Australian health policy and end of life care for people with chronic disease: An analysis

End of life care for people with advanced chronic disease is a growing international imperative, with the majority of deaths in the world now related to chronic disease. The provision of care that meets the needs of people with advanced chronic disease must be guided by appropriate policy. The key policy areas impacting directly on end of life care are related to chronic disease, palliative care and, increasingly, aged care. This paper describes the outcomes of an audit of Australian chronic disease and end of life/palliative care policies. We identified that chronic disease health policies/strategies demonstrate a focus on prevention, early intervention and management, with scant recognition of end of life care needs. The majority assume that a referral to palliative care will address end of life care needs for people with chronic disease. By contrast, palliative care policies recognise the need for the incorporation of a palliative approach into advanced chronic disease care, but there are few connections between these two policy areas. Whilst palliative care policies intersect with carer and advance care planning policies, chronic disease policy does not. Key concerns requiring consideration when developing policy in this area are discussed and possible policy options identified.Teresa Burgess, Annette Braunack-Mayer, Gregory B. Crawford, Justin Beilb

Exploring the extent to which simulation-based education addresses contemporary patient safety priorities: A scoping review

Background: There is unprecedented increase in use of simulation-based education in healthcare settings. The key driver is improving quality and safety in healthcare. To date, there is limited understanding of the degree to which this goal has been achieved. Aim: This scoping review aimed to explore the extent to which simulation-based education in healthcare has addressed and impacted contemporary patient safety priorities. Methods: Systematic searches of literature (2007–2016) were based on each of 10 patient safety priorities articulated in Australia's National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and New Zealand's Health, Quality and Safety Indicators and markers. Included primary studies evaluated transferability to practice and/or behavioural change and improved patient outcomes, based on Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model Level 3 and Level 4. Findings: Fifteen papers met inclusion criteria. Studies aligned with four of ten National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards: (3). Preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections; (4). Medication safety; (6). Clinical handover; (9). Recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. The studies were indicative of potential for simulation-based education to have a significant impact on patient safety. Discussion: Studies that qualify as translational science, demonstrating changes in clinician behaviours and improved patient outcomes, are emerging. Little evidence from Australian and New Zealand contexts suggests that outcomes of simulation-based education in this region are not commensurate with the significant government investments. Conclusion: Translational studies, despite being difficult to design and conduct, should form part of a thematic, sustained and cumulative program of simulation-based research to identify translational science

Credentialing of surgeons: a systematic review across a number of jurisdictions

BACKGROUND: The purpose of credentialing is to ensure that clinicians provide safe, high-quality health-care services in accordance with good practice and legal requirements. This review assessed the institutional credentialing processes and governance structures required to support credentialing processes at an institutional, regional or health-care system level. METHODS: Searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed were conducted. Additional grey literature searches were performed using the Google search engine and specific searches of government web sites were conducted. The inclusion criteria were developed a priori and standardized extraction of the information to appraise the research questions was conducted systematically. RESULTS: Atotal of 33 white papers were included in this systematic literature review: 18 were published in Australia, 1 in New Zealand, 10 in the United Kingdom, 2 in the United States of America and 2 in Canada. Four key principles were common throughout all studies included in this review: clear lines of responsibility for the credentialing process and supportive governance structures, clear standards for credentialing, a culture of continuous improvement and evaluation of credentialing process outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: No data were available to evaluate the relationship between the credentialing process and the safety and quality of health-care services or patient outcomes; and capturing such data is difficult because of the numerous factors that affect the relationship between credentialing, patient outcomes, and the safety and quality of health-care services. Consequently, developing methods to measure the effectiveness of credentialing processes represents an area for further research.Stefanie L. Gurgacz, Julian A. Smith, Phil G. Truskett, Wendy J. Babidge and Guy J. Madder