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Objective: To explore the training needs of the home care workforce in supporting the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receiving aged care services through the Home Care Package (HCP) Program. Methods: A mixed-methods design including (1) a focus group and interview with coordinators of HCP Program services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across metropolitan and rural South Australia in April and June 2022, and (2) a desktop review of training, professional development opportunities and resources for existing and pre-entry workforce addressing the SEWB of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in aged care across the Vocational Education Training and higher education sectors in South Australia, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, the Department of Health and Aged Care website and aged care email alerts between December 2021 and September 2022. Results: Five themes representing workforce training needs were identified: cultural safety, trauma-informed care, case management, compliance with funding rules and preferred formats for training. The desktop review identified a paucity of formal training, professional development and resources within the context of addressing the SEWB of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in aged care. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ongoing practice-based professional development learning opportunities are needed within organisations to enhance peer-learning and support. These need to be available together with dedicated formal training programs and practical resources on meeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' SEWB in aged care. What is known about the topic? Supporting social and emotional wellbeing is an important aspect of delivering quality aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. What does this paper add? Insights into workforce training needs which support the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in home-based aged care. What are the implications for practitioners? Ongoing practice-based learning opportunities, training and resources are needed to enhance peer-learning and support workforce in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' social and emotional wellbeing in aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) provides evidence-based secondary prevention for people with heart disease (HD) (clients). Despite HD being the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, CR is under-utilised in Australia. This research investigated healthcare systems required to improve access to CR in rural and remote areas of North Queensland (NQ). Methods: A qualitatively dominant case study series to review management systems for CR in rural and remote areas of NQ was undertaken. Data collection was via semi-structured interviews in four tertiary hospitals and four rural or remote communities. An audit of discharge planning and CR referral, plus a review of community-based health services, was completed. An iterative and co-design process including consultation with healthcare staff and community members culminated in a systems-based model for improving access to CR in rural and remote areas. Results: Poorly organised CR systems, poor client/staff understanding of discharge planning and low referral rates for secondary prevention, resulted in the majority of clients not accessing secondary prevention, despite resources being available. Revised health systems and management processes were recommended for the proposed Heart: Road to health model, and given common chronic diseases risk factors it was recommended to be broadened into Chronic disease: Road to health. Conclusion: A Chronic disease: Road to health model could provide effective and efficient secondary prevention for people with chronic diseases in rural and remote areas. It is proposed that this approach could reduce gaps and duplication in current healthcare services and provide flexible, client-centred, holistic, culturally responsive services, and improve client outcomes. What is known about the topic? Cardiac rehabilitation is known to improve health outcomes and reduce hospitalisations, but referrals and attendance are low (30%). What does this paper add? A revised systems-based model for improved access to secondary prevention for people with heart and related chronic diseases in rural and remote areas of North Queensland is proposed: Chronic disease: Road to health. What are the implications for practitioners? A functional system from hospitalisation to local healthcare services has been designed to improve access to secondary prevention. Staff require support and education to improve skills, better manage care and improve job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Integrated respiratory and palliative care services for people with advanced lung disease provide disease-orientated care until the end of life, alongside symptom management and discussions about future care. This study aimed to explore patient, caregiver and general practitioner perspectives of an integrated respiratory and palliative care service, to understand which components of the service were considered valued and effective. Methods: We approached patients, caregivers and general practitioners, to participate in semi-structured phone interviews. A grounded theory approach guided data collection and qualitative analysis. Results: Between July and December 2019, 10 patients, eight caregivers and five general practitioners completed interviews. The overarching theme was that of valuing integrated care – the provision of disease-orientated care along with palliative care. Four other major themes emerged: Valuing communication and engagement between patient, caregiver and healthcare professionals – who spoke of 'growing this plan together'; the delivery of person-centred care – where physicians 'actually listen and you are not treated like a number'; the reality of action plan use in serious illness – while many found plans 'certainly' do help, others described when they were simply 'too ill to do the action plan'; and finally, divergent preferences for discussions about future care – while some patients felt this subject was 'better left alone', caregivers consistently reported their preference was to 'make a plan.' Conclusion: Consumer perspectives highlight the service was valued for delivering personalised care with high communication standards. Similar services should appreciate the usefulness and limitations of action plan use in advanced lung disease, and be sensitive to potential diverging preferences of the patient and caregiver when discussing future care. What is known about the topic? Integrated respiratory and palliative care services for people with advanced lung disease may improve quality of life and decrease acute healthcare utilisation and cost. What does this paper add? This paper adds to our understanding of patients', caregivers' and general practitioners' perspectives of this integrated care model. Participants highly valued this integrated service for providing person-centred care. Participants outlined both the effectiveness and limitations of action plan use in advanced lung disease, and of diverging preferences between patients and caregivers for discussions about future care. What are the implications for practitioners? The integration of disease-orientated care along with the provision of palliative care is highly valued from a consumer perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore how health service boards understand care quality for older people living in public sector residential aged care services. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with board members from six Victorian public health services responsible for the governance of 15 residential aged care services comprising over 850 beds. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Results: Eleven board members were interviewed. While committed to their governance and monitoring role, analysis suggests board members have a limited understanding of the residential aged care environment. They rarely visit and the information they receive about residential aged care is primarily clinical data (quality indicators) as well as sub-committee and staff reports. In addition to quality indicator data and reports, accreditation and complaints are used to measure care quality. Conclusion: Board members vary in their understanding of care quality in residential aged care settings. The exclusive focus on clinical indicators and accreditation as measures of quality reinforces this understanding. Visiting residential aged care services would provide understanding of the care environment and context for the information they receive. The provision of other metrics, such as consumer advocacy reports and residents' and families' experiences of care, would further assist board members to monitor care quality in these settings. What is known about the topic? Recent high-profile reports into serious failings in Australian public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS) raise concerns about the capability of health service boards to ensure residents receive quality care. What does this paper add? Findings provide a description of the focused and limited information that board members in six public health services receive about PSRACS. What are the implications for practitioners? To assist boards to monitor the care quality in PSRACS, we recommend boards visit PSRACS to see first-hand the care environment and to listen to the views of staff, residents and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the perceptions of rural health professionals who use telehealth services for cardiovascular health care, including the potential role of telehealth in enhancing services for this patient group. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten rural health professionals across a range of disciplines, including medicine, nursing and allied health. All study participants were based in the same rural region in New South Wales, Australia. Results: Participant responses emphasised the importance of including rural communities in ongoing dialogue to enhance telehealth services for cardiovascular care. Divergent expectations about the purpose of telehealth and unresolved technology issues were identified as factors to be addressed. Rural health professionals highlighted the importance of all stakeholders coming together to overcome barriers and enhance telehealth services in a collaborative manner. Conclusion: This study contributes to an evolving understanding of how health professionals based in regional Australia experience telehealth services. Future telehealth research should proceed in collaboration with rural communities, supported by policy that actively facilitates the meaningful inclusion of rural stakeholders in telehealth dialogue. What is known about the topic?: Telehealth is frequently discussed as a potential solution to overcome aspects of rural health, such as poor outcomes and limited access to services compared with metropolitan areas. In the context of telehealth and cardiovascular disease (CVD), research that focuses on rural communities is limited, particularly regarding the experiences of these communities with telehealth. What does this paper add?: This paper offers insight into how telehealth is experienced by rural health professionals. The paper highlights divergent expectations of telehealth's purpose and unresolved technological issues as barriers to telehealth service delivery. It suggests telehealth services may be enhanced by collaborative approaches that engage multiple stakeholder groups. What are the implications for practitioners?: The use and development of telehealth in rural communities requires a collaborative approach that considers the views of rural stakeholders in their specific contexts. To improve telehealth services for people living with CVD in rural communities, it is important that rural stakeholders have opportunities to engage with non-rural clinicians, telehealth developers and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Allied health structures and leadership positions vary throughout Australia and New Zealand in their design and implementation. It is not clear which organisational factors support allied health leaders and professionals to enhance clinical outcomes. The aim of this project was to identify key organisational contexts and corresponding mechanisms that influenced effective outcomes for allied health professionals. Methods: A qualitative realist evaluation was chosen to describe key aspects of allied health organisational structures, identify positive outcomes and describe how context and processes are operationalised to influence outcomes for the allied health workforce and the populations they serve. Results: A purposive sample of nine allied health leaders, five executives and 49 allied health professionals were interviewed individually and in focus groups, representing nine Queensland Health services. Marked differences exist in the title and focus of senior allied health leaders' roles. The use of a qualitative realist evaluation methodology enabled identification of the mechanisms that work to achieve effective and efficient outcomes, within specific contexts. Conclusions: The initial middle range theory of allied health organisational structures in Queensland was supported and extended to better understand which contexts were important and which key mechanisms were activated to achieve effective outcomes. Executive allied health leadership roles enable allied health leaders to use their influence in organisational planning and decision-making to ensure allied health professionals deliver successful patient care services. Professional governance systems embed the management and support of the clinical workforce most efficiently within professional disciplines. With consistent data management systems, allied health professional staff can be integrated within clinical teams that provide high-quality care. Interprofessional learning opportunities can enhance collaborative teamwork and, when allied health professionals are supported to understand and use research, they can deliver positive patient and business outcomes for the health service. What is known about the topic?: A collective allied health organisational structure encourages engagement of allied health professionals within healthcare organisations. Organisational structures commonly include management and leadership strategies and service delivery models. Allied health leaders in Queensland work across a range of senior management levels to ensure adequate resources for sufficient suitably skilled professional staff to meet patient needs. What does this paper add?: Literature to date has described how allied health professionals operate within organisational structures. This paper examines key aspects of allied health management, governance and leadership, together with mechanisms that support allied health professionals to deliver effective clinical and business outcomes for their local community. What are the implications for practitioners?: Health service executives and allied health leaders should consider supporting executive allied health leadership roles to influence strategic planning and decision-making, as well as to deliver outcomes that are important to the health service. When allied health leaders implement integrated professional and operational governance systems, executives described allied health professionals as influential in supporting team-based models of care that add value to the business and improve outcomes for patients. When allied health leaders use consistent data management, executives reinforced the benefit of aligning activity data with financial costs to monitor, recognise and reimburse appropriate clinical interventions for patients. When allied health leaders support allied health workforce capability through educational and research opportunities, clinicians can use research to inform their clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to assist hospitals contemplating digital transformation by assessing the reported qualitative effects of rapidly implementing an integrated eHealth system in a large Australian hospital and determining whether existing literature offers a reliable framework to assess the effects of digitisation. Methods: A qualitative, single-site case study was performed using semistructured interviews supplemented by focus groups, observations and documentation. In all, 92 individuals across medical, nursing, allied health, administrative and executive roles provided insights into the eHealth system, which consisted of an electronic medical record, computerised decision support, computerised physician order entry, ePrescribing systems and wireless device integration. These results were compared against a known framework of the effects of hospital digitisation. Results: Diverse, mostly positive, effects were reported, largely consistent with existing literature. Several new effects not reported in literature were reported, namely: (1) improvements in accountability for care, individual career development and time management; (2) mixed findings for the availability of real-time data; and (3) positive findings for the secondary use of data. Conclusions: The overall positive perceptions of the effects of digitisation should give confidence to health services contemplating rapid digital transformation. Although existing literature provides a reliable framework for impact assessment, new effects are still emerging, and research and practice need to shift towards understanding how clinicians and hospitals can maximise the benefits of digital transformation. What is known about the topic?: Hospitals outside the US are increasingly becoming engaged in eHealth transformations. Yet, the reported effects of these technologies are diverse and mixed with qualitative effects rarely reported. What does this paper add?: This study provides a qualitative assessment of the effects of an eHealth transformation at a large Australian tertiary hospital. The results provide renewed confidence in the literature because the findings are largely consistent with expectations from prior systematic reviews of impacts. The qualitative approach followed also resulted in the identification of new effects, which included improvements in accountability, time management and individual development, as well as mixed results for real-time data. In addition, substantial improvements in patient outcomes and clinician productivity were reported from the secondary use of data within the eHealth systems. What are the implications for practitioners?: The overall positive findings in this large case study should give confidence to other health services contemplating rapid digital transformation. To achieve substantial benefits, hospitals need to understand how they can best leverage the data within these systems to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care. As such, both research and practice need to shift towards understanding how these systems can be used more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore Western Australian cancer patients' experiences of out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) during diagnosis and cancer treatment using a phenomenological approach. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive convenience sample of 40 Western Australian cancer patients diagnosed with breast, lung, prostate or colorectal cancer. Participants were asked about the impact of their diagnosis, the associated costs and their experience within the health system. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: Three key themes influencing participant OOPE experiences were identified: (1) personal circumstances; (2) communication with health providers; and (3) coping strategies. Despite Australia's public healthcare system, several participants found the costs affected their financial security and resorted to coping strategies including medication rationing and restrictive household budgeting. The key themes had a complex and interrelated effect on patient OOPE experiences and were used to adapt Carrera et al. 's model of economic consequences of cancer treatment on the patient and patient coping to describe these relationships in a mixed healthcare system. Conclusion: Organised efforts must be implemented to mitigate maladaptive coping strategies being used by cancer patients: (1) health providers should seek informed financial consent from patients before commencing treatment; and (2) financial aid and support schemes for cancer patients should be reviewed to ensure they are delivered equitably. What is known on this topic?: The financial cost of cancer can have significant adverse effects on cancer patients. Although financial transparency is desired by cancer patients, its implementation in practice is not clear. What does this paper add?: This study adapts a conceptual model for the economic consequences of a cancer diagnosis and repurposes it for a mixed public–private health system, providing a framework for understanding downstream consequences of cancer costs and highlighting opportunities for intervention. What are the implications for health practitioners?: Health practitioners need to initiate discussions concerning treatment costs earlier with cancer patients. There are several resources and guides available to assist and facilitate financial transparency. Without urgent attention to the financial consequences of cancer treatment and related expenses, we continue to leave patients at risk of resorting to maladaptive coping strategies, such as medication rationing and restrictive household budgeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Out-of-pocket costs strongly affect patient adherence with medicines. For asthma, guidelines recommend that most patients should be prescribed regular low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) alone, but in Australia most are prescribed combination ICS–long-acting β2-agonists (LABA), which cost more to patients and government. The present qualitative study among general practitioners (GPs) explored the acceptability, and likely effect on prescribing, of lower patient copayments for ICS alone. Methods: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 15 GPs from the greater Sydney area; the interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: GPs reported that their main criteria for selecting medicines were appropriateness and effectiveness. They did not usually discuss costs with patients, had low awareness of out-of-pocket costs and considered that these were seldom prohibitive for asthma patients. GPs strongly believed that patient care should not be compromised to reduce cost to government. They favoured ICS–LABA combinations over ICS alone because they perceived that ICS–LABA combinations enhanced adherence and reduced costs for patients. GPs did not consider that lower patient copayments for ICS alone would affect their prescribing. Conclusion: The results suggest that financial incentives, such as lower patient copayments, would be unlikely to encourage GPs to preferentially prescribe ICS alone, unless accompanied by other strategies, including evidence for clinical effectiveness. GPs should be encouraged to discuss cost barriers to treatment with patients when considering treatment choices. What is known about the topic?: Australian guidelines recommend that most patients with asthma should be treated with low-dose ICS alone to minimise symptom burden and risk of flare ups. However, most patients in Australian general practice are instead prescribed combination ICS–LABA preventers, which are indicated if asthma remains uncontrolled despite treatment with ICS alone. It is not known whether GPs are aware that the combination preventers have a higher patient copayment and a higher cost to government. What does this paper add?: This qualitative study found that GPs favoured combination ICS–LABA inhalers over ICS alone because they perceived ICS–LABA combinations to have greater effectiveness and promote patient adherence. This aligned with GPs' views that their primary responsibility was patient care rather than generating cost savings for government. However, it emerged that GPs rarely discussed medicine costs with patients, had low knowledge of medicine costs to patients and the health system and reported that patients rarely volunteered cost concerns. GPs believed that lower patient copayments for asthma preventer medicines would have little effect on their prescribing practices. What are the implications for practitioners?: This study suggests that, when considering asthma treatment choices, GPs should empathically explore with the patient whether cost-related medication underuse is an issue, and should be aware of the option of lower out-of-pocket costs with guideline-recommended ICS alone treatment. Policy makers must be aware that differential patient copayments for ICS preventer medicines are unlikely to act as an incentive for GPs to preferentially prescribe ICS alone preventers, unless the position of these preventers in guidelines and evidence for their clinical effectiveness are also reiterated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Research on frequent or avoidable hospital admission has not focussed on the perspectives of service providers or rural settings. The link between social isolation and admission is not well explored, although social isolation is known to have negative health effects. Objective. This paper reports further analysis from a study investigating service providers' perspectives on factors influencing frequent hospital admission in older patients with chronic disease, and explores the perceived role of social isolation. Methods. Semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively sampled community-based service providers in rural New South Wales, Australia were thematically analysed. Results. Social isolation was repeatedly identified as an important contributory factor in frequent and/or avoidable admission. Patients were described as socially isolated in three broad and interrelating ways: living alone, not socialising and being isolated from family. Social isolation was perceived to contribute to admission by limiting opportunities offered by social interaction, including opportunities for: improving mental health, pain tolerance and nutritional status; facilitating access to services; reinforcing healthful behaviours; and providing a monitoring role. Conclusions. Social isolation is perceived to contribute to admission in ways that may be amenable to intervention. Further research is needed to understand patients' perspectives on the role of social isolation in admission, in order to inform policy and programs aimed at reducing hospitalisation among older people with chronic disease. What is known about the topic? Social isolation has been shown to adversely affect physical health and mental health and wellbeing across a range of populations. However, less is known about the influence of social isolation on hospital admission among older people with chronic disease, and in particular in instances where admission might have been avoided. What does this paper add? This paper adds to our understanding of the ways in which social isolation might link to hospital admission among older people with chronic conditions. It does this by reporting the perspectives of community-based service providers with many years' experience of working with this patient group. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners need to consider the wider determinants of hospital admission among older patients with chronic disease, including social structures and support. For policy makers the implications are to review support for such patients and explore the possible impact of reducing social isolation on hospital admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]