Acknowledgement
of Country
We acknowledge the Kaurna peoples who are the Traditional Custodians of the Adelaide region. We pay tribute to their physical and spiritual connection to land, waters and community, enduring now as it has been throughout time. We pay respect to them, their culture and to Elders past and present.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (and hereafter Aboriginal) - The term Aboriginal is used respectively in this document as an all-encompassing term for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cultures.
Our PHN
OUR REGION
From Sellicks Hill in the south, to Angle Vale in the north, and from the beaches in the west to the foothills in the east - Adelaide PHN serves the whole metropolitan region of Adelaide. Our region is home to 1.4 million people, the vast majority of the South Australian population.
Identifying, analysing and responding to the health and service needs of our region, is Adelaide PHN's core business. To best understand the needs of our region, we undertake extensive community and stakeholder consultation, and collate population health data from a broad range of sources.
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Adelaide PHN Needs Assessment
The Needs Assessment is an important process for PHNs to identify and analyse health and service needs within their regions and prioritise activity to address those needs. Since establishment in July 2015, Adelaide PHN has completed three Needs Assessments.
The latest needs assessment (2017/18 Update Report) reviewed information from our previous needs assessment and analysed new quantitative data. It includes reflections from consultation and engagement activities with our communities and stakeholders that have occurred since 2016.
Read more about the needs assessment here
OUR BOARD
The Adelaide PHN Board is a skills-based Board comprised of three Member elected Directors and up to six Board appointed Directors, each Director is serves a three-year term via a staggered, rotational system.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of our outgoing Board members during the 2017/18 year, Professor Paul Worley and Ms Jill Davidson. Also a warm welcome back to our Board of Directors for another three year term, to Mr Rick Albertini, Dr Lane Hinchcliffe (Board elected), and
Mr Wayne Oldfield (Member elected).
Meet the Adelaide PHN team
Find out more about our Board Members
Dr Nick Vlachoulis
General Practitioner from the Northern Region
Dr Hendrika Meyer
Executive Director of Medical Service at Country Health SA Local Health Network
Dr Lane Hinchcliffe
General Practitioner in Glenelg
Rick Albertini
Managing Partner at
Brentnalls SA
Deb Lee
Secretary - Adelaide PHN CEO
Dr Vikas Jasoria
General Practitioner in Adelaide
Tom Symonds
Manager of Strategic Research Services at Flinders University
Wayne Oldfield
Aboriginal Community Health Advocate
Fiona Rashchella
Qualified Solicitor
STRATEGIC PLAN
Adelaide PHN is a community based and driven organisation, committed to honest and genuine community involvement and input into improving the health outcomes of people living in metropolitan South Australia.
Our Strategic Plan reflects the key objectives and priority areas from the Commonwealth Government and incorporates our core local priority areas determined by our Adelaide PHN membership groups. It is a truly collaborative and integrated Strategic Plan – endorsed by the Adelaide PHN Board.
Download Strategic Plan
Download Financial Report
Launch of Aboriginal Artwork
Aboriginal health is a core priority of Adelaide PHN. Our commissioning activities have included a strong focus on building the capacity of local primary health care providers to deliver culturally sensitive services and care. Concurrently we have also been undergoing a period of active reflection regarding our own practices and space.
These reflections have manifested in our engagement with local Aboriginal artist, Allan Sumner, who we have worked with closely to create a new artwork for our Mile End office. Our Adelaide PHN story is shown in waveform with elements, representing cohesion and connectedness as an organisation. It reflects our commitment to reconciliation, improvement of Aboriginal health and creates a welcoming and inclusive community.
Click here to see the full article
Contents
Chair & CEO Summary
Deb Lee
CEO
"We now have over
160 commissioned
services and activities"
Here we are at the end of our third successful year as the Adelaide Primary Health Network! We have moved from establishment and transition of existing projects, reconnecting and collaborating with all metropolitan stakeholders through to co-design, partnerships and co-funding to a firm focus on facilitating and implementing truly integrated care.
You can find the results of all our hard work and the great outcomes of our consultation, collaboration and facilitation detailed within this report. We now have over 160 commissioned services and activities, a clear pathway for co-design and more and more co funded services and activities.
We began our journey three years ago with three Clinical Councils, three Community Advisory Councils, seven Health Priority Groups and a Membership Advisory Council - rounding out the Adelaide PHN governance structure. Today, having consulted, listened, empowered and acted we have three Clinical Councils, four Community Advisory Councils and one Health Priority Network which includes nine priority areas. This restructure has seen us commence work in establishing a new Aboriginal Advisory Council – a direct result of a community consultation. The new joint force that is our Health Priority Network is shaping up to be interactive, collaborative and integrated. Our foundation purpose is to connect and facilitate a high-quality health system and we can only achieve this leading by example. We take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our stakeholders for the fantastic work they continue to do for our community.
We have continued to provide opportunities for our stakeholders to co-design innovative solutions to identified gaps and needs. We continually strive to keep our design and our commissioned services person centred and involve all areas of our communities in the design, establishment and evaluation processes. Our focus is firmly on connecting and facilitating a quality health system for our community.
Working with you to improve your experience of the health system and your health outcomes, listening, consulting and empowering you. We are all working together; Adelaide PHN, health providers and our community to make the changes that are needed to achieve this.
Our strong partnership with SA Health, across our four metropolitan Local Health Networks (LHNs) continues to make progress with meaningful and measurable outcomes. Increasing the capacity of their services and reducing their costs are a key focus for our LHNs. We have included a sample of the partnership projects that are demonstrating results in this area whilst also enhancing the person’s experience and their health outcomes. There is no doubt that working together equals more effective and efficient service delivery!
We would like to thank our wonderful, expert staff for the fabulous work that they do – working in an ever-changing environment and always managing to exceed expectations whilst managing those of our stakeholders! Our Board continues to provide strategic oversight alongside being ready champions in promoting the work that we do. As always, we would like to thank every one of you, our stakeholders across the Adelaide metropolitan region. You individually and collectively are the reason we are here and your ongoing positivity, passion and commitment to our community drives us to achieve!
Dr Nick Vlachoulis
Chair
Commissioning Matters
Read more
Cultural learning for
primary health CARE providers
In June 2018, Adelaide PHN commissioned Linking Futures and AOGP to deliver Cultural Learning for primary health care providers. These accredited sessions explore life prior to and since settlement, diversity within Aboriginal culture, and recommendations about how to work within a culturally safe practice and appropriately engage with Aboriginal people within the health care context.
To date, three of the 15 scheduled interactive sessions have been very well received. Across the next few months, the remaining sessions will be delivered to primary health care providers in the northern, central and southern regions of Adelaide.
Learn more
Register for an upcoming event via AOGP
Adelaide Respiratory
Health Project
Asthma Australia, in partnership with Lung Foundation Australia, were commissioned to undertake the Adelaide Respiratory Health Project. This project supports four general practices and 12 pharmacies, in areas of identified need (Onkaparinga and Playford City Council regions), with training and education for improved asthma and COPD management, including inhaler device techniques.
Pharmacies and general practice within the same area, have been meeting for facilitated networking and training opportunities to encourage communities of practice, develop a shared focus, and share learnings on improved respiratory prevention and management. Recent sessions covered COPD and asthma management using EB guidelines, QUIT line support and motivational interviewing. Resources and tools are also being developed which will be shared more broadly.
Read more
DANDELION
The Dandelion Project is designed to provide people in residential aged care facilities with timelier and appropriate health care and reduce the need for both hospitalisation and after-hours GP call outs.
RACFs have achieved this by recruiting senior nurse practitioners to support staff and provide training. They have built capacity to support the provision of intra-venous antibiotics for a chest infection, a procedure that would previously have required hospitalisation. Residents who are unwell are being assessed early and seen by a GP/senior nurse in day time hours (not after hours). Liaison staff have commenced working directly with the hospitals to ensure that, if appropriate, residents can return home more quickly. To address falls, the main cause of hospitalisation in residents, a
re-enablement program has been providing activities to improve residents' balance and strength.
Read more about the Dandelion Project
HEADSPACE
Adelaide PHN continues to be responsible for contracting four headspace Centres (part of the Primary Platform) and one Early Psychosis Centre. In the previous financial year, the headspace Centres serviced over 3000 young people, providing nearly 12,000 occasions of service. During this time, Adelaide PHN also funded six Enhancement Initiatives via the four headspace Centres, which resulted in additional services being provided to young people.
hYEPP (headspace Youth Early Psychosis Program) provides early intervention, responsive, and recovery focused care for young people who are at high risk of or are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. hYEPP has continued to expand and work toward implementing all core components of the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) model of care.
headspace Centres aim to improve the mental health outcomes of young people aged 12-25 who are at risk of mild to moderate mental illness. They provide four core areas of support: mental health, physical health, work and study support, and alcohol and other drug services. headspace Centres are underpinned by a consortium/partnership model and are delivered by a range of lead agencies across the Adelaide region. The Onkaparinga headspace site successfully transitioned to a new lead in the last year and we are currently preparing to transition the Adelaide Centre and Adelaide hYEPP.
EDUCATION SERVICES FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
We commission two main providers to deliver training and professional development sessions to our region's primary health care providers across metropolitan Adelaide. Both providers - Sonder and SAPMEA (South Australian Postgraduate Medical Education Association) - deliver high quality, accredited education on a broad range of popular topics from the management of chronic diseases, to support in regard to improving GP-patient communication. The majority of events are offered to all primary health care providers and therefore have a multi-disciplinary focus. Where possible, these events promote our other commissioned programs and services (including the incorporation of developed Health Pathways), thereby encouraging improved integration across sectors.
Our Primary Mental Health Care Services
In the last 12 months, we commissioned 13 Primary Mental Health Care Services who together delivered over 35,000 service contacts. These services provided primary mental health care across the stepped care continuum to nearly 6,000 people in the Adelaide region, many of whom showed demonstrable improvements in health outcomes.
Our Centralised Referral Unit received and processed an average of almost 400 referrals per month. The Clinical Decision Monitoring Units continued to clinically triage referrals, and match consumer needs to the right services. Additional services added since June 2017 include the Mother Infant Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Groups, Clinical Care Coordination Program and Aboriginal Community Connect. Three after-hours mental health services also progressed through the design, development and procurement phases with these services on track for commencement before the end of 2018.
LIVING WELL WITH PERSISTENT PAIN
2018 saw us expand the Living Well with Persistent Pain (LWwPP) Program to the Centre-West. Just like the existing program in the North (delivered by the Family Health Group), the Centre-West program (delivered by Adelaide Medical Solutions) supports people living with chronic pain to set goals, improve daily living and plan for the bad days. People participating in the program are supported by a team of health professionals, an educational program, and care coordination.
Both programs received numerous referrals - the North program received 117 referrals from 35 practices over the year, and the new Centre-West program received 45 in their first few months. Most of these people went on to engage with the service and receive pain management education and support. Participants finishing the program evaluation reported improved mood, decreased impact of pain on their day-to-day lives and improved thoughts and feelings about their pain.
Read more
CLOSING THE GAP
Over the year, the Closing the Gap (CTG) program assisted more than 600 Aboriginal people in the Adelaide PHN region with more than half of these, as new clients requiring assistance. Care coordination, supplementary and clinical services for clients are undertaken by one lead agency - Sonder - in the northern, western and southern regions of Adelaide.
The program assisted with 28,947 care coordination services, 3579 supplementary services (includes transportation) and 12,081 support worker services.
Closing the Gap
Aboriginal health
Champion Nurses
- supporting health professionals and the local community
with information, advice and guidance about immunisations
The Champion Nurse Program is a service commissioned by Adelaide PHN to Health and Immunisation Management Services (HAIMS) to provide direct support and mentoring to immunisation providers and the wider Adelaide metropolitan community.
The service offers support to students from overseas and families new to Australia. The service also documents all activity on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) so family and individual information is kept updated. For families who are hesitant about immunisations the service can offer time to listen and time to support families exploring their options.
Visit the Immunisation Hub website
Download Champion Nurse flyer
Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in Metropolitan Adelaide
Adelaide PHN significantly expanded the scope of Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) treatment services in metropolitan Adelaide this year. The year saw a successful transition of treatment services previously funded under the former Non-Government Organisation Treatment Grants Program (NGOTGP) and Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants Fund (SMSDGF).
We have increased direct treatment services and AOD workforce to meet and respond to the health needs of the most vulnerable in our community, including Aboriginal people, the LGBTI community, and people with co-morbid AOD and mental health issues.
Adelaide PHN has worked closely with commissioned AOD providers and the wider sector to ensure integrated, consistent and sustainable drug and alcohol treatment pathways have been developed, reducing the impacts associated with methamphetamine, AOD misuse for individuals, families and communities.
Read more
Increasing Cancer Screening
in local Aboriginal Communities
Cancer Council SA delivers a Community Peer Support Cancer Screening Program for Aboriginal people. The program aims to increase participation in breast, bowel and well women’s screening for Aboriginal people living in metropolitan Adelaide.
Currently underway, the program has enabled Cancer Council SA to engage Aboriginal peer workers as 'peer ambassadors' to deliver culturally appropriate messages and information about cancer screening and advocate with primary health care services for improved culturally appropriate approaches to cancer screening.
This program aligns Adelaide PHN’s commitment to improving health outcomes and access to primary health care services for Aboriginal people in Adelaide and the Commonwealth Government’s national headline indicator of improving participation in cancer screening.
Australian Refugee and New Arrivals Project
We worked towards the development of more responsive health networks to assist people from refugee backgrounds and new arrivals via the co-design and commissioning of the ARANAP.
Delivered by Australian Refugee Association (ARA) and Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service (STTARS), this project provides refugee health nurses and bilingual, bi-cultural staff to enable individuals and families to access appointments with GPs in the area they re-locate to. A key part of this service is the ability of the Refugee Health Nurses to work directly with general practice to ensure they offer a thorough appropriate service to the client group that address their specific needs.
Find out more about this project
Demonstrable collaboration continues to be a focus for the Adelaide PHN. In late 2017, Adelaide PHN revitalised its membership model to achieve enhanced outcomes in this area.
Following consultation with our members, the seven Health Priority Groups that previously made up an important component of our membership model were united to form one Health Priority Network. This move was taken to allow greater cross-area collaboration around common issues of interest. The Health Priority Network was strengthened with the inclusion of special interest areas in the areas of alcohol and other drugs and culturally and linguistically diverse people’s health. The new membership structure also saw the addition of a Network Leadership Group to guide the activities of the Health Priority Network.
This new model has proven successful with more than 750 people now involved. The three Clinical Councils and three Consumer Advisory Councils met throughout the year and continued to be a valuable source of feedback and insight into local health issues.
Revitalising our Membership Model
- expanding connections to community and health care providers
Implementing Integrated Care Across Adelaide
Adelaide PHN has invested in innovative and integrated care models to address some of the challenges currently facing our health system. Integrated care models focus on high quality communication and collaboration between all those involved: the person with health issues, the GP, specialists in the hospital setting, community health providers, carers, and family members.
Whilst the elements of Integrated Care underpin all Adelaide PHN programs and commissioned services, our implementation is led by three flagship programs – HealthPathways South Australia, Care Connections and Health Care Homes. Read on for the achievements of our Care Connections and Health Care Homes programs, or jump to the partnership section to read more about HealthPathways.
Care Connections
Care Connections is an Adelaide PHN program centred on connecting primary health care providers and local health services in order to deliver comprehensive, person-centred care. Over the year, 11 general practices, called Integrated Care Hubs (ICH), have participated in the program to become more patient-centred medical home ready.
Supported by a Local Area Coordination team, ICHs undertook tailored activities including: PenCS CAT training and improving recall, reminders and register systems/protocols. The ICHs were also provided with opportunities to enhance their leadership skills, receive mentoring from business and clinical experts in the primary care sector, receive training and resources for better management of patients with chronic conditions and learn new skills such as motivational interviewing.
Each Hub was offered an enhanced access grant to consider how care could be more readily available through open scheduling, expanded hours and new options for communication between patients, their GP and practice staff. Four practices took up this opportunity.
Health Care Homes
Our Adelaide region is one of ten regions Nationally selected for stage one roll out the Commonwealth's Health Care Home (HCH) trial. This trial aims to improve care for the growing number of Australians with long-term, chronic conditions.
Adelaide PHN leads the country regarding engagement in the trial thus far. 19 local practices are participating, who together have enrolled 877 patients. Participating practices have installed, tested and undertaken care planning using an online shared care planning tool. GPs are actively developing unique models of practice.
HCH practices had the opportunity to apply for Enhanced Access Grants to support and enhance patient access to care. In practice, these grants have been used to implement a variety of innovative approaches to care including adoption of telehealth, email/phone consultation for routine care, improving integration with pharmacy, training in new areas of care coordination and the fostering of new roles to better engage with clients.
Read more
Read more
ROADSHOWS
This year we utilised specific case studies to focus our discussions on youth mental health, cultural safety, integrated care, and residential aged care.
Across the three locations - Hallett Cove, Torrensville, and Elizabeth - our roadshows saw us engage with over 75 valued community and primary health care stakeholders.
Aboriginal engagement
In December 2017, Adelaide PHN hosted a workshop for members of the Aboriginal community to identify a range of ways community could support improvements in culturally appropriate and accessible health care. Over 50 community members actively participated.
Feedback from this engagement, led us to commence formation of an Aboriginal Community Advisory Council - who will officially join our membership model in the coming months. This council will contribute to advice and input, including the development of a broader community engagement strategy for Aboriginal people. On advice of community, three positions on the council were reserved for younger people, to support their growth and development as a succession strategy.
Adelaide PHN has continued to grow its engagement, collaboration and relationships with the Aboriginal communities, which are significantly contributing to strategies for quality and culturally appropriate primary health care. Adelaide PHN has taken a broad approach which includes the following initiatives:
Consultation findings
Commissioning Workshops
In May, Adelaide PHN hosted two interactive Commissioning Workshops to support both current and future commissioned providers. These workshops presented a clear and succinct introduction to commissioning and provided an overview of Adelaide PHN's commissioning principles and processes. These workshops also supported an interactive panel discussion to answer questions from attendees as well as those submitted in the lead up to the workshops.
Our commissioning workshops saw us launch a new resource - our Adelaide PHN Commissioning Handbook. This handbook not only articulates our expectations but also provides some useful tips to aid the commissioning process for our current and future partners.
Read more
View the new commissioning handbook here
IMMUNISATION
The Immunisation Hub has continued to worked towards increasing vaccine coverage and awareness across South Australia.
The Immunisation Hub's suite of education opportunities continued to be in high demand with over 625 providers attending the 15 delivered education sessions. Provider networking was facilitated across the region via the Hub's ongoing secretariat support for the Immunisation Provider Network (IPN). Now 443 members strong, the IPN delivered fortnightly newsletter updates for providers and facilitated four professional development and networking focused meetings per year.
The team provided direct support to community via information stalls and provision of free influenza and whooping cough vaccinations at community events like the NAIDOC family fun day and Closing the Gap Day.
Resource development and distribution (both for community and health care providers) continued with over 20,000 'Lulu, Dixie and Curly' (a children’s book) were distributed. 4000 'Where do I get my baby immunised' magnets have been given out to community and Child and Family Health Services. This year also saw the Immunisation Hub expand their online presence with the program's satellite website going live in June.
Visit the Immunisation Hub website
Symposium brings members together
In March 2018, the Health Priority Network came together for the first time in its new format for a major Symposium. In addition to outlining the role and function of the new Adelaide PHN membership model, the event served to reflect on the work of the previous Health Priority Groups (HPG) and to introduce the concept of a Collaboration Hub event, which was held in August 2018.
The Symposium was an overwhelming success with over 77 members attending and 97% providing very positive evaluation of the event.
Find out more about our Health Priority Network
MY HEALTH RECORD
This year, in partnership with the Digital Health Agency, Adelaide PHN supported the expansion of the My Health Record (MyHR) system and initiation of the opt-out period across metropolitan Adelaide.
We have worked to raise awareness of the MyHR, support providers and educate the community via:
> 280 face to face Primary Health Care Providers visits
> attendance at 96 community and provider events
Adelaide PHN sector engagement with MyHR is high. The following are now registered to participate in MyHR
• 86% of general practices
• 52% of pharmacies and
• 100% of public hospitals
Read more about My Health Record
Read more about digital health
Digital Health Support
The Digital Health Support team have worked with providers to implement and utilise digital platforms and technology to enhance practice functionality, identify opportunities for quality improvement activities and improve health outcomes.
This has been done by providing general practice with a free PenCS licence and training to assist with analysing data, understanding their practice population and identifying possible areas for improvement.
44% of digitally enabled general practices in our region have an Adelaide PHN provided PenCS licence. The development of custom clinical templates is also supported to assist providers with streaming patient referrals to ensure correct information is added to referrals and meets the needs of the service.
Primary Health Care Provider Support
Our practice support team assist health care providers in our region to develop effective and efficient health care services and provide guidance about Adelaide PHN initiatives and opportunities. Across the year, this team responded to 2,382 email and phone enquiries and provided 326 face to face visits to providers.
They continued to support the up-skilling and engagement of providers in professional development opportunities via numerous sponsorships; including supporting four nurses at the Australian Practice Nurse Association (APNA) conference, 40 places at the AGPAL 5th Standards Information day and 30 places at the Australian Association of Practice Managers conference
Read more
expanding our online presence
Adelaide PHN is currently updating our website which will be complete in the coming month. This refresh has allowed us to ensure better access and integration for our stakeholders.’
Adelaide PHN saw a great expansion online this year with the launch of five satelite websites over the last 12 months. Each of these website, in their own way, address issues of accessibility – be it finding a local health service open in the after hours period, a GP seeking better access to one-off MBS 291 psychiatric assessments, or service providers seeking information about how Integrated Care is being implemented right here in Adelaide.
adelaidephn.com.au
Bringing people together to provide quality palliative care in the community
Earlier this year Adelaide PHN hosted a successful After-hours Palliative Care in the Community Forum with over 50 passionate stakeholders. The forum demonstrated that it is possible, with good planning and the support from GPs, to experience quality end-of-life care in the community. An interactive case study presented by Dr Chris Moy highlighted the importance of timely communication between families, individuals and their GP, as well as pharmacists, paramedics, specialists and after-hours locum services. A panel discussion with leading experts explored some of the perennial challenges facing the sector.
Palliative Care is a priority area for Adelaide PHN. This year we have actively engaged with over 152 registered members who have contributed their time, expertise and energy to ensuring our work reflects the needs of older people and palliative care. Forums and workshops help inform our programs and ensure their relevance and effectiveness. Other Adelaide PHN programs supporting quality palliative care in the community include Enabling Choice for South Australians; the Palliative Care Access to Medicines Project and Extended Primary Care in Residential Aged Care. Despite being early days, these programs have already touched the lives of more than 618 residents with this number expected to increase as we move into 2018/19 financial year.
Find out more here
HEALTH AND NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME (NDIS):
In June 2018, we held a forum to workshop the interface between health and the NDIS. There were over 80 attendees and identified a clear need to work together to build the capacity of health providers (including GPs), carers and support workers to better access the health system via NDIS, and provide easier navigation and access to relevant resources for people with disability.
Read more
Partnerships
Partnerships are at the heart of our work at Adelaide PHN.
A selection of the partners we are working pro-actively with are pictured below.
HealthPathways South Australia
Supporting consistent pathways of care across the health system
The HealthPathways South Australia portal went live in March 2018!
HealthPathways is an online portal which provides GPs and other health professionals with easy access to comprehensive, evidence-based assessment, management, service and referral information to local services.
HealthPathways South Australia has been brought about by a first of its kind partnership between SA Health, Adelaide PHN and Country SA PHN, and the roll-out of this state-wide program has paved the way for more collaborations. Development of the condition-specific pathways of care listed on HealthPathways has involved extensive engagement with local GPs, hospital and community health professionals. Together, this program is working towards improving people’s journey across the health system and supporting access to the right care at the right time in the right place.
Over 80 localised clinical, service or information pathways are now available on the live portal with further pathways continuing to be developed and uploaded onto the portal for access when finalised.
Read more
Visit the HealthPathways website
Working in partnership to translate research into practice
Adelaide PHN has been working in close partnership with the South Australian Academic Health Science and Translation Centre (the SA Centre) in a whole-of-state collaborative network bringing together the state’s academic, research and health care delivery agencies. The group has been working to advance translation of evidence into clinical care for improved health outcomes.
Read more
Specifically we have contributed in the development of the SA Aboriginal Chronic Disease Consortium to drive, coordinate and sustain a sector approach to the implementation of Aboriginal health focused state plans and strategies. These include the SA Aboriginal Heart and Stroke Plan, South Australian Aboriginal Diabetes Strategy and the South Australian Aboriginal Cancer Control Plan. Implementation will address priorities specific to each plan, as well as priorities spanning across the three plans.
LIFELINE TEXT4GOOD TRIAL
Over the last six months, Adelaide PHN has been working with Lifeline to trial an innovative approach to increasing accessibility of suicide prevention and crisis support via the Text4Good pilot trial.
This trial seeks to determine the feasibility of a national text-based crisis support service and establish the extent to which text-based support could improve the provision of mental health support to our communities. The service is delivered by Lifeline’s trained Crisis Supporters and is available between 5.00pm and 9.00pm (Adelaide time), seven days a week.
Adelaide PHN has supported promotion via the production of a short promotional video and placement of advertising at the Royal Adelaide Show. Monitoring and evaluation - provided by the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) - indicates that the trial is on track to achieving the engagement target of 2000 contacts across the 5 month trial period. We look forward to sharing the outcomes and learnings from this trial with our stakeholders in the near future.
Read more
General Practice
Liaison Unit
Adelaide PHN and Northern Adelaide Local Health Network worked together this year to establish a General Practice Liaison Unit (GPLU) between the Lyell McEwin Hospital and general practices in the north.
The liaison team is staffed by a GP, nurse and an administrator. The GPLU will improve the partnership between general practice and the hospital to ensure that people who need the support of their GP and the hospital receive the right care, in the right place and do not have to attend the emergency department when an alternative option is available.
Potentially Preventable Hospitalisation Hotspot Areas in South Australia
Over the past 12 months, we have been working together with the South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing, Health Performance Council and Country PHN to geographically analyse avoidable hospitalisation across the state using the Grattan Institute methodology. This work is a first for South Australia.
In a collaborative response between the Department of Health and Wellbeing, Local Health Networks, and the two South Australian PHNs, it is expected that a review of the local SA context will define postcodes and specific conditions to better target earlier intervention. Preliminary results indicate postcodes in the inner northern and outer southern areas of Adelaide are significant hotspots. The report is in the final stages of review and will be published by the end of 2018.
Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan
Following a Commonwealth directive, Adelaide PHN developed a Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan in partnership with the SA Mental Health Commission, Local Health Networks (LHN), and other regional stakeholders as a pivotal element of broader mental health reform.
The aim of this Regional Plan is to work collaboratively to develop service delivery pathways which are integrated, target need along the spectrum of care and meet local health priorities. The plan will ultimately deliver improved outcomes and experiences of care for people and their carers as they move from one sector to another and back again. Being able to access the right service at the right time along the care continuum is a key factor in suicide prevention and improved mental health outcomes.
An important milestone was achieved at our first meeting with LHN representatives: a project outline detailing the design, development and implementation of the Regional Plan was endorsed.
Contacts
Level 1, 22 Henley Beach Road
Mile End, SA, 5031
Postal
PO Box 313
Torrensville Plaza, SA, 5031
(08) 8219 5900
enquiry@adelaidephn.com.au
adelaidephn.com.au
ABN 18 155 472 067