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Objective: HealthPathways is a web-based platform designed for use during a consultation to offer health professionals locally agreed information to support clinical and referral decision making. This study aimed to investigate whether access to specific HealthPathways pages in the North Coast New South Wales (NSW) region increased during specific critical events. High pageviews is used as a proxy for platform usefulness, and/or trust as a source of up-to-date information. Methods: Data were extracted from Google Analytics from December 2015 to December 2021. Descriptive statistics were generated for the total number of pageviews for all pages by month and year (2015–2021); for the top 15 most viewed pages in 2019, February–March 2020 inclusive (early COVID-19 pandemic period), 10–24 March 2021 (North Coast NSW region local disaster declaration period) and 26 June–11 October 2021 (NSW COVID-19 lockdown period); and for monthly pageviews for the Influenza Immunisation pathway (2016–2021). Results: Access to specific pages in HealthPathways increased alongside the occurrence of critical events affecting the region. Spikes in access to specific pages were seen during COVID-19 lockdown periods, during natural disasters, as well as during the annual influenza season. Conclusions: HealthPathways is viewed as a useful and trusted source of information for health professionals in the North Coast NSW region. HealthPathways provides an opportunity for timely dissemination of information during critical events, including natural disasters and emergencies. What is known about the topic? Evidence from New Zealand suggests that HealthPathways is viewed as a useful and trusted source of information by health professionals during critical and emergency events, and when information needs are subject to frequent change. What does this paper add? This paper provides evidence in the Australian context that health professionals access specific pages in HealthPathways at higher rates during critical and emergency events. What are the implications for practitioners? HealthPathways has the capacity to provide timely and accurate information to health professionals during critical and emergency events, as well as to identify their emerging information needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Clinician's experiences of providing care are identified as a key outcome associated with value-based healthcare (VBHC). In contrast to patient-reported experience measures, measurement tools to capture clinician's experiences in relation to VBHC initiatives have received limited attention to date. Progressing from an initial 18-item clinician experience measure (CEM), we sought to develop and evaluate the reliability of a set of 10 core clinician experience measure items in the CEM-10. Methods: A multi-method project was conducted using a consensus workshop with clinicians from a range of NSW Health local health districts to reduce the 18-item CEM to a short form 10-item core clinician experience measure (CEM-10). The CEM-10 was deployed with clinicians providing diabetes care, care for older adults and virtual care across all districts and care settings of New South Wales, Australia. Psychometric analysis was used to determine the internal consistency of the tool and its suitability for diverse clinical contexts. Results: Consensus building sessions led to a rationalised 10-item tool, retaining the four domains of psychological safety (two items), quality of care (three items), clinician engagement (three items) and interprofessional collaboration (two items). Data from four clinician cohorts (n = 1029) demonstrated that the CEM-10 four-factor model produced a good fit to the data and high levels of reliability, with factor loadings ranging from 0.77 to 0.92, with Cronbach's alpha (range: 0.79–0.90) and composite reliability (range: 0.80–0.92). Conclusions: The CEM-10 provides a core set of common clinician experience measurement items that can be used to compare clinician's experiences of providing care between and within cohorts. The CEM-10 may be supported by additional items relevant to particular initiatives when evaluating VBHC outcomes. What is known about the topic? Clinician experience of providing care is an outcome of interest for health systems and services internationally who are implementing value-based care initiatives. Review evidence indicates that measurement of clinician's experience of providing care should address experiences of being able to deliver quality care, collaborate with colleagues, experience psychological safety and engagement in decision-making in the workplace. What does this paper add? The paper reports the development of the short form clinician experience measure (CEM-10) and its initial validation in four value-based healthcare initiatives of NSW Health. What are the practical implications for practitioners? The CEM-10 can be used as a core set of items embedded within evaluations of value-based care initiatives to benchmark and examine experiences across clinician cohorts. This article belongs to the Special Issue: Value-based Healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory approaches are important to ensuring that the involvement of children in decision‐making is normalised in service provision. Participation work requires that professionals have well‐developed engagement skills, and a commitment to the right of the child or young person to participate. Effective participatory approaches also require that organisations provide active support for child‐centred practice. The Reconceptualising Services from the Perspectives of Experienced Children and Teens (ReSPECT) approach is an Australian professional development (PD) program that addresses these key aspects of participation work. It offers professionals a way to:(1) increase their awareness of the complex issues, challenges and benefits surrounding participation; and (2) develop a sense of empowerment and competence in the 'doing' of participation work. The PD program encourages professionals to understand their own position in relation to participation work with children, develop bespoke strategies that account for their unique practice context and assemble support structures that can maintain their participation strategies beyond the training. The principles and practices of the ReSPECT PD program are outlined and positioned within the existing literature on theoretical and practice approaches. The paper contributes to critical debate on the mechanisms that can lead to changes in professional practice and organisational culture, for the meaningful engagement of children as stakeholders in decision‐making. It is shared as a way of supporting others designing professional development approaches for child and youth decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Samoan community has a disproportionately higher incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We explored consumer and healthcare providers' insight into perceptions of risk, attitudes to lifestyle behaviour change and experiences of GDM among Australian Samoan women in South Western Sydney. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and a focus group with Samoan women recruited through three churches, a diabetes and pregnancy clinic in South Western Sydney and via social media were conducted. Semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers' were also conducted. Main themes were thematically analysed to identify recurring patterns using Quirkos software. Identified themes were framed against the constructs of the Health Belief Model. Results: One focus group (n=4) and 12 one-to-one interviews were conducted among Samoan women. Eighteen semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers' were also conducted. There was a high concordance between Samoan women and healthcare providers' regarding perception of risk and barriers to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, Samoan women reported negative interactions with healthcare providers' that hindered their behaviour change, while healthcare providers' reported that normalisation of diabetes, confusion of GDM with type 2 diabetes and spiritual health beliefs were deterrents to behaviour change among Samoan women. Conclusion: Cross-cultural factors can influence the uptake of a healthy lifestyle. Future research should consider use of culturally tailored strategies when developing educational resources targeting Samoan women. Implications for research, policy and practice: The participants' viewpoints expressed in this study suggest a critical need for the development of culturally-tailored health promotion strategies for Samoan women and cultural training for healthcare providers', to improve GDM care and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. What is already known about the topic? * There is limited data and research on GDM particularly among the Australian-Samoan community though the available data highlight the significant morbidity and mortality due to diabetes in this population. * Samoan women are at an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. What this paper adds: * This paper provides knowledge and understanding on ways to prevent and manage GDM by investigating the perception of risk and experiences of GDM among Australian Samoan women and healthcare professionals in Sydney. * It provides current evidence base for policy makers and researchers to develop health promotion strategies and interventions that are relevant to the Samoan and other culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The need for residential care services will grow significantly over the coming years as the general population in Australia continues to age. The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of residential care services across New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in relation to the current and predicted future aging population. Method: This study was a secondary data analysis. Existing datasets were compiled for analysis by creation of a temporal geodatabase, with predicted population data from 2019 to 2029 linked to corresponding geographic zones. Results: Demand for operational places was over capacity in 2019, at 101.5%. From 2019 to 2029, this will grow to 120.2% of 2019 capacity by 2024 and to 135.6% by 2029. An additional 25 800 operational places will be required by 2029 to meet targets. During the previous decade of 2008–18, operational places grew by only 11 502 places. Conclusions: NSW was not providing an adequate level of residential aged care and, under current allocations, this problem will worsen substantially over time, with flow-on impacts for the health sector. With aged care reform a current federal government focus, the results of this study may guide decisions that better support the provision of residential aged care. What is known about this topic?: The recently completed Australian Royal Commission into aged care noted widespread system failure and highlighted the gaps in medical services that older Australians were experiencing. What does this paper add?: This paper reports that demand for residential aged care places in NSW was already over capacity in 2019 and that the availability of places varies considerably across the state. Further, an additional 25 800 operational places are required by 2029 to meet government targets. If the growth rate from the past decade is maintained, this will result in a shortfall of 14 298 aged care places in NSW alone. What are the implications?: Without significant increases in the current rate of growth for aged care places, the mainstream medical and health sectors will face significant additional pressures arising from unmet need in both older patients and their informal carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantify patterns of overtime among doctors-in-training in New South Wales and to explore the reasons doctors-in-training cite for not claiming overtime worked. Methods: A confidential online self-reporting survey was conducted of post-graduate doctors-in-training, working in hospitals in NSW, from post-graduate year 1 through to completion of specialist training. Questions sought to determine the average amount of overtime worked, overtime claiming patterns, and reasons why overtime was not claimed. Comparisons were made by level of training and specialty training pathway. Results: A total of 1351 valid responses were received. Unrostered overtime was extremely common, as was underpayment for work completed. Though 73.5% of respondents reported working at least 5 h of unrostered overtime per fortnight, only 15.6% of respondents reported claiming all their unrostered overtime, and among those who did claim overtime, only 45.5% reported being paid the amount in full. Common reasons for not claiming overtime included workplace cultural expectations (37.0%), and overtime not falling under approved reasons (32.6%). There were statistically significant differences (P < 0.001) in all response categories between critical care, physician and surgical training pathways. Conclusions: The survey data demonstrated a significant disconnect between expectations and reality of working hours among doctors-in-training. This is indicative of concerns regarding loss of income, impaired ability to plan workforce allocation due to hidden workload, and possibly impaired wellbeing. What is known about the topic? Among Australian doctors-in-training, there appears to be a significant discrepancy between contracted working hours, actual expectations for working hours, and remuneration for hours worked. What does this paper add? This paper outlines and analyses patterns of overtime claiming among Australian doctors‐in‐training. Notably, doctors‐in‐training worked significant quantities of unrostered overtime, demonstrating a discrepancy between formal expectations set out by rosters, and the reality of workplace demands. What are the implications for practitioners? These findings have significant implications for healthcare economics, workforce planning and improving junior doctor wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, like other developed countries, there has been an increase in reports to child protection services about children experiencing domestic violence. While there is research on the importance of the skills and knowledge of the child protection workforce for this growing problem, little is available about practitioner attitudes and beliefs. This paper presents findings on research undertaken in New South Wales, which is the most populated state in Australia. The research considered the attitudes and beliefs of the statutory child protection workforce about domestic violence. It relied on a large‐scale survey of 1041 child protection practitioners. In order to compare the attitudes and beliefs of child protection workforce with those of the general community, the survey replicated questions from the Australian National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Surveys. Overall, the attitudes and beliefs of the workforce more closely reflected contemporary theory and evidence about domestic violence than those of the community. The research also examined variations in the attitudes and beliefs of the child protection workforce according to practitioner characteristics, finding variations by gender. The implications for the fields of child protection and social work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aims of this study were to explore and compare the perceptions of research capacity and culture (RCC) in metropolitan and non-metropolitan New South Wales (NSW) Local Health Districts (LHDs). Methods: The Research Capacity and Culture Tool was delivered online to clinicians and health managers. A 10-point Likert scale of success or skill at organisational, team and individual level of research capacity was used. An independent t -test assessed differences in domain means between non-metropolitan and metropolitan LHDs. Results: A total of 1243 participants responded. Responses to the survey indicated the perception of individual's research skills were greater than the perception of RCC at both the team and organisational levels. Participants from metropolitan locations had significantly higher mean scores across all three domains compared with non-metropolitan locations (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Results indicated the perception of individual's research skills were greater than the team and organisational levels. Participants from metropolitan locations had significantly higher perceptions of RCC across all three domains compared with non-metropolitan locations. This was the largest study to date in Australia investigating RCC in NSW LHDs, and the first study to explore multiple professions across multiple organisations while comparing metropolitan and non-metropolitan settings. This research may inform targeted strategies for building research capacity in NSW LHDs. What is known about the topic? Challenges exist in the current healthcare system to provide the infrastructure and resources to build capacity and embed a culture of research. What does this paper add? This study was significant in its reach across NSW and its perspective of capturing multiple professions. What are the implications for practitioners? Factors found to be consistent across the state may be suggestive of prioritisation for further investigation and implementation at the state and/or national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings of a qualitative study examining the perceptions of 21 Australian women professionals who conduct home visiting with families experiencing intimate partner violence. There is scant evidence documenting how home visiting professionals adapted practice to address the safety concerns of women and their children within the context of the pandemic. Practitioners noted an increase in the risk level and complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV), including the ways that perpetrators weaponized the pandemic to exert power and control over women and children. Practitioners reported on their rapid adaptation of practices, to ensure the continuation of services which included moving to online delivery methods, wearing PPE, and negotiating practice from a distance. While responses to these changes were mixed, most reported their desire to continue to use online platforms post-pandemic, reporting increased safety, flexibility, and accessibility for the majority of clients. This research addresses a gap in respect of professionals' perceptions of the issues facing survivors of IPV and of their professional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. As policies, practices, and protocols continue to adapt to the challenging environment posed by the pandemic the experiences of professionals and service users are critical to inform these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to understand the challenges that nurses and midwives face when seeking to practice social distancing within the various clinical settings in a hospital work environment during COVID-19. Background: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on nurses and midwives internationally. With the ease of transmission of COVID-19 and the limitations in pharmaceutical interventions, other measures had to be implemented across communities and in healthcare settings. These public health measures were enacted in various ways throughout the world. A key measure employed globally was social distancing. Australia was no different, initiating community wide interventions to apply social distancing principles and action, in an effort to reduce transmission. Whilst at their places of work, nurses and midwives were also encouraged to practice social distancing. Design and methods: Using convenience sampling, 579 nurses and midwives employed within one local health district in NSW, Australia completed an online questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, a thematic analysis was undertaken as a way of categorising data from the 216 (37%) qualitative responses with regards to social distancing. This study adhered to The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines. Results: Overwhelmingly, responses indicated that participants found it challenging to practice social distancing in their workplaces across various clinical settings within the hospital. The two major themes identified were: 1) challenges relating to social distancing with patients and 2) challenges related to social distancing with colleagues. Several sub themes were also identified. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a number of challenges for healthcare professionals, social distancing being a key challenge. Social distancing is argued to be almost impossible in various clinical settings within a hospital where patient contact and provision of care in a team environment occurs. What is already known about the topic? * Social distancing has been demonstrated as an effective public health intervention to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as MERS, SARS and Ebola. What this paper adds: * During COVID-19, social distancing practices in acute healthcare environments have been enforced. However, this creates difficulties for health professionals such as nurses and midwives when providing quality care. * The results showed that social distancing has been more difficult than anticipated to adhere to in the work environment.* The built environment of hospitals (physical layout) and working in multidisciplinary teams made social distancing particularly challenging for nurses and midwives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]