Health System Integration and Primary Health Care Development
Description and aims
This stream is focused on the role of primary health care in improving health and social care integration. Integration is approached at a number of levels and perspectives with the ultimate objectives of improving health and well being, service user experience and system efficiency/effectiveness.
Key current research areas
Primary Health Care System Development
PHC System Development is concerned with the development of organisations, systems, capacity and frameworks needed for a strong Primary Health Care system. This includes the organisational structures including LHDs, PHNs, and emerging Australian models of Patient Centred Medical Homes and Neighbourhood
Improving integration of services and continuity of care
Improving Integration is concerned with the way that different parts of health and related systems work together to provide comprehensive and well-coordinated primary health care. This includes integration within primary health care and with other sectors, including hospitals.
Access to Primary Health Care
Access to PHC is concerned with patterns of access to quality Primary Health Care. This work includes studies of access to primary health care for people with diabetes, using data from population health surveys and linking records from hospital and other data sets.
Key partners
Partnerships and working together at individual and organisational levels are central to improved integration. Our key partners are consumer and health professional representative organisations, PHNs, LHDs, community organisations and related sectors such as local government, education, employment etc.
Stream lead
Margo Barr leads this stream.
Completed
Projects
Evaluation of Macarthur GP After-hours Service - Stage 1
The General Practice Unit, Fairfield Hospital conducted the evaluation under a contract arrangement with Macarthur Division of General Practice.
Evaluation of Sydney South West Indigenous Community Health Brokerage Services (Marumali)
Marumali is an innovative service delivery model aiming at improving the accessibility of mainstream health care services by the Australian Indigenous community.
Evaluation of the Arabic Mindfulness CD
This is an evaluation of the acceptability and clinical utility of a cognitive intervention (an Arabic language mindfulness CD) in the treatment and management of patients with mood disorders.
Evaluation of the Peer Led Collaborative Group of Practice Nurses and Clinical Nurse Consultants
Practice Nurses (PNs) are at the interface between primary care and hospital services, yet their capacity to improve integrated care has not been fully explored. The Peer Led Collaborative (PLC) group brought together PNs and Clinical Nurse Consultants (CNCs) in the St George locality for small group learning sessions from July to December 2019. It was a project within the NSW Health Integrated Care Strategy aiming to deliver seamless care in the health system.
Evaluation of the Western NSW Integrated Care Strategy
The Evaluation is a partnership which brings together expert research and consultancy experience to provide a rigorous and grounded assessment of a major NSW Health initiative.