The Foundation has featured in one of the latest Deloitte global updates on innovation in the health care system.
The Foundation's HealthAccess service is now supporting a catchment of more than 300,000 people across Australia to access critical and timely primary health care in the face of growing doctor shortages.
Deloitte undertook an independent evaluation of the HealthAccess service as part of the Foundation's regular quality improvement program.
Les Hems, Principal, Deloitte Consulting, said: "The Foundation wanted to demonstrate the benefits of its healthcare model, especially during COVID-19, and the effectiveness of how it enhances local access to healthcare to improve the lives of people living in rural and remote areas. We have been able to support the Foundation to develop evidence of the significant economic and social benefits of HealthAccess, its hybrid healthcare model.”
Shaun Deery, Manager, Deloitte reviewed the design and operation of HealthAccess and was delighted with the results: “100% of HealthAccess service users said they would continue to refer patients, and 100% were satisfied with and confident in the level of care provided. They also said that 95% of patients were satisfied with the services they received.”
The research found that HealthAccess is not only providing local patients with continuity of care in their community while enhancing the value propositions to GPs to work in remote and rural communities, it is saving the health system millions of dollars by avoiding patient transport costs.
Key findings of the independent evaluation included:
94 percent satisfaction rate among clinicians using the service.
>90 percent satisfaction among consumers.
42.5 percent reduction in avoidable patient transfers.
average savings of $303 per occasion of service for local hospitals.
The Foundation is continuing to roll-out in HealthAcess Aged Care service to Residential Aged Care Facilities that are struggling to maintain adequate primary health care services for their residents during the doctor drought.
It is also working with Allied Health industry on the Remote Integrated and Collaborative Health (RICH) initiative using a hybrid model of on-site and telehealth delivered care, as well as expand its access to services to include physio, speech pathology, nutrition, dentistry and psychology in patients that have not had access to these services in their local community before.
To learn more go to https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/telehealth-tranforming-communities.html.
For information on HealthAccess and how to use its services go to: https://www.thcfa.org.au/healthaccess
For information on the Foundation go to: https://www.thcfa.org.au
For comment please call Mark Burdack on (02) 4062 8900 or at info@rarms.org.au.