The effect of printed educational material from the coroner in Victoria, Australia, on changing aged care health professional practice: a subscriber survey.

There are substantial knowledge and research gaps about the effects of printed educational material on professional practice. This study has examined whether the Residential Aged Care Coronial (RACC) Communiqué, an electronic newsletter of narrative case reports about lessons learned from deaths in residential aged care settings reported to the coroner in Victoria, Australia, prompted subscribers to initiate change in professional practice to improve care. An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all registered subscribers of the RACC Communiqué to collect information about self-reported changes in professional practice, respondent characteristics, reading behavior, and an assessment of effect and content of the publication.

The impact of the Coronial Communiqué on changing patient safety: a subscriber survey.

To determine whether the Coronial Communiqué prompted subscribers to initiate changes to clinical practice for patient safety an anonymous, online cross-sectional population survey questionnaire was provided to all registered subscribers to the Communiqué. The main outcome measure was self-reported review and change to practice. From 1325 subscribers invited to participate, 697 complete and valid responses were received (52.

Feasibility and costs of water fluoridation in remote Australian Aboriginal communities.

Background: Fluoridation of public water supplies remains the key potential strategy for prevention of dental caries. The water supplies of many remote Indigenous communities do not contain adequate levels of natural fluoride. The small and dispersed nature of communities presents challenges for the provision of fluoridation infrastructure and until recently smaller settlements were considered unfavourable for cost-effective water fluoridation.

The incidence and cost of cardiac surgery adverse events in Australian (Victorian) hospitals 2003-2004.

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of adverse events in acute surgical admissions for cardiac disease in admitted episodes in the year 2003-2004 and to estimate the cost of these complications to the Victorian health system. Cardiac surgery adverse events are among the most frequent and significant contributors to the morbidity, mortality and cost associated with hospitalisation. Patient-level costing data set for major Victorian public hospitals in 2003-2004 was analysed for adverse events using C-prefixed markers, denoting complications that arose during the course of hospital treatment for cardiac surgery diagnosis related groups (DRGs).

The incidence and cost of adverse events in Victorian hospitals 2003-04.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of adverse events in patients admitted in the year 2003-04 to selected Victorian hospitals; to identify the main hospital-acquired diagnoses; and to estimate the cost of these complications to the Victorian and Australian health system.

Design: The patient-level costing dataset for major Victorian public hospitals, 1 July 2003-30 June 2004, was analysed for adverse events by identifying C-prefixed diagnosis codes denoting complications, preventable or otherwise, arising during the course of hospital treatment. The in-hospital cost of adverse events was estimated using linear regression modelling, adjusting for age and comorbidity.

Exploring the need for hepatology nurses and allied health professionals in Victorian liver clinics.

Objective: To examine the need for hepatology nurses and allied health professionals in Victorian liver clinics to meet the increasing demand from people seeking treatment for hepatitis C infection.

Design: We reviewed the literature, analysed data from nine Victorian liver clinics, and conducted a qualitative rapid assessment with key stakeholders including hepatology nurses.

Participants: Fourteen key stakeholders including clinicians and directors of liver clinics were invited to take part in interviews; two declined to participate.