A large contingency from Queensland (pictured) recently attended the HealthPathways International Conference held in Newcastle. The focus on the conference was collaborating globally for local impact.
HealthPathways is a web-based portal with information on the assessment and management of common clinical conditions, including referral guidance. It’s currently live in ten sites in Queensland including Brisbane north and south, Central Queensland, Far North Queensland, Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Wide Bay.
Liz Travers, Principal Project Officer from the Clinical Excellence Division attended the conference, saying it was evident from the outset that Queensland Health was leading the way. "While many facilities across the nation are trying to tackle the same issues as we are (long waiting lists, incomplete referrals and triaging variances), they have not had the same traction as we have.”
She said it was also apparent that the rigorous method and the comprehensive engagement Queensland has used to develop Clinical Prioritisation Criteria were “playing a huge role in how successful they are when compared with a typically centrally developed document that is simply distributed.”
“The team on several occasions had delegates come and ask how we did it in Queensland and if they could make contact. What was highlighted is the considered collaboration and trust that has been built up here between primary and secondary services. This has been a key factor in why we are gaining so much traction with the uptake of referral criteria and HealthPathways across the state."
The CED team also had the opportunity to partner with the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation to assist with two workshops covering scale and spread in which case Queensland's CPC implementation was highlighted and presented. “We would like to thank the Queensland teams who entered the poster competition with Mackay receiving a high commendation by the judges and receiving the Participant’s Award for Translating Evidence Locally to Create Global Patient Health Impacts,” Liz said. The conference posters can be viewed online.
For more information on HealthPathways in Queensland visit their webpage, or to keep up to date with news from the Clinical Excellence Division subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
