helen M Haydon","doi":"10.1071/AH25113_CO","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25113_CO","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145650374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive leadership in health care: a rapid review.","authors":"Nicky Robinson, Grace Claringbold, Jeromy Anglim, Sarah Fischer, Arlene Walker, Loch Forsyth","doi":"10.1071/AH25068","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Adaptive leadership has gained attention in health care as a useful framework for navigating increasing complexity and unpredictability. This rapid review examined the application of adaptive leadership in healthcare settings and the associated outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The systematic search was conducted in Medline Complete, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycInfo databases. Articles were included if they were peer-reviewed empirical studies on adaptive leadership in primary and acute healthcare settings that assessed an organisational or individual outcome, and were published between 2010 and 2025.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifteen peer-reviewed studies were eligible for inclusion. Several main study designs were present, with one-third being case studies, case reports or case series. Three studies used a cross-sectional quantitative survey and another was quasi-experimental. Adaptive leadership was primarily used as a framework to analyse qualitative data. Two studies applied it as a problem-solving approach and three studies measured it quantitatively. While acknowledging the limitations of drawing causal inferences from case studies and qualitative research, study authors generally interpreted their results as supporting positive effects of adaptive leadership, including its role in: (a) supporting change initiatives and innovation in care planning; (b) improving safety citizenship behaviours, increasing employee engagement and facilitating the identification of process improvements; and (c) enhancing trust, helping patients co-create solutions and learn new skills.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The scarcity of research and diversity of outcomes limits the overall conclusions that can be made regarding the efficacy of adaptive leadership in health care. Further research is required with more rigorous study designs examining direct applications of adaptive leadership.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145598379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pilot testing of the Research Impact Assessment Framework.","authors":"Robyn L Ward, Don Nutbeam, Wilfred Mijnhardt, Philip Nelson, Angela L Todd, Janine Richards, Kirsten Jackson, Nadia N Khan, Sean Chung","doi":"10.1071/AH25214","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25214","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional academic impact frameworks and metrics have been criticised, because they fail to assess the 'real-world' value of research. The Research Impact Assessment Framework was developed to complement and extend existing impact assessment frameworks by focusing on health system needs and priorities. This paper reports on piloting of the Research Impact Assessment Framework for feasibility and utility with researchers working in health and research organisations in Sydney, Australia. The Framework's Research Environment domain was assessed through a bespoke employee survey, and the Alignment and Influence of Research domain through independent review of case studies. Using synthetic data, the outputs from the two domains were combined to compare institutions. The tools tested in this pilot are feasible to use in assessing an organisation's capacity to produce impactful research that is aligned with identified health, social and economic priorities. The case study reviews illustrated the challenge of determining potential versus realised impact. This study identified that implementation of the Research Impact Assessment Framework will be enabled by use of existing routinely collected data, such as annual employee surveys, and the use of artificial intelligence tools to reduce administrative burden and ensure consistency of outputs.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145288002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The financial viability of Australian private hospitals: a systematic review.","authors":"Grzegorz Brylski, Shaun Larkin, Andrew Wilson","doi":"10.1071/AH25190","DOIUrl":"10.1071/AH25190","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to synthesise Australian evidence on the determinants of private hospital financial viability and the implications for system performance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a PRISMA-guided systematic review of English-language studies on Australia's mixed public-private system. Databases searched were PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and EconLit. Eligible publications analysed financial, policy, or operational factors affecting private hospitals. Data were extracted and synthesised using thematic analysis. Twenty-three publications met the inclusion criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five cross-cutting themes emerged. (1) Payment, pricing and fee transparency: fragmented schedules, out-of-pocket exposure, and contracting frictions weaken price signals and can erode margins. (2) Ownership, consolidation, and for-profit pressures: corporate and private-equity dynamics shape capital allocation, service mix, and bargaining power. (3) Insurance incentives and reforms: policy levers modestly influence demand and show limited impact on public waiting times, with mixed consequences for system efficiency. (4) Maternity, allied health, and pandemic disruptions: service lines with thin margins and workforce constraints are exposed to demand shocks and cost growth. (5) Consumer choice, emergency department usage, waiting times, and public-private overlaps: patient flows and portability influence revenue stability but create coordination challenges.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The sector remains valuable yet financially fragile. Improving price transparency, reforming payment models and contracting arrangements to better align with value-based principles, and deepening public-private partnerships could strengthen resilience. Targeted data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples health and clearer outcome-price linkages are priorities for practice and policy.</p>","PeriodicalId":93891,"journal":{"name":"Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association","volume":"49 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145454426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}