Are root cause analyses recommendations effective and sustainable? An observational study.

Objective: To assess the strength of root cause analysis (RCA) recommendations and their perceived levels of effectiveness and sustainability.

Design: All RCAs related to sentinel events (SEs) undertaken between the years 2010 and 2015 in the public health system in Victoria, Australia were analysed. The type and strength of each recommendation in the RCA reports were coded by an expert patient safety classifier using the US Department of Veteran Affairs type and strength criteria.

Comparing patient outcomes for care delivered by advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapists with other health professionals in the emergency department-A pilot study.

Background: To compare advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapists with other health professionals by measuring outcomes for patients presenting to the emergency department with lower limb soft tissue injuries or acute low back pain.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted (Lower limb soft tissue injury cohort, n=88), (Acute low back pain cohort, n=29) at the emergency departments of two urban hospitals. A univariate analysis was completed for a number of outcome measures: Lower Extremity Functional Scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, imaging requirements, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, Numerical Pain Rating Scale and medication use.

Advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapy clinical education framework supporting an emerging new workforce.

Objective: A project, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, was conducted with the aim of developing a clinical education framework that included an agreed competency standard and credentialing process to support advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapy roles. This paper describes the process undertaken to achieve this and presents the outcomes of implementation.

Methods: A multistep approach was taken.

Patient experience of expanded-scope-of-practice musculoskeletal physiotherapy in the emergency department: a qualitative study.

Objective: The increasing number of people presenting to hospital with musculoskeletal conditions places pressure on existing services, and has resulted in expanding the scope of practice of musculoskeletal physiotherapists working in emergency departments (ED). The aim of the present study was to qualitatively explore the perspectives of patients presenting with an isolated musculoskeletal condition seen by a musculoskeletal physiotherapist in the ED of two Australian hospitals situated in contrasting geographical locations.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine participants from a major metropolitan hospital and 16 participants from a remote hospital.

A comparison of the contractile properties of myometrium from singleton and twin pregnancies.

Objective: Over half of twin pregnancies in US and UK deliver prematurely but the reasons for this are unclear. The contractility of myometrium from twin pregnancies has not been directly investigated. The objective of this research was to determine if there are differences in the contractile activity and response to oxytocin, between myometrium from singleton and twin pregnancies, across a range of gestational ages.