Susan Day

The effect of continuing professional education on health care outcomes: lessons for dementia care

BACKGROUND This review presents an overview of the published literature on the effectiveness of continuing professional education (CPE), which includes continuing medical education (CME) of different health care professionals in healthcare settings, for improving patient management and patient outcomes. This review summarizes key articles published on the subject, including those relating to dementia care. METHODS A literature search was carried out using the National Library of Medicines PubMed database, Cochrane database and Eric databases. RESULTS Studies on CPE generally provide conflicting evidence on their effectiveness in bringing about a change in professional practices and healthcare outcomes. However interactive, multifaceted interventions, and interventions with repeated inputs appear more effective in bringing about positive changes than traditional non-interactive techniques. There are relatively few studies specifically concerning CPE and dementia care. CONCLUSION This review shows that CPE in dementia care needs to be targeted carefully. Much can be learnt from examining education approaches in the wider professional and medical education literature.

Media reports on dementia: Quality and type of messages in Australian media

Aim:  To analyse changes in the quantity and quality of media reporting about dementia in Australian media between two time periods.

Racial and ethnic identification and quality of care: an Australian perspective.

Perspectives care with two dimensions — access and effectiveness. Ac means availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptab while effectiveness is operationalised as the processes of interpersonal and clinical care. Interpersonal c re relates the interaction between health care providers and their patients. Clinical care relates to the technical aspects of c This distinction is also reflected in guidelines developed in US to address disparities in health. Knowing if a patient is Indigenous can be key to improving their care

Impact of standalone and embedded telephone triage systems on after hours primary medical care service utilisation and mix in Australia

BackgroundThe Australian government sponsored five local trials aimed at addressing problems in after hours (AH) primary medical care (PMC). The studys objective was to determine if the four trials, where telephone triage was the sole innovation, led to a reduction in AH service utilisation and change in service mix towards AH GP clinics. Changes in utilisation and mix of AH GP clinic and home visits, ED and ambulance use were monitored in the trial areas, and in a national sample to adjust for the effects of secular trend. Pre- and post-trial telephone surveys of two separate random samples of approximately 350 AH PMC user households in each area were conducted.ResultsSome types of AH PMC use became more frequent in both of the standalone services using nurse-administered proprietary call centre software, which were aimed at better addressing population need (Statewide call centre; Regional call centre). Service use overall (95%CI: 1.03–1.83) and GP clinic use (95%CI: 1.07–2.00) increased in the metro area of the Statewide call centre and in GP clinic (95%CI: 1.04–2.14) and home visits (95%CI: 1.03–3.91) in the non-metro area of the Regional call centre. Service mix only changed in the non-metro area of the Regional call centre with increased contact in GP home visits (95%CI: 1.02–4.38). Levels of use remained unchanged in both embedded services using other than proprietary software, which were established to support the GP workforce (Deputising service; Local triage centre). Service mix only changed in the Deputising service with a change away from AH GP clinics in both contact (95%CI: 0.39–0.97) and frequency (95% CI: -2.12 – -0.7).ConclusionBearing in mind limitations in estimating AH PMC utilisation levels and mix, it is concluded that the impacts of telephone triage were generally smaller in Australia than reported elsewhere. There were different impacts on levels of service utilisation and service mix in standalone call centres and embedded services. Impacts of telephone triage on service utilisation and mix are influenced by the type of telephone triage offered, the goals of the agency providing the service, as well as local factors. (345 words)