Impact of routine pre-operative risk assessment on patients undergoing emergency major abdominal surgery in a regional Victorian hospital.

Background: Routine preoperative risk assessment (RPRA) using objective risk prediction tools may improve the perioperative outcomes of emergency major abdominal surgery (EMAS). This project aims to identify whether the introduction of RPRA with the 'National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) Calculator' as standard-of-care for EMAS at a regional Victorian hospital has improved postoperative outcomes, reduced unplanned postoperative critical care unit (CCU) admission rates, and impacted the 'no-lap' rate.

Methods: An audit was performed including all adult general surgery patients who required EMAS at Bendigo Health between September 2017 and August 2022, including those palliated up-front.

Interrogating the intentions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: a narrative review of research outputs since the introduction of Closing the Gap.

Despite the "best of intentions", Australia has fallen short of federal targets to close the gap in disproportionate health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. We examined 2150 original research articles published over the 12-year period (from 2008 to 2020), of which 58% used descriptive designs and only 2.6% were randomised controlled trials.

Facilitating High Quality Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study of Australian Chairpersons' Perspectives on Multidisciplinary Team Meetings.

Aim: Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDMs) are a critical element of quality care for people diagnosed with cancer. The MDM Chairperson plays a significant role in facilitating these meetings, which are often time-poor environments for clinical decision making. This study examines the perceptions of MDM Chairpersons including their role and the factors that determine the quality of a Chair, as well as the Chairperson's perception of the value of personally attending meetings.