Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association
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Benchmarking of performance indicators in the mental health field is gaining currency in Australia as a strategy for improving service quality. ⋯ It is possible and useful to collect and evaluate performance data for mental health services. While services appear similar enough to benchmark, information related to both casemix and service characteristics needs to be included in benchmarking data to understand the factors that produce differences in service performance.
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To determine the accuracy of predictions of the need for hospital admission and, if admitted, length of stay (LOS) made early in an emergency attendance by emergency department (ED) doctors, nurses, patients and relatives, and the characteristics of ED presentations predictive of admission and short stays (
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This paper describes a service-based initiative to enhance capacity for evidence-based practice (EBP) in the South Western Sydney Area Health Service Division of Population Health. A working group planned an organisational response to a customised EBP needs assessment using the New South Wales Department of Health's framework for capacity building focussing on five key action areas; organisational development, workforce development, resource allocation, leadership and partnerships. ⋯ Because there was commitment and leadership from senior staff for the initiative, a comprehensive approach to building capacity for EBP in population health was possible. Evidence of impact needs to be collected in the future.
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We administered an electronic survey in October-November 2006 to gauge stakeholder perspectives on Australia's recently adopted health workforce policies. Nearly all of the 41 survey respondents (65% response rate) ranked workforce as very important to overall health policy. ⋯ The survey results suggest the need for clear goals and measurable outcomes. Although they represented different organisations and perspectives, the health workforce policy opinion leaders that participated in this survey reflected remarkable commonality in goals, measures, alternatives, and potential threats.