What is known about the topic? Intravenous medications have multiple steps required to safely prepare and administer. Succinct, clear instructions can be difficult to find and may be prone to error. What does this paper add? This paper reports on the establishment of a hospital clinical pharmacist-led group to develop and maintain intravenous medication guidelines on preparation, administration and relevant information to clinicians. Each guideline is regularly reviewed and improved based on end-user feedback. What are the implications for clinicians? Clinicians have access to clear, accurate guidelines tailored to the needs of the hospital that can be accessed quickly.

What is known about the topic? Current health policy emphasises value-based care: efficient, outcome-driven models that aim to improve quality and reduce cost. Emerging research shows value frameworks often prioritise clinical metrics and provider performance over patient-defined experience or meaning. What does this paper add? It argues that meaning — not just measurable value — must be foregrounded in healthcare policy. The commentary explores how policies assumed universal access but often reinforce inequity, eroding trust and excluding marginalised voices. It makes the case for treating lived experience as foundational, not optional, and for structuring policy around real-world meaning, not just metrics. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners should embed consumer voice early and consistently, across service design, evaluation, and funding decisions, to ensure equity and trust. They should invest time and resources in engaging voices often excluded by assumptions of universality (such as people with disability, chronic illness or low income). And they should recognise that access, dignity, and visibility must precede ‘value’ if equitable care is the goal.

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What is known about the topic? Value-based health care (VBHC) is now enmeshed within Australian healthcare conversations as well as implementation strategies. What does this paper add? This paper explores the barriers and opportunities for VBHC and compares the differing paradigms of VBHC and health economics. What are the implications for practitioners? o harmonise the two, and realise VBHCs potential, we must bridge existing misalignments, experiment with hybrid models that integrate VBHC’s focus on outcomes with health economic principles to ensure care is not just high value at the bedside, but also fair and efficient at the population level.

What is known about the topic? Values-based healthcare is a driver of patient outcomes within the constraints of a challenging resource poor health care environment. What does this paper add? and what are the implications for practitioners? This paper suggests that in addition to the robust integration of ethical principles into clinical practice, an effective complaints resolution mechanism enhances the compassion and patient centredness of health care and provides a more sustainable basis for value-based healthcare into the future.

What is known about the topic? A reflection of the effectiveness of national health funding reforms, the challenges faced by such reforms, and considerations required to move to a value-based healthcare agenda. What does this paper add? This reflection examines Australia’s 2010 national health reforms, particularly the pursuit of technical efficiency and the unintended perverse incentives it has generated. It explores the key actors across the health system and how their influence can inadvertently shape a value-based agenda in ways that diverge from the original reform objectives. What are the implications for practitioners? It provides an opportunity to reflect that the lens that we use will impact the outcome, and that various lenses and perspectives exist when pursuing a value based health agenda. It provides insights that can improve policy to deliver effective reforms in the future.

What is known about the topic? The overwhelming majority of inpatient procedures in Australia are performed under no- or known-gap arrangements, but there is a suggestion that this is associated with ‘booking fees.’ What does this paper add? The arrangements that private health insurers impose on specialists mean that real fees for procedures have fallen dramatically while costs of providing care have increased. What are the implications for practitioners? At a time when private health insurers are making record profits a rethink of no- and known-gap arrangements – which constitute price caps – must occur urgently.

What is known about the topic? Urgent care services bridge primary and emergency care, but their role and scope remain unclear in Australia. What does this paper add? This study presents a concept map and taxonomy of urgent care services, clarifying their role between primary and emergency care. It also offers a novel comparison of service characteristics and clinical scope across Australian models, mapped to ICD-10 and grouped by condition. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings clarify the role of urgent care, service overlap, workforce roles and accessibility, supporting integration of urgent care in healthcare planning and delivery.

What is known about the topic? Triptans effectively treat migraines when taken early. Timely access is paramount, and downscheduling in February 2021 allowed over-the-counter (OTC) triptan supply in Australia. What does this paper add? This study shows that subsidised triptan dispensing rates slowed after downscheduling, suggesting a shift to OTC access. It also estimates cost impacts for general and concessional patients. What are the implications for practitioners? OTC access may benefit patients needing immediate treatment without a prescription. However, for those with frequent migraines, subsidised prescriptions, especially for concessional patients, remain more affordable and appropriate for ongoing management. Triptans are available OTC at a reduced price (but for fewer tablets). Downscheduling of triptans has reduced the rate of PBS subsidised dispensings. Patients with acute migraines benefit from OTC triptan access. Downscheduling has the potential to lower costs for the government.

What is known about this topic? Regulation has a significant impact on registered health professions. This means that the design, governance, proportionality and scope of professional regulation are the focus of significant reform in many countries. What does the paper add? A unique, longitudinal view of the development and maturation of a national health practitioner regulatory system, which is multi-professional in its scope, is provided. What are the implications for practitioners? An understanding of the genesis, design and achievements of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and the challenges shaping future reform of regulation, reflecting wider changes in the health system, are conveyed.

What is known about the topic? Very little is known about the weighting of extracurricular involvement within standardised curriculum vitae scoring criteria across the Australian medical and surgical specialty training programs. What does this paper add? This paper highlights the limited and varied weighting of extracurricular activities between training programs, specifically in comparison with academic domains. What are the implications for practitioners? Specialty training programs should continue to consider the importance assigned to extracurricular involvement, and junior medical officers should consider whether their time and effort is best spent securing curriculum vitae points from an academic domain.

What is already known about the topic? There is no agreed-upon tool, process, or method to guide mental health nurses (MHNs) in assessing and documenting a patient’s mental state. What this paper adds? The study demonstrated that the implementation of a standardised instrument can significantly improve documentation of patient mental state. What are the implications for practitioners? A benefit of the tool is to provide a standardised template to: facilitate improved documentation of interactions and recognise change or deterioration in mental state; facilitate improved communication between health disciplines working on the treating team; enable MHNs to articulate and document complex and sometimes confusing content elicited from patient engagement and interactions; and set an agreed minimum standard for documentation.

What is known about the topic? Older adults have more complex health needs and could benefit from a palliative reablement approach that addresses evolving needs over time. Allied health clinicians are ideally positioned to deliver such services. What does this paper add? Clinicians feel underequipped to provide palliative care but identified what is needed to enhance confidence and practice. What are the implications for practitioners? A growing ageing population needs a capable and effective workforce. If systems within which allied health train and practice do not offer sufficient opportunity to develop skills and deliver services, quality of care will suffer.

What is known about the topic? Cancer-related malnutrition affects up to 80% of patients depending on the type and stage of cancer. Malnutrition adversely affects treatment outcomes, quality of life, hospital length of stay and mortality. Nutrition screening tools that facilitate identifying malnutrition are poorly utilised, negatively affecting patients. What does this paper add? This study demonstrated dietitian universal nutrition assessment was cost-effective in managing cancer-related malnutrition. What are the implications for practitioners? Dietitians and managers should be aware that identifying and managing malnutrition can result in a National Weighted Activity Unit uplift.

What is known about the topic? Interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) is widely recognised as essential for the functioning of high-quality healthcare systems. However, there is limited understanding of whether attitudes, knowledge and beliefs about IPCP differ across various professional groups or clinical settings within these systems. What does this paper add? This cross-sectional study offers new insights into how attitudes, knowledge and beliefs about IPCP vary across different professional groups and clinical settings. It highlights an underexplored area of research, especially considering that much of the existing literature focuses on university students rather than practising healthcare professionals. What are the implications for practitioners? This research provides valuable information for key stakeholders in health policy, management and clinical practice. Understanding the diverse attitudes and beliefs toward IPCP across professional groups can inform workforce planning, enhance interprofessional training programs, and improve collaboration within healthcare teams. Additionally, these insights can support the development of tailored care delivery models that address the specific needs of different professional groups, fostering more effective and cohesive team-based care.

What is known about the topic? In general, migrants are healthier than the population of the destination country. What does this paper add? Although Eastern Mediterranean region (EMRO)-born migrants are less affected by certain long-term health conditions, they are equally or more affected by some other health conditions. A considerable proportion of EMRO-born migrants with long-term health conditions have low socioeconomic status and language proficiency. Those who lived more than a decade previously are more affected by the conditions that are more prevalent among the Australian-born population. What are the implications for practitioners? Chronic condition prevention and management strategies should be designed based on the characteristics and health needs of migrant groups.

What is known about the topic? Unplanned hospital readmissions are common indicators of healthcare quality, but limited data exist on potentially avoidable unplanned readmissions (PAURs). What does this paper add? This study found that 21% of readmissions were potentially avoidable, with key contributors including relapse of the initial condition, treatment complications, and poor follow-up. What are the implications for practitioners? Reducing PAURs may require a multifaceted approach, including better discharge summaries, assessment of patient readiness, coordinated follow-up, and use of patient education strategies such as teach-back methods.

What is known about the topic? Australia’s data linkage infrastructure is evolving. Despite widespread data availability and recognition of the value of data linkage, it continues to be complex, timely, and costly. What does this paper add? This paper introduces data linkage basics for Australian researchers and discusses important considerations for those embarking on data linkage in health research. What are the implications for practitioners? Understanding the basic elements and challenges of data linkage is essential for the success of data linkage projects in delivering on national investments and improving the health and wellbeing of Australians.

What is known about the topic? Little is known about doctors’ perceptions of how voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is operating in Queensland. What does this paper add? This is the first paper to report on doctors’ perceptions of the first year of VAD in Queensland. Semi-structured interviews with 27 doctors highlight that VAD is generally accepted and delivered as a public medical service, however, system access issues remain. What are the implications for practitioners? The first year of VAD in Queensland has been generally positive, with good collaboration with palliative care, however, there is ongoing reliance on individual practitioners for VAD provision.

What is known about the topic? For-profit corporations view the diagnostic imaging market favourably. The level of corporate ownership and its impact on costs and care are unknown. What does this paper add? Eight public limited and investor-backed companies own 51% of all Australian diagnostic imaging clinics. Areas where a single company owned ≥30% of clinics were identified in four jurisdictions. What are the implications for practitioners? Large for-profit corporations dominate the Australian diagnostic imaging sector, with profits primarily generated through tax-payer funded Medicare benefits. Governments have a fiscal obligation to ensure that these providers deliver affordable, high-value care.