Executive summary The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is not a health scheme. The NDIS funds disability support and a range of related services designed to maximise the independence of a person with a disability. Health care is a specific exclusion. The NDIS is organisationally separate from both the health system and the aged care...

Executive Summary What are the issues related to health professionals’ changing scope of practice in Australia? There is evidence that the current organisation of health professionals and health practitioners, and their associated scope of practice, are not suited to meet the needs of the Australian health system. This is contributing to unsafe and inefficient care...

Policy context Increasingly, consumers expect their governments, health services and health practitioners to assist them to be: More informed and involved generally; Managing their health where possible; and Providing prompt, appropriate and individualised help when required. As such, listening, shaping and responding to consumer expectations of healthcare could now be seen as a critical strategic...

Executive summary Clinical decision-making tools can be considered in two broad categories – those designed to be used by clinicians and those designed to promote shared decision making with the clinician and patient together. The potential effect of computerised clinical decision support systems (CDSS) on variations in practice is not well understood, and CDSS are...

Advanced healthcare systems are moving toward greater efficiency, transparency and accountability, and this trend will continue, particularly in fiscally-constrained environments There is no single measure that will improve service delivery and patient outcomes, ensure financial sustainability and increase accountability and transparency in a health system Performance reporting in healthcare will work if properly developed and...