BACKGROUND Appropriately timed patient discharge is essential for optimal patient care and efficient hospital functioning. The post-operative morbidity survey (POMS) is the only validated prospective method of measuring short-term post-operative morbidity. It has not previously been used as a bed utilisation tool. METHODS We collected POMS data from 529 consecutive lower-limb arthroplasty pat...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between the trends of CT utilisation in an emergency department (ED) and changes in clinical imaging practice and patients' disposition. SETTING A hospital-based retrospective observational study of a public 1520-bed referral medical centre in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS Adult ED visits (aged ≥18 years) during 2009-2013, with or without receiving CT, were ...

BACKGROUND The New South Wales Health (NSW Health) Chronic Disease Management Program (CDMP) delivers interventions to adults at risk of hospitalisation for five target chronic conditions that respond well to ambulatory care: diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. The intervention consists of two main components: (1)...

In late 2001, a group of South Australian metropolitan public and private hospitals commenced voluntary contribution of data on in-hospital utilisation of antimicrobials to the Communicable Disease Control Branch of the Department of Human Services. Where possible, hospitals contributed data on all antimicrobials dispensed for use within the institution each month. These data were stratified in...

Background Despite numerous efforts to improve maternal and child health in Malawi, maternal and newborn mortality rates remain very high, with the country having one of the highest maternal mortality ratios globally. The aim of this study was to identify which individual factors best predict utilisation of skilled maternal healthcare in a sample of women residing in Lilongwe district of ...

A review of admissions to cancer services at University Hospital Galway (UHG) was undertaken to assess the appropriateness of hospital usage. All cancer specialty patients admitted from 26-28 May 2009 were reviewed (n = 82). Chi square tests, Exact tests, and One-way ANOVA were utilised to analyse key issues emerging from the data. Fifty (61%) were classified as emergencies. Twenty three (67%) ...

INTRODUCTION This prospective observational study over 5 years aimed to quantify long-term morbidity and mortality in a prospectively recruited cohort of Central Australian survivors of critical illness. METHODS Eligible participants are survivors of an intensive care unit (ICU) admission for a critical illness at the Alice Springs Hospital (ASH), prospectively recruited during 2009. The ASH ...

The growing use of online services requires substantial supporting infrastructure. The efficient deployment of applications relies on the cost effectiveness of commercial hosting providers who deliver an agreed quality of service as governed by a service level agreement for a fee. The priorities of the commercial hosting provider are to maximise revenue, by delivering agreed service levels, and...

Good wound bed preparation is an essential aspect of wound care and effective wound healing. Removal of dead and necrotic tissue either through autolytic or interventional debridement, followed by good exudate management, inhibition of matrix metalloproteases and bacterial bioburden control should allow the chronic wound to process to closure. It is known, still, that wound healing in these cir...