Over recent years, Michael Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg’s Value Based Health Care model has been considered for implementation into areas of the Australian health system. The backdrop of this effort is the disease burden of 1 in 2 Australians having a chronic condition (2014-15 National Health Survey). One of the key goals of the delivery model is to consider the outcomes, rather than the actual treatment episodes. From a delivery perspective, it’s also to deliver outcomes that matter to patients over the cost.
Today’s health system has a number of significant financial challenges:
• Variations of the quality of health care delivery
• Growing population with increased chronic diseases and aging numbers increasing
• Rapidly evolving technologies that bring huge opportunity, at a cost
• Increased consumer expectations
Recently Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association launched the Australian Centre for Value-Based Health Care (see https://youtu.be/Zvpf6prVo7M) where a case study was presented by Dental Health Services Victoria.
Early stages of the work included a visit to Harvard Business School, by Dental Health Services Victoria CEO Deborah Cole and Board Chair Dr Zoe Wainer. They met with Elizabeth Teisberg from the Value Institute for Health and Care at UT Austin and spoke to her at length on the model and the cultural variations in Australia.
What resulted was adaptation and co-design with consumers and clinicians of the model for dental health in Victoria. Planning also considered the cultural changes needed for the model to work in the Victorian oral health system.
After 3-4 years work, Dental Health Services Victoria has implemented a value based health model for oral health, around the patient and the clinician. This has been possible with a single oral health data system for the state of Victoria and staff keeping in mind the value and outcomes that patients seek.
During implementation small steps were necessary for changes needed in work practice and behaviour. New measurement included using International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement – ICHOM datasets on 23 patient reported outcomes as well as the reviewing the overall cost model.
The case study talks about some of the early indicators of success:
• Decrease in failure to attend rates
• Increase in dentists practicing to top of scope
• Increased preventative interventions
• Strong patient co-design, engagement and satisfaction
• Strong clinician engagement in Proof of Concept
The implementation continues at Dental Health Services Victoria, to capture patient experience, develop the best suited funding model and extending parts of the current model to the wider Victorian health system.
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Thyroid health into pregnancy
‘Without an adequate amount of thyroid hormone mothers can be exposed to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia or eclampsia, which affect around 10% of pregnant women and are the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Mothers who suffer from hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular consequences and hypertensive disorders in subsequent pregnancies. Evidence also indicates a risk of reduced cognitive ability to their offspring.
‘Knowing if you are genetically predisposed to Hashimoto’s or Graves’ Diseases, which are both thyroid autoimmune disorders is important to be aware of, to ensure all appropriate tests are ordered. Autoimmune disorders may predispose mothers to a thyroid problem during pregnancy’, says Professor Creswell Eastman, who also serves as the ATF’s Principal Medical Advisor.
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Australian Healthcare Week
Held 27th-28th March at the ICC Sydney, the expo is one of the largest, if not the largest healthcare events in the regions. AHJ as media partner attended and met with delegates, exhibitors and leaders in the healthcare industry. Click the post to see footage.
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Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program
How does a nurse navigate senior management to affect change within their organisation? It’s a gap that Australian College of Nursing is helping to fill with it’s Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program that gives established nursing professional access to prominent leaders in nursing.
