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Objective: HealthPathways (HPW) is an international web-based information portal that provides health practitioners with guidelines and referral pathways to specialists and services. The present study explored usage of HPW by general practitioners (GPs) in the Barwon region, south-west Victoria, and any benefits and barriers to its use. Methods: Approximately 421 GPs provide services in 86 clinics across the Barwon region, south-west Victoria and Barwon Health is the public health service providing acute, subacute, residential aged care and community health services to approximately 350 000 people. The present study was a mixed-methods analysis of all GPs in the region, who were invited to complete a survey in two waves (2014 and 2016) and participate in focus groups. Data were survey/questionnaire (fixed response and free text options, analysed with descriptive statistics and content analysis), and focus groups (interview and facilitated group discussion, analysed using the principles of thematic analysis). Results: Most GPs surveyed used HPW and usage increased over time from 2014 to 2016 (67% vs 77% respectively). Junior GPs used HPW more often than the more experienced practitioners. GPs reported that HPW was easy to access and navigate, improved their knowledge of local services, improved their confidence, changed their clinical management and saved them time. Main barriers to use of HPW were: GPs did not think to look at HPW, or simply did not know about it. Conclusions: HPW has the potential to improve patient management and health outcomes, and use of HPW is increasing over time. What is known about the topic?: Initiatives such as HPW are viewed positively by clinicians and have the potential to address challenges at the primary–secondary care interface, specifically, referral to secondary specialists. What does this paper add?: Proof of concept that the ongoing availability of localised HPW for common clinical conditions improves GP usage of HPW and has increased access to HPW as the first source of clinical information. Benefits and barriers to use have been identified. What are the implications for practitioners?: HPW improves knowledge of local services and provides GPs with easy access to referral pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To develop a communication app to support nursing staff during the provision of standard care of patients from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds (NESBs), when an interpreter is not available. This paper reports on the user needs analysis phase that informed the development, content and functionality of the app. Background: In 2014 we developed CALD Assist, a communication app to support patient interactions with allied health clinicians when interpreters are not present. It includes 95 commonly used phrases professionally interpreted into 10 languages and grouped by discipline. This work expands upon our previous app to meet the needs of the nursing workforce. Design: Qualitative through focus groups, observations and interviews, with a quantitative component from observational data and staff surveys. Methods: Four focus groups with hospital staff, ten interviews with patients from NESBs and 85 observation sessions of everyday patient–staff interactions followed by staff surveys (n = 85) were held between January and June 2017. Results: Baseline data prior to app development revealed that staff confidence of the patients’ level of understanding and the success of the interaction were significantly greater for English‐speaking (ES) patients, than for non‐English‐speaking patients. A total of 143 phrases were identified and subdivided into 16 categories for inclusion in the new app. Conclusion: Staff participants highlighted that patients from NESBs are a challenging patient group to interact with. Patient and staff participants identified a range of areas where the nursing app could benefit, including pain management, mobility, hygiene and nutrition. Relevance to clinical practice: The proposed app can be used to reduce variances in practice and provide a timely and positive patient experience for patients from NESBs who are unable to communicate in English during hospital admissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a doctoral research project that involved a state-wide investigation into mental health triage nursing in Victoria, Australia. Mental health triage is a specialized domain of nursing practice that has emerged within the context of wider mental health reform in the State. The overall aim of the study was to produce a comprehensive definition and description of psychiatric triage nursing in Victoria. Methodological triangulation was used in the design of the study to enable the use of both survey (n = 139) and semi-structured interview (n = 21) data collection methods. Mental health triage nursing was found to be a complex, stressful role that involves high levels of responsibility, clinical decision making, and multiple role functions, many of which overlap into areas of practice previously the exclusive domain of medicine, such as assessment, diagnosis, and referral. The paper raises discussion on contemporary professional issues of concern to mental health triage nursing, and concludes with recommendations for the future development of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The purpose of this paper is to confirm the core competencies required for middle to senior level managers in Victorian public hospitals in both metropolitan and regional/rural areas. Methods. This exploratory mixed-methods study used a three-step approach which included position description content analysis, focus group discussions and online competency verification and identification survey. Results. The study validated a number of key tasks required for senior and middle level hospital managers (levels II, III and IV) and identified and confirmed the essential competencies for completing these key tasks effectively. As a result, six core competencies have been confirmed as common to the II, III and IV management levels in both the Melbourne metropolitan and regional/rural areas. Conclusions. Six core competencies are required for middle to senior level managers in public hospitals which provide guidance to the further development of the competency-based educational approach for training the current management workforce and preparing future health service managers. With the detailed descriptions of the six core competencies, healthcare organisations and training institutions will be able to assess the competency gaps and managerial training needs of current health service managers and develop training programs accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]