Integrated Health Care – a population health approach in South Western Sydney

Abstract

Introduction: Wollondilly Shire is a heterogeneous rural community (population 45,000) in the South Western Sydney growth corridor. The Wollondilly Health Alliance (WHA), a partnership between South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), South Western Sydney Medicare Local (SWSML) and Wollondilly Shire Council (WSC), was established in 2013 to address increasing needs for health services in the region. In addition, the WHA includes local primary care providers, Non Government Organisations (NGOs), local community groups and business representatives. The aims are to develop, implement and evaluate models of integrated care that enable enhanced connectivity between providers of primary and secondary care, embed a population health approach to preventative health care and self-management with the long term aim of more efficient use of health services, appropriate use of emergency departments and avoid unnecessary admissions. This paper describes the methodology and evaluation framework adopted for this project, and the progress to date. Methodology: The 3 partners in the WHA agreed to share equally in the costs of the initial planning phases of a health plan based on integrated care principles. The planning phase includes a comprehensive needs assessment, survey of local residents, desk top analysis of local health data including data extracted from local general practices, and extensive face to face consultations with over 100 local health services providers and staff of NGOs, government, and community organisations. The needs assessment information collected and analysed will guide a strategy and priority setting workshop with representation from the local health care providers and community. The workshop will address what integrated health will look like in Wollondilly, what strategies need to be employed, who will be responsible and the resources required. The evaluation framework will be both formative and summative, describing the context, structures and mechanisms established to implement and evaluate the model(s) of care established by the needs assessment and workshop, indicators of access to and impact on the actors in the delivery and use of primary and secondary care services, and patient outcomes. Outcomes to date/Discussion: The data collected so far by the Comprehensive Needs Assessment identified 17 local priorities (broken into 3 categories of population cohort issue, World Congress on Integrated Care 2014, Sydney, November 23-26, 2014. International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 14, 8 December – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-116683– http://www.ijic.org/ health issue and system issue) that need to be addressed to move towards an integrated care system. These priorities arose from more than 500 surveys completed by local residents, contributions received from over 35 different providers, and representatives from the 3 levels of government in this region. The priorities set in the workshop will be addressed in the presentation. Author: SWS Integrated Health Committee 5 August 2014