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Objectives: To identify the financing and policy challenges for Medicare and universal health care in Australia, as well as opportunities for whole-of-system strengthening., Study Design: Review of publications on Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and the universal health care system in Australia published 1 January 2000 - 14 August 2021 that reported quantitative or qualitative research or data analyses, and of opinion articles, debates, commentaries, editorials, perspectives, and news reports on the Australian health care system published 1 January 2015 - 14 August 2021. Program-, intervention- or provider-specific articles, and publications regarding groups not fully covered by Medicare (eg, asylum seekers, prisoners) were excluded., Data Sources: MEDLINE Complete, the Health Policy Reference Centre, and Global Health databases (all via EBSCO); the Analysis & Policy Observatory, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, the Australian Public Affairs Information Service, Google, Google Scholar, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) websites., Results: The problems covered by the 76 articles included in our review could be grouped under seven major themes: fragmentation of health care and lack of integrated health financing, access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to health services and essential medications, reform proposals for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the burden of out-of-pocket costs, inequity, public subsidies for private health insurance, and other challenges for the Australian universal health care system., Conclusions: A number of challenges threaten the sustainability and equity of the universal health care system in Australia. As the piecemeal reforms of the past twenty years have been inadequate for meeting these challenges, more effective, coordinated approaches are needed to improve and secure the universality of public health care in Australia., (© 2023 The Authors. Medical Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

Introduction: After a period of stagnation, alcohol policy in Australia has received increased attention in the past decade, with Sydney's lockout laws and Queensland's restrictions on trading hours garnering media attention. This study will investigate any changing trends in support towards alcohol policy and identify any demographic-specific shifts., Methods: Respondents from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (conducted every 3 years from 2004 to 2019) were asked to gauge their level of support for 16 alcohol policy items proposed to reduce the problems associated with excessive alcohol use. Mean levels of support for various policy options, as well as demographic predictors of support, were assessed., Results: After an increase from 2004 to 2013, support for more evidence-based policies on alcohol (e.g., restricting the availability of alcohol) has decreased since 2013. Support for policy items that focus less on the restriction of the availability of alcohol and more on education remained relatively stable in comparison. While demographic groups continue to vary in their extent of support, shifts appear to be occurring fairly uniformly across sex, age, states and drinking groups., Discussion and Conclusions: Support for public health-oriented alcohol policies has been decreasing since 2013. The introduction of high-profile policies and less of a media focus on alcohol may be contributing to decreases in support., (© 2023 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Background: Strategies for supporting evidence-informed health policy are a recognized but understudied area of policy dissemination and implementation science. Codesign describes a set of strategies potentially well suited to address the complexity presented by policy formation and implementation. We examine the health policy literature describing the use of codesign in initiatives intended to combine diverse sources of knowledge and evidence in policymaking., Methods: The search included PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in November 2022 and included papers published between 1996 and 2022. Terms included codesign, health, policy, and system terminology. Title and abstracts were reviewed in duplicate and included if efforts informed policy or system-level decision-making. Extracted data followed scoping review guidelines for location, evaluation method, health focus, codesign definition, description, level of health system user input, sectors involved, and reported benefits and challenges., Results: From 550 titles, 23 citations describing 32 policy codesign studies were included from multiple continents (Australia/New Zealand, 32%; UK/Europe, 32%; South America, 14%; Africa, 9%; USA/Canada 23%). Document type was primarily case study (77%). The area of health focus was widely distributed. Policy type was more commonly little p policy (47%), followed by big p policy (25%), and service innovations that included policy-enabled funding (25%). Models and frameworks originated from formal design (e.g., human-centered or participatory design (44%), political science (38%), or health service research (16%). Reported outcomes included community mobilization (50%), policy feasibility (41%), improved multisector alignment (31%), and introduction of novel ideas and critical thinking (47%). Studies engaging policy users in full decision-making roles self-reported higher levels of community mobilization and community needs than other types of engagement., Discussion: Policy codesign is theoretically promising and is gaining interest among diverse health sectors for addressing the complexity of policy formation and implementation. The maturity of the science is just emerging. We observed trends in the association of codesign strategies and outcomes that suggests a research agenda in this area could provide practical insights for tailoring policy codesign to respond to local contextual factors including values, needs, and resources., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

While value-based health care (VBHC) is transforming Australia's health system, with its focus on patient-centred care and outcomes, it cannot transform Australia's health without policy action to address the social determinants of health. Australia is moving towards a wellbeing economy, but governments have not been explicit in the methods by which the health system will contribute to the development of a wellbeing economy at a macro level. It is also unclear how governments will ensure that approaches to valuing wellbeing will complement current health care innovations in defining and evaluating value in relation to health outcomes. To address this gap, we present a value-based public health (VBPH) framework to conceptualise a health-informed model to expand current thinking about defining, delivering and evaluating the value of population health and wellbeing. The framework provides a critical and innovative approach beyond VBHC for improving population health and wellbeing outcomes, in alignment with principles and measures being put forth in early examples of governments using wellbeing economy policies. In VBPH, the focus is on ensuring value in interventions to improve population outcomes. VBPH offers an approach for joined-up policy across government, using Health in All Policies for multi-sector public health interventions in response to population needs, across full cycles of policy development, implementation and evaluation. It promotes social return on investment methods to measure outcomes that matter to diverse stakeholders within and across communities. VBPH also requires cost estimation from a whole of government perspective, across complete cycles and stages of policy., (© 2023 Australian Health Promotion Association.)

The book "Women and Whitlam: Revisiting the Revolution" edited by Michelle Arrow is a collection of essays that explores the agenda for women during the Whitlam government in Australia. The book is divided into five sections, each focusing on different aspects such as political influence, the law, health and social policy, media, arts, and education, and the legacies of the era. The essays provide historical knowledge, personal stories, and inspiration for readers. The collection aims to shape the future by examining the past and highlighting what was achieved and what still needs to be done for women's equality and justice. The book also emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives and voices, including Indigenous contributors, in the fight for lasting and meaningful change. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was launched in 2013 to provide financial support packages for people with disability to purchase supports and services to enhance independence. People with disability are required to develop a plan with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the government department responsible for managing the NDIS. This scoping review aims to ascertain the level of research into people's experience of the NDIS planning process in these geographic areas. Methodology: Research publication databases were searched using a specific search string to identify research about people with disability and their families/carer's experiences of the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was adopted to appraise the quality of the research publications. Research publications focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were additionally appraised using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool developed by the Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange. A thematic synthesis of the publications' contents was undertaken to ascertain people with disabilities and carers experience of the NDIS planning process. Results: Ten (N = 10) research papers were found that met the inclusion criteria. Two papers were policy reviews and reported on the improvements of the NDIS planning process since its conception. The analysis found the research archive focused on five themes: (1) healthcare workforce and NDIA staff; (2) NDIS package holders and carers lack of awareness of the NDIS; (3) cultural/socio‐economic barriers; (4) travel funding; and (5) emotional burden of the NDIS planning process. Conclusion: There are limited papers available that explore people's experiences of the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. This systematic review illuminates the difficulties, barriers and concerns of people with disability and their carers about the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) was introduced in mid-2000 to increase participation in private health insurance that includes hospital cover (PHI-HC) and improve the risk profile of PHI-HC participants. It initially achieved both objectives, but since 2001 the PHI-HC population has aged faster than the general population. The aim of this study was to determine if the excess ageing of the PHI-HC risk pool has been due to passive age-based adverse selection, an inherent risk of LHC. This study has potential implications for the retention of LHC. Methods: A descriptive population-level analysis of publicly available administrative datasets was performed. Data relating to PHI-HC were obtained from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority. National population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Trends in demography, PHI-HC participation rates and LHC loading payments were analysed. Results: By 2021, age-based adverse selection had returned to the pre-LHC level. Based on the available data, this was due to passive age-based adverse selection not active age-based adverse selection. Specifically, it reflected the combination of an avoidable unintended consequence of the introduction of LHC (the over-representation, in 2001, of individuals aged 45–59) and one of LHC's intended effects (incentivisation of insured individuals to retain PHI-HC). Conclusions: This study supports the retention of LHC. Nonetheless, it highlights the risk of passive age-based adverse selection created by incentivising insured individuals to retain PHI-HC in the presence of distortions in the age distribution of the PHI-HC risk pool. Early targeted interventions are required when such distortions arise. What is known about the topic? Since the introduction of Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) in mid-2000, the participation rate for private health insurance that includes hospital cover (PHI-HC) has remained relatively stable, but the PHI-HC population has aged faster than the general population. What does this paper add? This paper makes a novel distinction between 'active' and 'passive' age-based adverse selection to explain LHC's role in the excess ageing of the PHI-HC risk pool. What are the implications for practitioners? Governments need to be vigilant for the emergence of distortions in the age distribution of the PHI-HC risk pool and respond with targeted interventions to normalise the age distribution, or risk problematic passive age-based adverse selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Unwarranted clinical variations in radical prostatectomy (RP) procedures are frequently reported, yet less attention is given to the variations in associated costs. This issue can further widen disparities in access to care and provoke questions about the overall value of the procedure. The present paper aimed to delve into the disparities in hospital, medical provider and out-of-pocket costs for RP procedures in Australia, discussing plausible causes and potential policy opportunities. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using Medibank Private claims data for RP procedures conducted in Australian hospitals between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 was undertaken. Results: Considerable variations in both medical provider and out-of-pocket costs were observed across the country, with variations evident between different states or territories. Particularly striking were the discrepancies in the costs charged by medical providers, with a notable contrast between the 10th and 90th percentiles revealing a substantial difference of A$9925. Hospitals in Australia exhibited relatively comparable charges for RP procedures. Conclusions: Initiatives such as enhancing transparency regarding individual medical provider costs and implementing fee regulations with healthcare providers may be useful in curbing the variations in RP procedure costs. What is known about the topic? Unwarranted clinical variations in radical prostatectomy procedures are well documented in the literature; however, variations in cost are less widely reported. What does this paper add? This paper aims to highlight the cost variations in radical prostatectomy procedures in Australia, discussing their plausible causes, implications and proposing potential policy opportunities. What are the implications for practitioners? Excessive fees imposed by medical providers may contribute to inequalities in healthcare access. Enhancing transparency of individual medical provider costs and implementing fee regulations may be useful in controlling unwarranted variations in procedure costs. This article belongs to the Special Issue: Value-based Healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To scope how the Australian Bureau of Statistics Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) has been applied to measure socio-economic status (SES) in peer-reviewed cardiovascular disease (CVD) research. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute's scoping review methodology was used. Results: The search retrieved 2788 unique citations, and 49 studies were included. Studies were heterogeneous in their approach to analysis using SEIFA. Not all studies provided information as to what version was used and how SEIFA was applied in analysis. Spatial unit of analysis varied between studies, with participant postcode most frequently applied. Study quality varied. Conclusions: The use of SEIFA in Australian CVD peer-reviewed research is widespread, with variations in the application of SEIFA to measure SES as an exposure. There is a need to improve the reporting of how SEIFA is applied in the methods sections of research papers for greater transparency and to ensure accurate interpretation of CVD research. What is known about the topic? A socio-economic status (SES) gradient is well established for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Research has generally applied two approaches to classifying SES: at an individual level using income, education or occupation data, and at an area level using a range of existing socio-economic information, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). What does this paper add? This review examined how SEIFA has been applied to measure SES in Australian peer-reviewed CVD research and to identify any variations in research practice. What are the implications for practitioners? It is recommended that researchers provide a clear explanation in the methods section of research papers as to which SEIFA version and index was applied, how it was applied, at what spatial unit, and whether the spatial unit was an ABS or non-ABS unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with innate variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex traits or disorders or differences of sex development) have any of a wide range of innate physical traits that differ from medical and social norms for female and male bodies. Responses to these physical differences create experiences and risks of stigmatisation, discrimination, violence, and harmful medical practices intended to promote social and familial integration and conformity with gender stereotypes. As is evident globally, the Australian policy response to the existence and needs of people with innate variations of sex characteristics has been largely incoherent, variously framing the population as having disordered sex development in need of "fixing", and a third sex/gender identity group in need of recognition, with only recent engagement by intersex community-controlled civil society organisations. This paper presents an overview of the context and goals of the intersex human rights movement in Australia. Australian intersex community organisations have sought to apply human rights norms and develop new infrastructure to address key health and human rights issues, and necessitating new ways of resolving policy incoherence. Together with human rights, mental health, and public health institutions, they have called for significant changes to medical models of care and reform to research and classification systems. Intersex community organising and resourcing have made a tangible difference. The Australian Capital Territory is the first jurisdiction in the country to move ahead with reforms to clinical practice, including a legislative prohibition of certain practices without personal informed consent, oversight of clinical decision-making, and investment in psychosocial support. A national community-controlled psychosocial support service has also commenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex and gender are inadequately considered in health and medical research, policy and practice, leading to preventable disparities in health and wellbeing. Several global institutions, journals, and funding bodies have developed policies and guidelines to improve the inclusion of diverse participants and consideration of sex and gender in research design and reporting and the delivery of clinical care. However, according to recent evaluations, these policies have had limited impact on the inclusion of diverse research participants, adequate reporting of sex and gender data and reducing preventable inequities in access to, and quality provision of, healthcare. In Australia, the Sex and Gender Policies in Medical Research (SGPMR) project aims to address sex and gender bias in health and medical research by (i) examining how sex and gender are currently considered in Australian research policy and practice; (ii) working with stakeholders to develop policy interventions; and (iii) understanding the wider impacts, including economic, of improved sex and gender consideration in Australian health and medical research. In this paper we describe the development of a theory of change (ToC) for the SGPMR project. The ToC evolved from a two-stage process consisting of key stakeholder interviews and a consultation event. The ToC aims to identify the pathways to impact from improved consideration of sex and gender in health and medical research, policy and practice, and highlight how key activities and policy levers can lead to improvements in clinical practice and health outcomes. In describing the development of the ToC, we present an entirely novel framework for outlining how sex and gender can be appropriately considered within the confines of health and medical research, policy and practice., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

What is known about the topic? Little is known about the state of mental health reform in Australia. This article describes the struggle to develop the systems of accountability necessary to assess national progress. What does this paper add? We provide some historical context regarding mental health reform and consider recent efforts in particular, before then describing current key opportunities. What are the implications for practitioners? Many people working in mental health are struggling to deliver quality services to Australians. This paper considers the broad policy issues which have led to this situation. This is useful for practitioners who can then better respond and participate in processes of systemic reform. Opportunities to engage now in key policy formulation are identified in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of health care expenditure often exclude explanatory variables measuring wealth, despite the intuitive importance and policy relevance. We use the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey to assess impacts of income and wealth on health expenditure. We investigate four different dependent variables related to health expenditure and use three main methodological approaches. These approaches include a first difference model and introduction of a lagged dependent variable into a cross-sectional context. The key findings include that wealth tends to be more important than income in identifying variation in health expenditure. This applies for health variables which are not directly linked to means testing, such as spending on health practitioners and for being unable to afford required medical treatment. In contrast, the paper includes no evidence of different impacts of income and wealth on spending on medicines, prescriptions or pharmaceuticals. The results motivate two novel policy innovations. One is the introduction of an asset test for determining rebate eligibility for private health insurance. The second is greater focus on asset testing, rather than income tests, for a wide range of general welfare payments that can be used for health expenditure. Australia's world-leading use of means testing can provide a test case for many countries.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine which method to triage intensive care patients using chronic comorbidity in a pandemic was perceived to be the fairest by the general public. Secondary objectives were to determine whether the public perceived it fair to provide preferential intensive care triage to vulnerable or disadvantaged people, and frontline healthcare workers. Methods: A postal survey of 2000 registered voters randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Commission electoral roll was performed. The main outcome measures were respondents' fairness rating of four hypothetical intensive care triage methods that assess comorbidity (chronic medical conditions, long-term survival, function and frailty); and respondents' fairness rating of providing preferential triage to vulnerable or disadvantaged people, and frontline healthcare workers. Results: The proportion of respondents who considered it fair to triage based on chronic medical conditions, long-term survival, function and frailty, was 52.1, 56.1, 65.0 and 62.4%, respectively. The proportion of respondents who considered it unfair to triage based on these four comorbidities was 31.9, 30.9, 23.8 and 23.2%, respectively. More respondents considered it unfair to preferentially triage vulnerable or disadvantaged people, than fair (41.8% versus 21.2%). More respondents considered it fair to preferentially triage frontline healthcare workers, than unfair (44.2% versus 30.0%). Conclusion: Respondents in this survey perceived all four hypothetical methods to triage intensive care patients based on comorbidity in a pandemic disaster to be fair. However, the sizable minority who consider this to be unfair indicates that these triage methods could encounter significant opposition if they were to be enacted in health policy. What is known about the topic? Triage systems can be used to prioritise the order in which patients are treated in a pandemic, but the views of the general public on using chronic comorbidity as intensive care unit (ICU) triage criteria are unknown. What does this paper add? This Australian survey, conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, demonstrated that the majority of respondents perceived ICU triage methods based on comorbidity to be fair, but significant ethical issues exist. What are the implications for practitioners? It may be possible to develop an ICU triage protocol for future pandemics in Australia, but further research is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper discusses four main strategies for addressing nursing shortages that have been persistent, widespread and growing. Fallout from the COVID‐19 pandemic might offer valuable impetus to address this tenacious challenge. Background: Nursing shortages are common, widespread and have been persistent for most of a century. Many of the reasons behind these shortages are well known and are themselves enduring, as are the types of strategies put forward for addressing them. These strategies can generally be classified into four main categories: enhancing retention, improving recruitment, encouraging return to practice and drawing on international human resources. The COVID‐19 pandemic is the latest major threat to ensuring a sufficiently sized and skilled nursing workforce. Many nurses have succumbed to burnout as well the plethora of factors that predated the pandemic and have a negative impact on nurse wellbeing, turnover and intention to leave. Sources of evidence: This discussion paper draws on international sources of evidence. Discussion/conclusion: This paper highlights how many of the factors behind and strategies for addressing nursing shortages at the local, national and global levels are widely studied and known. A sustained combination of strategies that focus both within and beyond health and nursing, including on the broader social context, is necessary. While COVID‐19 has been extremely damaging, it might present an opportunity to make sustainable, effective reforms to address nursing shortages. Implications for policy: Knowledge users must recognise that a combination of approaches across the gamut of policies that influence nursing workforces is necessary to address nursing shortages. Attention must also focus on factors beyond nursing and healthcare if shortages are to be remedied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the health of and healthcare use by migrants has received significant scholarly and policy attention in Australia, current debates highlight that a critical examination of the theoretical underpinnings of these inquiries and responses is needed. We conducted a systematic review and critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) to critically examine how the policy and scholarly literature conceptualises migrants' interactions with and experiences of the Australian health system. Guided by PRISMA, we searched for literature without imposing any limits. We also searched key State and Federal Government websites for relevant policy documents. Our initially broad inclusion criteria became refined as the CIS progressed. We prioritised the likely relevance and theoretical contribution of the papers to our inquiry over methodological quality. The CIS of 104 papers revealed that the Australian scholarly literature and policy documents consistently homogenise and reduce migrants according to an assumed, (1) cultural identity, (2) linguistic affiliation, and/or (3) broad geographic origin. Based on these three critiques and drawing on the theoretical literature, we propose a synthesising argument on how the Australian literature could better conceptualise migrants' experiences of the Australian health system. We contend that both research and policy should explicitly recognise and engage with the multifaceted and shifting ways that migrants define themselves, generally, and during their encounters with destination country health systems. Engagement with this notion is necessary for also understanding how aspects of migrants' identities are dynamically co-constructed during their interactions with the health system. These understandings have implications for improving the design and implementation of policies and programs directed at improving the responsiveness of Australia's health system to the needs and expectations of migrant communities specifically, and destination countries broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Government policies that support the health and wellbeing of young people (aged 10 to 25) can have important individual and societal impacts. The aim of this study was to explore policy actor perspectives on the development and implementation of Australian government policies focussed on the health and wellbeing of young people., Methods: We utilised a qualitative research design consisting of semi-structured interviews with policy actors with experience working with Australian youth health policies. Our interview guide and analyses were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We interviewed 19 participants from various national, state, and territory bodies., Results: Several specific barriers and facilitators to policy development and implementation were identified using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Key policy development barriers were limited available resources (e.g. staffing and funding) and low relative priority within health and political systems. Key policy implementation barriers were limited available resources, limited policy compatibility with health services, cosmopolitanism issues related to interagency collaboration, and a lack of policy evaluation. Meaningful engagement of young people could also be improved., Conclusions: Although Australian youth health policies are perceived as evidence-based and comprehensively developed, the ability to promote implementation remains stalled., Implications for Public Health: The development of policy implementation plans, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, funding and resources, and a strong commitment to removing barriers to working across multiple departments and systems is required to improve outcomes for young people., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Accreditation to standards developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practice provides assurance to the community of the quality and safety of general practices in Australia. The objective of this study was to conduct an empirical evaluation of the 5th edition standards. Minimal empirically driven evaluation of the standards has been conducted since their publication in 2020. Methods: Data encompass consecutive Australian general practice accreditation assessments between December 2020 and July 2022 recorded from a single accrediting agency. Met and not met compliance (binary) scores for 124 indicators evaluated at the site visit were recorded. A subset of indicators derived from a selection of existing and consistently non-conformant indicators within each criterion was generated. Concordance between the indicator subset and the criterion was assessed to determine the predictive ability of the indicator subset in distinguishing practices who are conformant to the entire criterion. Results: A total of 757 general practices were included in the analysis. On average, 113.69 (s.d. = 8.16) of 124 indicators were evaluated as conformant at the site visit. In total, 52 (42%) indicators were required to obtain a true positive conformity rate above 95% for all criterions of the standards. For criterion 1 (General Practice 1) conformity to the entire criterion (nine indicators; >95% true positive rate) could be obtained by including 2/9 indicators (C1-1a and C1-2a). Conclusion: Our results identified that indicator non-conformity was driven by a small proportion of indicators and identifying a subset of these consistently non-conformant indicators predicted a true positive rate above 95% at the criterion level. What is known about the topic? Minimal empirical evaluation of the 5th edition standards for accreditation have occurred since their implementation. What does this paper add? Our findings suggest that more than half of the indicators currently do not adequately distinguish practices at the site assessment. What are the implications for practitioners? These findings may suggest that a review of individual indicators and the standards structure is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Perspective begins with a case study that raises two important questions: who is responsible for the existence of non-compliant Medicare billing, and who is responsible for eliminating it? In the discussion that follows, I argue, first, that the problem has been created by individual clinicians and by Medicare itself (i.e. the organisational structure that administers Medicare). Second, and more importantly, I argue that the ethical obligation to eliminate the problem extends more broadly to include both the government and the medical profession. What is known about the topic? The scale of non-compliant Medicare billing is contested. What does this paper add? This Perspective frames non-compliant Medicare billing (and denial of its existence) as a ubiquitous cultural problem. What are the implications for practitioners? Strategies aimed at reducing non-compliant Medicare billing need to target the normative behaviour of societal actors as well as individual practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legislation has now been passed in all Australian states. Although VAD has been operating in many settings worldwide for a considerable time, the specific costs associated with VAD seem unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to outline the common resource implications associated with VAD. Methods: A rapid literature review and grey literature search were undertaken. Results: We found a paucity of empirically informed detail regarding the actual costs required to implement VAD. Hence, we tabulated a list of potential costs that could be used for subsequent evaluation and a future research agenda. Conclusions: There is a lack of publicly available information related to the costs associated with implementing VAD. Given that this is a significant change in policy and many multidisciplinary practitioners may be directly or indirectly involved in VAD it is important that associated costs are clearly outlined so that appropriate resources can be allocated. What is known about the topic? Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legislation has now been passed in all Australian states. Although VAD has been operating internationally for a considerable time, there have been calls for more data to understand the resources required to implement VAD. What does this paper add? We found a paucity of empirically informed detail regarding the actual costs required to implement VAD. Hence, we tabulated a list of potential costs that could be used for subsequent evaluation and outline a research agenda. What are the implications for practitioners? Given that a significant number of practitioners may be directly or indirectly involved in VAD it is important that associated costs are clearly outlined so that appropriate resource allocation can be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The current evidence regarding Indigenous* women and breast cancer in Australia shows lower prevalence but higher mortality rates. There are a range of reasons for this, including co-morbidities, lack of access to health services and low health information fluency. Perhaps most importantly, breast cancer health policy and service delivery practice do not meet the needs of Indigenous women in Australia, according to Indigenous women. Talking and listening to Indigenous women about breast cancer highlight that the solutions to improve breast cancer outcomes are available and that they are not complex. Indigenous women must be involved in the improvement of policy and practice in order for these outcomes to improve. *Terminology: We respectfully refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as "Indigenous". In Australia, the incidence rate of breast cancer is lower in Indigenous* women than non-Indigenous women; however, the mortality rate is higher, with Indigenous women 1.2 times more likely to die from the disease. This paper provides practical and achievable solutions to improve health outcomes for Indigenous women with breast cancer in Australia. This research employed the Context–Mechanism–Outcome (CMO) framework to reveal potential mechanisms and contextual factors that influence breast cancer outcomes for Indigenous women, stratified into multiple levels, namely, micro (interpersonal), meso (systemic) and macro (policy) levels. The CMO framework allowed us to interpret evidence regarding Indigenous women and breast cancer and provides nine practical ways to improve health outcomes and survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Access to healthcare for rural Australians is a wicked problem, particularly for rural people with disability. Contemporary healthcare access frameworks in Australia tend to overlook geography, use a 'one‐size‐fits‐all approach', and disregard the valuable relationships between key rural healthcare stakeholders, including rural people with disability, rural health services and health professionals. The United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires the Australian Government to engage people with disability in the design of policies that will shape their day‐to‐day lives, including their access to healthcare. However, the nature and extent to which rural people with disability, rural health professionals and other key rural stakeholders are involved in the design of Australian policies impacting the health of rural people with disability are unknown. Aim: This paper examines approaches taken to engage rural people with disability and health professionals in the design of Australian disability policy impacting healthcare access, and reimagines future processes which can improve healthcare access for rural people with disability. Approach: Co‐design and ethics of care lenses are applied to policy design approaches in this paper. We approach this work as rural disability and health academics, rural health professionals, and as rural people with disability, neurodivergence and family members of people with disability. Conclusion: We argue future co‐designed policy approaches could focus on driving change towards equity in healthcare access for rural people with disability by harnessing the relational nature of rural healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, numerous reviews and inquiries have documented concerns about inadequate access to, and the quality of, aged care. Despite those concerns, research is yet to appraise fully how care needs are assessed, prioritised, and met or left unmet. This paper asks two interrelated questions: (1) How should we conceptualise and measure unmet care need and care inequalities among older people? (2) What are the policy parameters for assessing needs, prioritising access to support and monitoring quality in aged care in Australia? Key insights from academic literature are used to critically review Australian policy documents describing rights, assessments, prioritisation, quality standards and performance indicators for the aged care sector. Using the concepts of care inequalities and care poverty, the paper develops a framework for understanding and measuring needs and unmet needs in aged care, and for encompassing fundamental and valued aspects of life for older people, their carers and their care network. The paper argues that the concept of care poverty opens the space to discuss what level of unmet need and inequality in access to aged care in any society may be considered intolerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of radiographers in healthcare has evolved significantly from operating imaging equipment to being essential in patient care and diagnosis. In Australia, radiographers play a crucial role in image interpretation, identifying and communicating significant findings to enhance patient outcomes. Preliminary image evaluation (PIE) allows radiographers to interpret images and ensure significant findings are noted, particularly in urgent situations, complementing diagnoses when radiologist reports are unavailable. Despite their potential, many radiographers lack empowerment, leading to delays and adverse patient outcomes. This underutilisation stems from a lack of support and systemic barriers. Radiographers, with their extensive expertise in imaging, are vital for ensuring patient safety and care quality. Policy changes are needed to integrate PIE into standard workflows, allowing radiographers to fully utilise their skills. Recognising and leveraging their expertise will enhance patient care, foster collaboration, and ensure radiographers contribute fully to the healthcare team, ultimately improving patient safety and care quality. What is known about the topic? Radiographers can form an essential role in preliminarily interpreting images and communicating critical findings to ensure timely patient care. What does this paper add? Unknown to many, the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia requires radiographers to take responsibility for patient care and communicate significant findings immediately to the treating team. This is executed via a system known as preliminary image evaluation. What are the implications for practitioners? Implementing preliminary image evaluation into local centres is an easy method to reduce diagnostic errors and ensure urgent findings are communicated in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge synthesis methods help summarize evidence and utilize content expertise to draw out key messages to aid knowledge mobilization and translation. Systems thinking and coproduction can support this by facilitating a multiperspective view and ensuring that knowledge is mobilized and translated in a useful and meaningful way for policy-makers and practitioners. In this paper, we describe the development of a knowledge synthesis approach that utilizes coproduction with policy-makers to combine the findings of a programme of research with policy knowledge to support decision-makers working in chronic disease prevention. The process developed by The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre combined the expertise of research, policy and science communications experts. We reflect on how we used coproduction processes to embed policy-makers as partners in the evidence synthesis process via research-policy dialogues, and embedded science communication into the development and presentation of the findings. This differs from a more common approach of researchers generating evidence for policy with limited input from policy-makers themselves. By collaborating with policy-makers and using coproduction, we can better inform policy-relevant research and generate policy-relevant knowledge. We describe the development of our knowledge synthesis approach using two case studies: the first drawing on a body of work in public health law, and the second on a body of work focused on the first 2000 days of life. We consider how these case studies demonstrate the value of working with policy partners as part of a knowledge synthesis process, and discuss how this process could be adapted and used in future., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This paper sets out the Collaborative Service Design Playbook, to guide planning, design, and implementation of co-created health services. Successful health service development and implementation is best guided by theoretically informed approaches; however, organisations often lack design and implementation know-how and have difficulty applying it. This study seeks to improve health service design and potential for scale-up by proposing a tool to guide an end-to-end process, drawing together service design, co-design, and implementation science; and exploring the tool's feasibility to establish a sustainable service solution developed with participants and experts that is scalable and sustainable. The Collaborative Service Design Playbook phases include, (1) Define the opportunity and initiatives, (2) Design the concept and prototype, (3) Deliver to scale and evaluate; and (4) Optimise to transform and sustain. This paper has implications for health marketing through providing an end-to-end approach with phased guidance for health service development, implementation, and scale up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public protest continued to represent a prominent form of social activism in democratic societies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Australia, a lack of specific legislation articulating protest rights has meant that, in the context of pandemic restrictions, such events have been treated as illegal mass gatherings. Numerous large protests in major cities have, indeed, stirred significant public debate regarding rights of assembly during COVID-19 outbreaks. The ethics of infringing on protest rights continues to be controversial, with opinion divided as to whether public health goals or human rights should take precedence. This paper applies public health ethical theory to an in-depth analysis of arguments on both sides of the debate. Using the Nuffield Council on Bioethics framework as a backdrop, proportionality and necessity of restrictions are understood as key concepts that are common to both public health and human rights perspectives. The analysis presented here finds a middle-ground between the prevailing arguments on opposing sides and is further able to rationalize the use of protest itself as an important element of a mature public health ethics response to restrictive policy. Thus, this paper aims to influence public health policy and legislation regarding protest rights during public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landmark 2021 Resolution on Oral Health by the 74th World Health Assembly has elevated the importance of oral health into the global health policy agenda. This has led to the development and adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Oral Health in 2022. It acknowledged the need to integrate oral health as part of universal health coverage (UHC), which is supported by national clinical leadership for oral health. Although Australia is a signatory WHO member state, it is yet to appoint a Commonwealth Chief Dental Officer to provide national clinical leadership. This commentary provides a background on the current issues on population oral health in Australia, an insight into the Australian oral healthcare system, and explores some of the challenges and learnings related to previous Commonwealth dental programs. This paper highlights why expertise in dental public health is required to steer national oral health policy that is focused on prevention and early intervention. A population oral health approach for UHC should be informed by evidence, prioritise and address oral health inequities, and be co-ordinated by national clinical leadership for oral health. What is known about the topic? Many countries, including Australia, currently do not provide universal access to affordable oral healthcare. There are significant oral health inequities that exist in Australia, particularly for priority populations who are at higher risk for oral diseases. What does this paper add? National clinical leadership on oral health is needed to implement evidence-based oral health policy. This commentary provides justification for the Australian Government to appoint a Commonwealth Chief Dental Officer. What are the implications for practitioners? Strengthening advocacy efforts by the public health practitioners and other stakeholders is important to promote oral health as a critical health issue for urgent action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The personal importation scheme is a legislative mechanism that allows health consumers to import unapproved medicines under certain conditions. This article analyses the legal and policy basis for the scheme and considers how reforms to advertising laws for therapeutic goods may restrict communications about it. The article represents the first published analysis of the personal importation scheme's interaction with the communications of health professionals and buyer's clubs. It considers how these communications may be affected by legal amendments, particularly where unapproved medicines may be accessed through the scheme. Methods: An examination of Australian therapeutic goods law concerning the personal importation scheme was conducted, including both the historical law and recent regulatory reforms. Illustrative tables were prepared to identify scheme-related advertising that may contravene therapeutic goods law. Risk estimates were allocated to several new legal rules to indicate whether health professionals or buyer's clubs would contravene these laws when promoting the scheme to health consumers for unapproved medicines. Results: Representations made directly to the public by health practitioners or on buyer's clubs websites about accessing unapproved therapeutic goods through the personal importation scheme are likely to contravene one or more advertising laws. Conclusions: The Therapeutic Goods Administration has very strong powers to initiate compliance or enforcement action for advertising breaches in Australia for many promotional practices. Arguably, in the age of the internet and in the context of emerging expensive medicines, these powers should not be used to restrict health practitioners or buyer's clubs from sharing information about the lawful personal importation scheme to health consumers in need. Nevertheless, the study finds that health practitioners who promote or refer to the availability of unapproved medicines through the personal importation scheme outside of a consultation are likely to contravene the law and may be subject to disciplinary or enforcement action. What is known about the topic?. The personal importation scheme has not been studied extensively. This paper investigates whether recent updates to the advertising laws will affect the operation of the personal importation scheme and health practitioners' ability to refer to it in public. What does this paper add? This paper represents the first ever analysis of the way in which the personal importation scheme interacts with health practitioners' statements, buyer's clubs, and the internet. What are the implications for practitioners ? The study finds that health practitioners who promote the availability of unapproved medicines through the personal importation scheme outside professional consultations are likely to be liable to enforcement action from the Therapeutic Goods Administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Medicines Repurposing Program was launched on 1 March 2024. It provides a pathway for registering and subsidising off-label medicines of significant public health benefit but which sponsors have no financial incentive to pursue. This article provides a short overview and critical analysis of the program. One concern that emerges is that commercial sponsors still retain de facto veto power over which off-label uses are prioritised and so have the capacity to sway the process. Simple suggestions are proposed to help mitigate this risk. What is known about the topic? The Medicines Purposing Program (MRP) provides a pathway for non-industry actors to have off-label uses of medicines approved and funded if deemed to be of public benefit. What does this paper add? Commercial sponsors can easily sway the prioritisation and selection of candidates under the MRP in their favour, so strategies are recommended to counter this risk. What are the implications for practitioners? The MRP provides an opportunity for the medical community to directly nominate off-label medicines uses for approval and funding improving access to medicines, but only if commercial interests do not intervene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 brings increased risk to the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia on temporary visas. Rapid government changes due to the COVID‐19 pandemic are resulting in significant and sustained hardship on this already vulnerable group. This discursive paper is both an explainer and a resource for mental health nurses and health professionals with scope of practice in primary care and emergency departments responding to this population. The aim of this paper is to alert clinicians to the drivers of mental and suicide related distress and to provide recommendations as to how to therapeutically engage and support this group. Drivers include complex intersections between legal uncertainty, economic, social and mental health stress as drivers of entrapment, acute mental distress and suicidal ideation. Information about the COVID‐19 related factors as drivers contributing to worsening states of distress may help guide clinicians to consider protective factors designed to mitigate the onset or worsening of mental distress, plus aid in the development of health policy and service‐delivery arrangements of support and therapeutic engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issues and problems of mandatory vaccination policy and roll out in First Nations communities are unique and do not concern the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. These issues are also independent of more specific arguments of mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers as a condition of employment. As important as these issues are, they do not consider the complex politics of ongoing settler colonialism and First Nations community relations. In this paper, we also set aside the very real problems of disinformation, hesitancy, scientific and health illiteracy, and other concerns that drive vaccine hesitancy and refusal. These affect all communities, including First Nations communities. We, instead describe the dominant arguments in favour of mandatory vaccination and critique them in terms of the disputed legitimacy of Settler-Colonial decision-making as it impacts First Nations communities. We contend cultural responsiveness and safety—not state compulsion—must remain the first principles of any engagement—including vaccination—with First Nations Peoples, families, and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Australian geographically rural and remote disability workforce has historically demonstrated difficulties to keep up with the demand for quality services and supports for people with disability. In 2013, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was launched to provide individualised disability support packages to meet people's needs. To receive funding, people with disability are required to develop a NDIS plan. That plan is then funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the government agency responsible for managing the NDIS. Although the NDIS has been operating for almost 10 years, there is limited research into the planning experiences of the workforce in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. This review aims to ascertain the level of scholarly investigation into workers' experiences of NDIS planning. Methodology: Research publication databases were searched using a specific search string to identify publications that included reference to the workforce's experiences of the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was adopted to appraise the quality of the research publications. Research publications that focused on those working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were also appraised using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool developed by the Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange. A thematic synthesis of the publications was undertaken to ascertain disability and health workforce experiences of the NDIS planning process. Results: Seven papers met the selection criteria. Two papers were policy reviews and reported the improvements of the NDIS planning process since its inception. These studies reported four reoccurring themes: (1) cultural/socioeconomic and geographical factors; (2) administrative burden and bureaucracy; (3) values, culture and geography; and (4) burden on allied health workers. Conclusion: The NDIS planning process has developed and progressed since its rollout in 2013. There are limited research papers available that describe the workforce's experience of the planning process in regional, rural and remote regions. More research in this area is needed to identify the experiences of the disability workforce in relation to the NDIS planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic imaging is increasingly being used in Australia to aid clinician diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. There is concern that this increased use represents an overconsumption of inappropriate health services, which wastes finite resources and may cause direct or indirect harm to the patient. Australian health policies have primarily focused on increasing patient access to diagnostic imaging. While these policies address inequitable access and may lead to timely diagnosis and improved health outcomes, these benefits have not been weighed against the unintended harms. This perspective article will explore the unintended consequences of increasing access to diagnostic imaging as well as provide potential solutions to improve the effectiveness of policies in this area. What is known about the topic? When warranted, diagnostic imaging aids the diagnostic process by ruling in (or out) conditions that benefit from treatment and lead to improved patient outcomes. What does this paper add? This paper describes recent policies related to diagnostic imaging in Australia, discusses how increasing access may lead to unintended harms and create further inefficiencies in the system, and provides direction for future health policies in this area. What are the implications for practitioners? Addressing the inappropriate use of diagnostic imaging is crucial for the sustainability of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Healthcare delivery in Australia is managed at state and territory levels. This paper aims to compare the content and structure of publicly accessible Australian maternity service state and territory frameworks which guide the delivery of maternity care. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify publicly accessible Australian state and territory maternity service frameworks. A comparative content analysis was undertaken. Results: Six of the potential eight states and territories had locatable frameworks. Differences in both structure and content were found between frameworks. Variation exists between standalone maternity service frameworks and comprehensive clinical frameworks. Several jurisdictions align policy and ministerial directives in their frameworks outlining service delivery and guidance relating to maternal and/or neonatal transfer. Language referring to the assessment of maternity services and service risk varied. Conclusion: Consistency in structure, language, and a clear communication strategy embedded into each maternity service framework may improve the functioning and consistency of Australian maternity services at each level of the healthcare system. What is known about this topic? Limited evidence or analysis exists of the content of different maternity service framework documents in each Australian state and territory, despite a body of discourse and critical review regarding the previous national maternity service framework. What this paper adds? Similarities and differences in Australian maternity service frameworks are examined, providing insights into maternity operations and prioritised policy across differing jurisdictions. What are the implications for practitioners? Analysis of Australian maternity service frameworks highlights opportunities where jurisdictional governance documents can be strengthened or unified in the absence of an agreed national maternity service framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries, a non-communicable disease, is one of the most prevalent diseases globally and share common modifiable risk factors with obesity such as excess sugar intake. However, prioritization by governments to improve population oral health has been limited and is typically excluded from the discourse of public health policy development. Therefore, interventions that target dental caries can have other co-benefits including obesity prevention. In Victoria, Australia, local government authorities have a regulatory requirement to develop their Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plans. The aim of this paper is to identify whether prioritization for oral health by local government authorities in Victoria has changed through the subsequent renewal of the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plans 2011–2015 and 2019–2023. Three desktop audits for all publicly available Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plans by local government authorities in Victoria were conducted between 2014 and 2022. Key terms related to oral health was searched within these policy documents and categorized into six indicators: (i) included oral health as a priority, (ii) linked healthy eating and oral health, (iii) supported the Achievement Program, (iv) included the Smiles 4 Miles program, (v) advocated for fluoridated drinking water, and (vi) included other strategies related to oral health. Overall, there was statistically significant reduction in five of the six indicators, with the exception for prioritization of other strategies related to oral health such as targeting excess sugar intake and smoking. A multi-sectoral approach, that includes oral health would be advantageous to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Falls in hospital are a significant public health issue and patients with communication disability have unique risk factors that have the potential to contribute to falls. The aim of this study is to determine how the content of hospital falls policies relate to patients with communication disability and to identify gaps in policy that need to be addressed. Methods: A scoping review and content analysis of (a) policies and related documents, from a target health service in Victoria, Australia, and all relevant Australian state and territory health departments, and (b) national guidelines was performed. Data were analysed for content relating to inclusion of patients with communication disability. Results: Communication disability is not captured as a risk factor for a fall in assessment tools. When included, aspects of communication disability were often conflated with cognitive impairments. There was little guidance for staff on adapting falls prevention education to suit the needs of patients with communication disability and limited identified role for speech pathologists. Conclusion: This study suggests that a patient's communication disability is not visible in hospital falls policies and guidelines. What is known about the topic? Falls prevention is an important part of the national health policy agenda and there is extensive literature informing hospital policy and guidelines. What does the paper add? This study provides insights into how hospital falls policies and guidelines relate to the assessment of risk, and prevention of falls in people with communication disability. What are the implications for practitioners? The results suggest that a patient's communication disability is not considered in falls risk assessment, or prevention plans. Communication disability should not be a barrier to engaging patients in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian Genomics is a national collaborative partnership of more than 100 organizations piloting a whole-of-system approach to integrating genomics into healthcare, based on federation principles. In the first five years of operation, Australian Genomics has evaluated the outcomes of genomic testing in more than 5,200 individuals across 19 rare disease and cancer flagship studies. Comprehensive analyses of the health economic, policy, ethical, legal, implementation and workforce implications of incorporating genomics in the Australian context have informed evidence-based change in policy and practice, resulting in national government funding and equity of access for a range of genomic tests. Simultaneously, Australian Genomics has built national skills, infrastructure, policy, and data resources to enable effective data sharing to drive discovery research and support improvements in clinical genomic delivery., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests R.L.W. is the Chair of the Medical Services Advisory Committee; the views in this paper are not representing those of the Commonwealth of Australia. I.E.S. has served on scientific advisory boards for BioMarin, Chiesi, Eisai, Encoded Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKline, Knopp Biosciences, Nutricia, Rogcon, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, UCB, and Xenon Pharmaceuticals; has received speaker honoraria from GlaxoSmithKline, UCB, BioMarin, Biocodex, Chiesi, Liva Nova, Nutricia, Zuellig Pharma, and Eisai; has received funding for travel from UCB, Biocodex, GlaxoSmithKline, Biomarin, and Eisai; has served as an investigator for Anavex Life Sciences, Cerecin Inc, Cerevel Therapeutics, Eisai, Encoded Therapeutics, EpiMinder Inc, Epygenyx, ES-Therapeutics, GW Pharma, Marinus, Neurocrine BioSciences, Ovid Therapeutics, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, UCB, Ultragenyx, Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Zogenix, and Zynerba; and has consulted for Care Beyond Diagnosis, Epilepsy Consortium, Atheneum Partners, Ovid Therapeutics, UCB, Zynerba Pharmaceuticals, BioMarin, Encoded Therapeutics, and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals; and is a Non-Executive Director of Bellberry Ltd and a Director of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Australian Council of Learned Academies Limited. She may accrue future revenue on pending patent WO61/010,176 (filed: 2008): Therapeutic Compound; has a patent for SCN1A testing held by Bionomics Inc and licensed to various diagnostic companies; and has a patent molecular diagnostic/theranostic target for benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE) (PRRT2) 2,011,904,493 & 2,012,900,190 and PCT/AU2012/001,321 (TECH ID:2012-009)., (Copyright © 2023 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

What is known about the topic? Sonographers are well-known for their diagnostic roles in medical ultrasound though many have significant exposure to a range of interventional procedures. What does this paper add? Some sonographers are trained and qualified in these, including performing ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal injections. What are the implications for practitioners? A number of barriers exist for sonographers to use these skills to potential within the Australian healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper describes the policy context and approaches taken to improve access to primary health care in Australia by supporting nurses to deliver improved integrated care meeting community needs. Context: In Primary Health Care (PHC), the nursing workforce are predominantly employed in the general practice sector. Despite evidence that nurse‐led models of care can bridge traditional treatment silos in the provision of specialised and coordinated care, PHC nurses' scope of practice varies dramatically. Nurse‐led models of care are imperative for rural and remote populations that experience workforce shortages and barriers to accessing health care. Existing barriers include policy constraints, limited organisational structures, education and financing models. Approach: The Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) received funding to implement nurse‐led clinics as demonstration projects. The clinics enable PHC nurses to work to their full scope of practice, improve continuity of care and increase access to health care in under serviced locations. We reviewed a range of peer‐reviewed literature, policy documents, grey literature and APNA provided sources, particularly those relevant to rural and remote populations. We argue more focus is needed on how to address variations in the scope of practice of the rural and remote PHC nursing workforce. Conclusion: Despite growing evidence for the effectiveness of nurse‐led models of care, significant policy and financial barriers continue to inhibit PHC nurses working to their full scope of practice. If their potential to transform health care and increase access to health services is to be realised these barriers must be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: Supporting healthy behaviours (quality diet, physical activity, sleep) through home‐based interventions is feasible to improve postnatal mental health. Involving stakeholders in developing interventions is essential for maximising accessibility, implementation and scale‐up. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the sustainable implementation and scalability of the Food, Move, Sleep (FOMOS) for Postnatal Mental Health program, including strategies to enhance research‐practice translation. Methods: Stakeholders (n = 13) involved in promoting physical activity, healthy eating, postnatal and mental health, public health and/or policy participated in semi‐structured interviews. Interviews, based on PRACTIS Guide recommendations for implementation and scale‐up, explored perceptions of program design, implementation and scalability. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken. Identified implementation and scale‐up strategies were mapped against the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change compendium and PRACTIS Guide. Results: Individual‐level: Targeting multiple systems (primary, tertiary, community‐based care) and entry points (early, mid‐postpartum) for uptake was important. For equity, screening women in public hospitals, engaging with community agencies and targeting most at‐risk women, was suggested. Provider‐level: Stakeholders identified strategies to enhance future roll‐out (organisations assisting with recruitment). Factors impacting sustainability included high demand for the FOMOS program, and governance around screening and funding; online delivery, connecting with partners and providers and integration into existing services may enhance sustainability. Systems‐level: Political support and community champions were perceived important for program dissemination. Nine strategies addressing program uptake, reach, implementation, potential scalability and sustainability were identified. Conclusions: For sustainable implementation and potential scalability of a home‐based multi‐behaviour postnatal intervention, multi‐level implementation and scale‐up strategies, aligned with existing health systems, policies and initiatives to support postnatal mental health should be considered. So What?: This paper provides a comprehensive list of strategies that can be used to enhance sustainable implementation and scalability of healthy behaviour programs targeting postnatal mental health. Further, the interview schedule, systematically developed and aligned with the PRACTIS Guide, may serve as a useful resource for researchers conducting similar studies in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A series of Community Pharmacy Agreements (Agreements) between the Federal government and a pharmacy-owners' body, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) have been influential policy in Australian community pharmacy (CP) since 1990. While ostensibly to support the public's access and use of medicines, the core elements of the Agreements have been remuneration for dispensing and rules that limit the establishment of new pharmacies. Criticism has focused on the self-interest of pharmacy owners, the exclusion of other pharmacy stakeholders from the Agreement negotiations, the lack of transparency, and the impact on competition. The objective of this paper is to determine the true nature of the policy by examining the evolution of the CPA from a policy theory perspective. Methods: A qualitative evaluation of all seven Agreement documents and their impact was undertaken using policy theories including a linear policy development model, Multiple Streams Framework, Incremental Theory, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the Theory of Economic Regulation, the Punctuated Equilibrium Framework, and Elite Theory. The Agreements were evaluated using four lenses: their objectives, evidentiary base, stakeholders and beneficiaries. Results: The PGA has acted as an elite organisation with long-standing influence on the policy's development and implementation. Notable has been the failure of other pharmacy stakeholders to establish broad-based advocacy coalitions in order to influence the Agreements. The incremental changes negotiated every 5 years to the core elements of the Agreements have supported the publics' access to medication, provided stability for the government, and security for existing pharmacy owners. Their impact on the evolution of pharmacists' scope of practice and through that, on the public's safe and appropriate use of medication, has been less clear. Conclusions: The Agreements can be characterised predominantly as industry policy benefiting pharmacy owners, rather than health policy. An emerging issue is whether incremental change will continue to be an adequate policy response to the social, political, and technological changes that are affecting health care, or whether policy disruption is likely to arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia and internationally, Indigenous children are seriously overrepresented in the child welfare system. This article provides an overview of literature investigating the needs of Indigenous children in residential care facilities. The provision of culturally safe and trauma-informed therapeutic care to Indigenous children and young people in residential care recognizes that the trauma and violence that they have experienced is exacerbated by their Indigeneity due to the colonial histories presenting. Utilizing a systematic scoping review methodology, the study returned a total of 637 peer-reviewed articles that were identified and reviewed for inclusion. The process of exclusion resulted in the inclusion of eight peer-reviewed studies and 51 reports and discussion papers sourced from gray literature. Findings from this study, though dearth, indicate that trauma-informed and culturally safe interventions play a significant role in Indigenous children's health and well-being while in care. Their experiences of abuse and neglect transcend individual trauma and include intergenerational pain and suffering resulting from long-lasting impacts of colonization, displacement from culture and country, genocidal policies, racism, and the overall systemic disadvantage. As such, a therapeutic response, embedded within Indigenous cultural frameworks and knowledges of trauma, is not only important but absolutely necessary and aims to acknowledge the intersectionality between the needs of Indigenous children in care and the complex systemic disadvantage impacting them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite growing evidence on the social determinants of health and health equity, political action has not been commensurate. Little is known about how political will operates to enact pro-equity policies or not. This paper examines how political will for pro-health equity policies is created through analysis of public policy in multiple sectors., Methods: Eight case studies were undertaken of Australian policies where action was either taken or proposed on health equity or where the policy seemed contrary to such action. Telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with 192 state and non-state participants. Analysis of the cases was done through thematic analysis and triangulated with document analysis., Results: Our case studies covered: trade agreements, primary healthcare (PHC), work conditions, digital access, urban planning, social welfare and Indigenous health. The extent of political will for pro-equity policies depended on the strength of path dependency, electoral concerns, political philosophy, the strength of economic and biomedical framings, whether elite interests were threatened and the success or otherwise of civil society lobbying., Conclusion: Public health policy actors may create political will through: determining how path dependency that exacerbates health inequities can be broken, working with sympathetic political forces committed to fairness; framing policy options in a way that makes them more likely to be adopted, outlining factors to consider in challenging the interests of elites, and considering the extent to which civil society will work in favour of equitable policies. A shift in norms is required to stress equity and the right to health., (© 2022 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Introduction: Occupational therapists recommending home modifications in Australia are often required by funding bodies to consider 'value' and 'value for money' (VFM); however, clear guidance on how to define and apply these concepts is not always provided. This paper reports on a qualitative study examining how the concepts of value and VFM are currently understood and operationalised by occupational therapists in Australian home modification practice, with the aim of positively contributing to both policy and practice in this area. Methods: The study utilised constructivist grounded theory to collect and analyse qualitative data from 20 occupational therapists who were currently working across Australia and had professional experience in home modifications. Findings: The grounded theory that was derived from the analysis highlights the unique position that occupational therapists occupy in home modification work as they strive to align the values of different stakeholders to create solutions that all consider to be valuable. In the absence of consistent frameworks or methods for determining value and VFM, evidence also emerged of occupational therapists using a range of individual approaches such as using formal and informal care as metrics, cheapest option approaches, and comparative costing. Conclusion: In addition to a clear need for consistent and transparent approaches to understanding and operationalising VFM in home modifications, there is also a need for further investigation into the value systems that underpin this work. A conceptualisation of occupational therapists as street‐level policy agents has proven useful here as it highlights the position occupational therapists occupy, enacting, making, and, at times, challenging policy in day‐to‐day practice as they work to align the values of the various stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence and abuse against people with intellectual disabilities are internationally recognised as a pervasive social problem. Recent years have seen the development and implementation of preventative strategies, yet only few of them have been rigorously evaluated. The present paper aims to identify preventative abuse strategies for people with intellectual disabilities and explore the evidence about their quality and effectiveness. A scoping review method was implemented, and a comprehensive search of 14 online databases identified six peer-reviewed articles, published between January 2007 and June 2019, that reported on evaluation of violence prevention strategies designed for adults with intellectual disabilities. Each program and its evaluation were critically and systematically reviewed. Overall, the analysis reveals the strategies' core elements, and highlights strengths and gaps in delivery and evaluation. More rigorous evaluation is required to establish the effectiveness of violence prevention strategies and to advance evidence-based practice in this field. IMPLICATIONS The social work profession has a critical role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of violence prevention strategies for adults with intellectual disabilities. Design of violence prevention strategies needs to be multifaceted, and embedded within the social and cultural environments of people with intellectual disabilities. Violence prevention strategies need to evolve from focusing solely on risk reduction to a broader approach encompassing the safety of adults with intellectual disabilities as part of their human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disability support systems have not consistently used family‐centered practices when supporting families of children with disability. Families have experienced structural and interpersonal barriers that have negatively impacted not only their child's quality of life, but also family quality of life (FQOL). The eight domains of QOL as defined by the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities [IASSID] are reflected in a family‐centered model of support developed for children and young people by Microboards Australia. The Microboards for Children [MB4C] model reflects best family centered practice based on principles that integrate well with recognised FQOL domains such as family relationships, support from other people and from disability‐related services, and leisure and enjoyment of life. The MB4C model aims to enhance families' knowledge, skills, confidence, and sense of wellbeing to support them develop a vision for an active, socially connected, and happy future with their child. The model consists of a structured network of formal and informal support to enhance not only their child or young person's personal relationships, social networks, and community inclusion but also to enable parents and siblings to access education, employment and to enjoy life in their community – all indicators of FQOL. In this paper we explore how these features of MB4C policies and practice align with family‐centered practice principles and with FQOL domains. We argue that the MB4C model provides an example of how FQOL may be enhanced by a holistic family‐centered disability service system that works in partnership with families with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Australian prisoner population has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of older inmates over the past decade, consistent with the greying of the prisoner population that is being observed worldwide. Reviews suggest the need for further evidence and practice outside of the USA. This paper aims to review and discuss the cost and social implications of the rising health-care needs of this population in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: A review of international research and policies is presented, as well as the results of basic economic modelling relating to the expected rise in health-care costs of the ageing prisoner population in Australia. Findings: Taking into consideration the continued rise in incarceration rates, the calculations show that the health costs of prisoners could increase by anywhere between 17% and 90% depending on whether the increase of older prisoners continues as it has in the past decade. These trends are likely to continue over the next decade and will result in higher health costs of prisons under a number of different imprisonment scenarios. Policy responses in Australia have been slow so far, with most initiatives being undertaken in the USA with promising results. Practical implications: The authors suggest that in the absence of a coordinated policy response, covering a range of interventions, costs will continue to increase, particularly as this population continues to age more rapidly than the general population due to an accumulation of risk factors. Well-conceived interventions would be a worthwhile investment from both financial and social perspectives. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first commentary to acknowledge this rising public health issue and to both review and model its implications for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]