Karen Carlisle

A qualitative case study of telehealth for in-home monitoring to support the management of type 2 diabetes.

The present study formed part of a randomised controlled trial of telehealth for in-home monitoring to support people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. We explored the experiences of patients and healthcare practitioners, and their perceptions of the telehealth model of care used in the trial. In addition to their usual diabetes care, participants receive diabetes care from a diabetes educator nurse via an in-home broadband communication device. On average, each patient participated in 14 videoconferences with a diabetes care coordinator during the 12-month trial period. Qualitative data was collected from two general practices and included semi-structured interviews and document review of patient clinical notes. A total of 12 people were interviewed: 8 health practitioners and 4 patients. Patients and health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with the model of care provided. Patients also reported positive health and social outcomes as a result of being involved in the trial and indicated that in the main they had achieved their goals and were happy with their progress over the 12-month period. Analysis of interviews revealed three broad elements associated with the implementation of telehealth: interpersonal factors, operational problems and the wider health system context within which the general practices and trial team were operating. The findings suggest that adopting telehealth in the management of type 2 diabetes can lead to improved diabetes control, but more support is required to ensure sustainability and widespread implementation.

Randomised controlled trial of an in-home monitoring intervention to improve health outcomes for type 2 diabetes: study protocol

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death and morbidity and is a health priority in Australia. This randomised controlled trial will explore whether remote access to clinical care, supported by telehealth technologies over high speed broadband, leads to improved diabetes control in a way that benefits patients, carers and clinicians and improves the overall health system. People in the intervention arm of the trial will receive additional diabetes care from a care coordinator nurse via an in-home broadband communication device that can capture clinical measures, provide regular health assessments and videoconference with other health professionals when required. Patients in the control arm of the trial will receive usual care from their GP and participate in the clinical measurement and quality of life components of the evaluation. The trial evaluation will include biomedical, psychological, self-management and quality of life measures. Data on utilisation rates and satisfaction with the technology will be collected and cost -effectiveness analyses undertaken. The role of this technology in health care reform will be explored.

Exploring Systems That Support Good Clinical Care in Indigenous Primary Health-care Services: A Retrospective Analysis of Longitudinal Systems Assessment Tool Data from High-Improving Services

Background Continuous Quality Improvement is a process for raising the quality of primary health care (PHC) across Indigenous PHC services. In addition to clinical auditing using plan, do, study, and act cycles, engaging staff in a process of reflecting on systems to support quality care is vital. The One21seventy Systems Assessment Tool (SAT) supports staff to assess systems performance in terms of five key components. This study examines quantitative and qualitative SAT data from five high-improving Indigenous PHC services in northern Australia to understand the systems used to support quality care. Methods High-improving services selected for the study were determined by calculating quality of care indices for Indigenous health services participating in the Audit and Best Practice in Chronic Disease National Research Partnership. Services that reported continuing high improvement in quality of care delivered across two or more audit tools in three or more audits were selected for the study. Precollected SAT data (from annual team SAT meetings) are presented longitudinally using radar plots for quantitative scores for each component, and content analysis is used to describe strengths and weaknesses of performance in each systems’ component. Results High-improving services were able to demonstrate strong processes for assessing system performance and consistent improvement in systems to support quality care across components. Key strengths in the quality support systems included adequate and orientated workforce, appropriate health system supports, and engagement with other organizations and community, while the weaknesses included lack of service infrastructure, recruitment, retention, and support for staff and additional costs. Qualitative data revealed clear voices from health service staff expressing concerns with performance, and subsequent SAT data provided evidence of changes made to address concerns. Conclusion Learning from the processes and strengths of high-improving services may be useful as we work with services striving to improve the quality of care provided in other areas.

Commissioning for healthcare: a case study of the general practitioners After Hours Program

A strong primary healthcare system that is effective and efficient is a priority for health reform in Australia. Commissioning to support primary healthcare delivery has received increasing attention as part of healthcare reform in Australia and beyond. The aim of this paper is to present a case study of transitioning to an activity-based model for the provision of GP after-hours services in Australia. The GP After-Hours Program utilised a commissioning model that comprised of needs assessment, service development, provider engagement and evaluation. Evaluation of the new model showed a 17% increase in after-hours services, with service providers indicating that they were satisfied with the new process. Examination of the experience of implementation suggests that the commissioning model provided a useful framework for guiding activity-based funding for after-hours services. However, relational factors, such as engagement with the community, knowledge of the wider context and legitimacy of the commissioning body, can affect the implementation process.

Effects of telemonitoring on glycaemic control and healthcare costs in type 2 diabetes: A randomised controlled trial:

Introduction This study examined the effect of a telehealth intervention on the control of type 2 diabetes and subsequent potential cost-savings to the health system. Methods This prospective randomised controlled trial randomised adults with type 2 diabetes to the intervention (diabetes program) or control (usual care) arm. Key eligibility criteria included an HbA1c level of at least 58 mmol/mol (7.5%) without severe or unstable comorbidities. All participants continued their usual healthcare, but participants in the intervention arm received additional diabetes care from a diabetes care coordinator via a home monitor that captured clinical measures. Data collected included biomedical, quality of life measures and healthcare (GP, outpatient and inpatient) costs. The primary outcome was HbA1c collected at baseline and 6 months. Analysis was conducted on a complete case intention-to-treat basis. The healthcare system perspective was taken to calculate the incremental cost per percentage-point reduction in HbA1c. Results Results from 63 participants from each study arm were analysed. HbA1c in the intervention group decreased from a median 68 mmol/mol (8.4%) to 58 mmol/mol (7.5%), and remained unchanged in the control group at median 65 mmol/mol (8.1%) at the 6-month endpoint. The intervention effect on HbA1c change was statistically significant (p = .004). Total healthcare costs in the intervention group, including the intervention costs, were lower (mean

Evaluating community participation: A comparison of participatory approaches in the planning and implementation of new primary health-care services in northern Australia

3781 vs.

The state of health services partnering with consumers: evidence from an online survey of Australian health services

4662; p < .001) compared with usual care. Discussion There was a clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefit from the telehealth intervention at a lower cost; thus, telehealth was cost-saving and produced greater health benefits compared with usual care.

Applying social innovation theory to examine how community co-designed health services develop: using a case study approach and mixed methods

Community participation is increasingly seen as a prerequisite for more acceptable and sustainable health services. It is difficult to evaluate the extent of participation in health planning and implementation of services, and there are limited tools available to assist in evaluating such processes. Our paper reports on community participation as part of the implementation of 2 primary health programs in regional north Queensland, Australia. We define community participation as collective involvement of people, including consultation, from a community of place or interest in aspects of health service development. We pragmatically evaluate and compare the extent of participation by using a framework developed by Rifkin and colleagues in 1988 and subsequently refined. Data collected from the implementation of each program were analyzed and ranked on a spidergram against 5 process indicators: needs assessment, leadership, resource mobilization, management, and organization. Community participation was found to vary across the programs but was most extensive in both programs in identifying need and potential solutions. Both programs demonstrated high levels of integration of the implementation of health programs with preexisting community structures. Involving local communities in genuine opportunities in managing the programs and mobilizing resources was more challenging. Key differences emerged in the people involved in the programs, the settings and frameworks used to facilitate implementation. We conclude that Rifkins process indicators are a useful starting point for assessing community participation, particularly for health planners who are required to include participatory approaches when planning and implementing services. We suggest areas that require further consideration.

Disparities in dental health of rural Australians: hospitalisation rates and utilisation of public dental services in three communities in North Queensland.

BackgroundInvolving consumers in producing health services is mandated in many countries. Evidence indicates consumer partnerships lead to improved service design, quality and innovation. Involving participants from minority groups is crucial because poor understanding of distinctive needs affects individuals’ service experiences and outcomes. Few studies consider service compliance with consumer partnering requirements or inclusion of minority group participants.MethodsAn online survey structured by domains of the Australian National Safety and Quality in Health Service Standards (NSQHS, 2013), was conducted. Questions covered consumer partnering in service planning, management and evaluation plus patient care design and inclusion of consumers from minority groups. Approximately 1200 Australian hospital and day surgery services were identified and 447 individual email addresses were identified for staff leading consumer partnerships. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS. Qualitative responses, managed in NVivo, were analysed thematically. Frequencies were produced to indicate common activities and range of activities within question domains.ResultsComprehensive responses were received from 115 services (25.7%), including metropolitan and non-metropolitan, private and public service settings. Most respondents (95.6%) “partnered with consumers to develop or provide feedback on patient information”. Regarding inclusion of participants from minority groups, respondents were least likely to specifically include those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds (23.6%). Public health services were more likely than private services to engage with consumers.ConclusionsThe survey is the first to include responses about consumer partnering from across Australia. While many respondents partner with consumers, it is clear that more easily-organised activity such as involvement in existing committees or commenting on patient information occurs more commonly than involvement in strategy or governance. This raises questions over whether strategic-level involvement is too difficult or unrealistic; or whether services simply lack tools. Minority views may be missed where there is a lack of specific action to include diversity. Future work might address why services choose the activities we found and probe emerging opportunities, such as using social media or online engagement.

Implementation of oral health initiatives by Australian rural communities: Factors for success

BackgroundCitizen participation in health service co-production is increasingly enacted. A reason for engaging community members is to co-design services that are locally-appropriate and harness local assets. To date, much literature examines processes of involving participants, with little consideration of innovative services are designed, how innovations emerge, develop and whether they sustain or diffuse. This paper addresses this gap by examining co-designed initiatives through the lens of social innovation – a conceptualisation more attuned to analysing grassroots innovation than common health services research approaches considering top-down, technical innovations. This paper considers whether social innovation is a useful frame for examining co-designed services.MethodsEighty-eight volunteer community-based participants from six rural Australian communities were engaged using the same, tested co-design framework for a 12-month design and then 12-month implementation phase, in 24 workshops (2014–16). Mixed, qualitative data were collected and used to formulate five case studies of community co-designed innovations. A social innovation theory, derived from literature, was applied as an analytical frame to examine co-design cases at 3 stages: innovation growth, development and sustainability/diffusion.ResultsSocial innovation theory was found relevant in examining and understanding what occurred at each stage of innovation development. Innovations themselves were all adaptations of existing ideas. They emerged due to local participants combining knowledge from local context, own experiences and exemplars. External facilitation brought resources together. The project provided a protective niche in which pilot innovations developed, but they needed support from managers and/or policymakers to be implemented; and to be compatible with existing health system practices. For innovations to move to sustainability/diffusion required political relationships. Challenging existing practice without these was problematical.ConclusionsSocial innovation provides a useful lens to understand the grassroots innovation process implied in community participation in service co-design. It helps to show problems in co-design processes and highlights the need for strong partnerships and advocacy beyond the immediate community for new ideas to thrive. Regional commissioning organisations are intended to diffuse useful, co-designed service innovations. Efforts are required to develop an innovation system to realise the potential of community involvement in co-design.