Understanding the problem to get the right solution – a partnership approach between four Divisions and Hunter New England Area Health Service
Hunter Rural, acting as lead division, are working with their neighbouring Divisions - North West Slopes, New England and Barwon Divisions to support better integration of services. “We knew that there were gaps in the services available in each area – we just had to gather the evidence. By pooling this knowledge we could identify areas to work together” commented Kelly Anderson (ABHI Integration project officer at Hunter Rural Division)
Measuring the baseline – a shared objective with HNEAHS
Kelly contacted the Director of Community Health Strategy to discuss the best way to go about surveying community health teams as part of the fact finding mission. Through the Hunter New England Area Health Service (HNEAHS), a survey was sent to all community health staff in the area. The survey included asking participants of their experiences in using the enhanced primary care items (EPC) and contributing to patient care plans and team care arrangements. Surveys were completed by Clinical Nurse Consultants, Community Nurses and allied health practitioners.
Base-line information was taken from General Practice using the same survey or information gained from the Divisions annual surveys of practices. Community members were also invited to take part in the survey – providing valuable feedback about their needs.
Identifying the issues:
“When we shared the survey results, it seemed that the things that were bothering the GPs were also things that the Area Health Service staff want to work on. The results were actually pretty similar” said Kelly Anderson (ABHI Integration Program Officer).
- Some common issues identified by both groups as needing work were:
- Access to services – both in General Practice and Community Health
- Transport was seen as a barrier to accessing services in some areas
- How to make the best use of each others skills in a team care arrangement
- Wanting a better understanding of what each member of the practice team actually does (eg practice nurses, practice managers, private allied health)
The way forward and the Next steps…
“There are some issues that are too big for us to tackle in this program alone – but it has provided us with a common base of evidence to work on. We will concentrate on the areas where we know we can make a difference” said Kelly Anderson.
Together the Divisions will ensure that existing directories are up to date and make them accessible on line for GPs. Further investigation into the referral process between the GP and the allied health professional continues. In this research, strategies will be developed to create effective communication tools and methods to encourage relationship development.
Strategies that are currently being included as a collaborative and/or local strategy includes:
- Establishing a Healthcare Integration Forum with each Division and HNEAHS clusters
- Refocusing current projects to address workforce shortages and service gaps
- Training and education for GP, practice staff and allied health
- Community engagement
- Information Management/Information Technology
Expected/actual outcomes:
In the long term the project hopes to support better linkages between general practice teams, community allied health, private allied health providers and the community. It also hopes to support more of a regional approach to work with HNEAHS and, where possible, to increase collaboration across the Divisions.
For more information about this project please contact kelly@hrdgp.com.au