Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system
Background and context The Canterbury health system adopted a whole-system approach towards integrated patient care. There was a need to optimise the use of allied health resources, across private and public settings. Assessment of the problem There was no common means for consensus and communica...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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CSIRO Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Health Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.publish.csiro.au/hc/pdf/HC22111 |
| _version_ | 1797854752427474944 |
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| author | Graham McGeoch Paula Eden |
| author_facet | Graham McGeoch Paula Eden |
| author_sort | Graham McGeoch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background and context
The Canterbury health system adopted a whole-system approach towards integrated patient care. There was a need to optimise the use of allied health resources, across private and public settings.
Assessment of the problem
There was no common means for consensus and communication among allied health professions about consistent patient care, and barriers such as a lack of trust existed. This paper describes the implementation and monitoring of Allied Healthways, a website for allied health professionals, set up in 2017 using the HealthPathways approach.
Results
Over 100 pathways have been published on Allied Healthways, with >13 000 clinicians using the site in Canterbury. Targeted education sessions for allied health professionals, combined with newsletters, raised awareness of new pathways or changes in the system. A survey highlighted the usefulness of Allied Healthways, and the majority of respondents agreed that the site should be available nationwide.
Strategies for improvement
Development of pathways was found to be a useful mechanism for improving integration in the system. The workgroups and direct meetings engaged allied health professionals and helped achieve local consensus on pathways. They also enabled improvements to be designed and then communicated as a pathway.
Lessons learnt
Although the patient journey should be consistent, irrespective of their point of contact with the health system, guidance and processes need to be relevant to their target audience. It was essential to write pathways specifically for allied health professionals.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:12:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aee7b3be08e047e38a02c3a8e2c2ed95 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1172-6156 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:12:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | CSIRO Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Health Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-aee7b3be08e047e38a02c3a8e2c2ed952023-03-31T17:45:44ZengCSIRO PublishingJournal of Primary Health Care1172-61562023-01-011518489HC22111Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health systemGraham McGeoch0Paula Eden1The Canterbury Initiative, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand.Allied Healthways, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, Waitaha - Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Background and context The Canterbury health system adopted a whole-system approach towards integrated patient care. There was a need to optimise the use of allied health resources, across private and public settings. Assessment of the problem There was no common means for consensus and communication among allied health professions about consistent patient care, and barriers such as a lack of trust existed. This paper describes the implementation and monitoring of Allied Healthways, a website for allied health professionals, set up in 2017 using the HealthPathways approach. Results Over 100 pathways have been published on Allied Healthways, with >13 000 clinicians using the site in Canterbury. Targeted education sessions for allied health professionals, combined with newsletters, raised awareness of new pathways or changes in the system. A survey highlighted the usefulness of Allied Healthways, and the majority of respondents agreed that the site should be available nationwide. Strategies for improvement Development of pathways was found to be a useful mechanism for improving integration in the system. The workgroups and direct meetings engaged allied health professionals and helped achieve local consensus on pathways. They also enabled improvements to be designed and then communicated as a pathway. Lessons learnt Although the patient journey should be consistent, irrespective of their point of contact with the health system, guidance and processes need to be relevant to their target audience. It was essential to write pathways specifically for allied health professionals. https://www.publish.csiro.au/hc/pdf/HC22111allied health professionalsclinical pathwayscommunityconsensushealth system changepatient care |
| spellingShingle | Graham McGeoch Paula Eden Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system Journal of Primary Health Care allied health professionals clinical pathways community consensus health system change patient care |
| title | Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| title_full | Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| title_fullStr | Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| title_short | Allied HealthWays – a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| title_sort | allied healthways a clinical guidance website for allied health in an integrated health system |
| topic | allied health professionals clinical pathways community consensus health system change patient care |
| url | https://www.publish.csiro.au/hc/pdf/HC22111 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT grahammcgeoch alliedhealthwaysaclinicalguidancewebsiteforalliedhealthinanintegratedhealthsystem AT paulaeden alliedhealthwaysaclinicalguidancewebsiteforalliedhealthinanintegratedhealthsystem |