Optimising Patient Flow And Identifying Inequalities In Health Service Delivery In NSW Hospitals Using Linked Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
This study will model optimal patient flow through hospitals. Hospital overcrowding is a crisis nationally and internationally. Bottlenecks to patient flow are multifaceted and poorly understood. This project will use linked ambulance, emergency department, and inpatient and outpatient hospital data to provide the first comprehensive assessment of barriers to patient flow. This will inform health service policy and practice to optimise the delivery of hospital care.
In virtually every major industry, quality improvement has been based on measuring and monitoring performance. There is good evidence to show that when processes and outcome data is measured and compared, improvements are made. Healthcare has been slow to introduce systematic measurement across the sector, however internationally this is rapidly changing. In Australia, we have data available to measure quality and safety; however it is not collected systematically or consistently between states ....In virtually every major industry, quality improvement has been based on measuring and monitoring performance. There is good evidence to show that when processes and outcome data is measured and compared, improvements are made. Healthcare has been slow to introduce systematic measurement across the sector, however internationally this is rapidly changing. In Australia, we have data available to measure quality and safety; however it is not collected systematically or consistently between states and territories. Our aim is to develop a national set of high quality, credible indicators using existing data sources to measure healthcare performance in regard to safety and quality in clinical practice. We propose a “probes in the pudding” approach, where each probe measures the performance of one aspect of the healthcare system. Coded administrative hospital data collected mainly for financial reasons has potential to be used as quality indicators. However, to provide an accurate picture, indicators must take into account people’s risk factors over which the doctor has no control but which can influence outcome. For example, a hospital in an area surrounded by a principally elderly population would be more likely to have a higher death rate than a hospital admitting younger patients. In effect, indicators must compare apples with apples. We will further test ways in which clinical patient information databases can be linked to develop quality indicators. For example, by linking pharmacy data with hospital data we can monitor whether patients are receiving appropriate medication. The most reliable data for use in measuring quality exists in registries, which have been established for a number of procedures and conditions in Australia. We will investigate ways in which registries can be better standardised at a national level. We will compare registry data with administrative hospital data to investigate how quality indicators can be developed which provide an accurate picture of the health system. This program will succeed because it can be implemented at a low cost using data readily available in most Australian health settings. The group doing the research consists of consumer advocates and people with knowledge in the use of administrative data and registries, health policy, law, research design and statistics.Read moreRead less
Improving Access To Primary Care For Aboriginal Babies In Western Australia. The ‘Stork’ Population Based Cluster Randomised Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,300,459.00
Summary
Over 50% of Western Australian Aboriginal babies are still not receiving preventative care in the early months of life. We will undertake a population based trial of a new integrated model of early infant primary care to improve access and health outcomes for young infants especially infants who live in the most disadvantaged and mobile families. Our primary outcome measure is improved hospitalisation rates in infants aged 0-3 months. Results will be used to develop improved primary care models
Dementia Literacy In Greek, Italian And Chinese Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$228,473.00
Summary
The dementia knowledge and beliefs of persons from Italian, Greek and Chinese backgrounds will be compared to third generation Australians. Five hundred persons from each group will be randomly selected from around Australia to be surveyed by telephone. Questions will assess whether dementia symptoms are recognised, what these persons think causes dementia, where they would go for help, how likely they are to use aged care services and stigma towards persons with dementia. Focus groups will be c ....The dementia knowledge and beliefs of persons from Italian, Greek and Chinese backgrounds will be compared to third generation Australians. Five hundred persons from each group will be randomly selected from around Australia to be surveyed by telephone. Questions will assess whether dementia symptoms are recognised, what these persons think causes dementia, where they would go for help, how likely they are to use aged care services and stigma towards persons with dementia. Focus groups will be conducted to identify barriers to service use and identify methods to improve dementia knowledge in Italian, Greek and Chinese groups. This information will be used to improve community education and service delivery for persons with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The Primary Dementia Collaborative Research Centre at the University of NSW, NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service and Alzheimer’s Australia are partners in this research.Read moreRead less
Addressing Evidence-practice Gaps In Chronic Disease Prevention And Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$709,931.00
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide. Effective treatments for prevention and control of these conditions are available however their use remains far from optimal, in Australia and globally. My current and proposed research will develop and evaluate highly innovative solutions to reduce large evidence-practice gaps in healthcare delivery. These include task shifting to non-physician health workers and novel approaches to drug delivery.
Do People With Disabilities Access Community-based Palliative Care Services And Does This Service Relieve Hospitals And Emergency Departments: A Study Of The Needs Of People With Intellectual Disability, Multiple Sclerosis And Schizophrenia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,208.00
Summary
Very little is know about health service needs and use by people with disabilities at the end of life. The study will help to address this gap. The three groups chosen are adults with an intellectual disability, multiple sclerosis, and/or schizophrenia. The study aims to explore the needs of these people and their carers in their last year of life including the need for palliative care and whether access to palliative care relieves some of the burden on hospital and emergency departments
Centre Of Research Excellence In Improving Health Services For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,629,464.00
Summary
Our CRE aim is to improve health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We provide new knowledge about health services Aboriginal children should receive. We strengthen primary care and hospital services. We improve understanding; test new models; ensure translation into policy and build capacity. We are from national and international Aboriginal, non government and mainstream organisations. We generate findings that are generalisable to health systems in Australia and inter ....Our CRE aim is to improve health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. We provide new knowledge about health services Aboriginal children should receive. We strengthen primary care and hospital services. We improve understanding; test new models; ensure translation into policy and build capacity. We are from national and international Aboriginal, non government and mainstream organisations. We generate findings that are generalisable to health systems in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less