BACKGROUND Few studies have sought to measure health professional perceptions of quality and safety across an entire system of public hospitals. Therefore, three questions that gauge different aspects of quality and safety were included in a national New Zealand survey of clinical governance. METHODS Three previously used questions were adapted. A total of 41040 registered health professional...

The Northern Territory is Australia's third largest jurisdiction by land mass but it is the smallest by population. By proportion it accommodates the largest number of Aboriginal people who suffer the greatest burden of disease with high morbidity, mortality, admission rates and lengths of stay. Output based funding by DRG is based on the "typical" Australian population which is not that of the...

OBJECTIVE: Payment for performance fi nancial incentive schemes reward doctors based on the quality and the outcomes of their treatment. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health is looking to scale up its use in public hospitals and some municipalities are developing payment for performance schemes even for the Family Health Programme. In this article the Quality and Outcomes Framework used in the UK ...

In 1993 the Victorian Government introduced casemix funding as part of its restructure of the public hospital system. Casemix funding provides a new basis for government funding according to outcomes. At the same time, restructure of hospitals allows for a reconsideration of who is eligible to use them. Historical research into the growth of the public hospital system in Melbourne shows that at...

OBJECTIVE To assess the existence and content of elective admission policies in New South Wales acute public hospitals. METHODS A questionnaire was sent to managers of all acute public hospitals (n = 76). Copies of elective admission policies were sought from respondents. Results were analysed with EpiInfo 5.01b and policy content by thematic analysis. RESULTS Survey response was 91% (69/76...

BACKGROUND It is speculated that the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus might fall into a seasonal pattern during the current post-pandemic period with more severe clinical presentation for high-risk groups identified during the 2009 pandemic. Hence the extent of likely excess healthcare needs during this period must be fully considered. We will make use of the historical healthcare record in T...

Growing government support has been evident during the past decade for macro-level workforce planning to ensure that future populations have access to appropriate health care services. Population ageing is impacting on workforce requirements and on workforce supply within Australia and internationally. Changes in financing and the organisation of health services are impacting on the availabilit...

BACKGROUND Many of public hospitals in Japan have had a deficit for a long time. Japanese local governments have been encouraging public hospitals to use group purchasing of drugs to benefit from the economies of scale, and increase their bargaining power for obtaining discounts in drug purchasing, thus improving their financial situation. In this study, we empirically investigate whether or no...

Episiotomy rates for women experiencing childbirth in New South Wales (NSW) hospitals are another indicator that private insurance may be a risk factor for obstetric intervention. A recent comparison of episiotomy rates in NSW public and private hospitals between 1993 and 1996 revealed that episiotomy rates were 12 to 15 percentage points higher in NSW private hospitals than in public hospitals...