HealthPathways

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Initiative Type
Service Improvement
Status
Deliver
Added
Last updated

Summary

Currently, referral practices and prioritisation decisions can vary based on location, speciality, and the clinicians involved, resulting in inconsistent interfaces between local primary care and acute sectors. With HealthPathways implemented across these 12 sites, it will act as a vital link, strengthening partnerships between Primary Health Networks and Hospital and Health Services, ensuring more consistent and coordinated care across Queensland.

The pathways are not only designed for General Practice (GP) teams, but also for specialists, allied health professionals and other health professionals. 

Queensland Health have committed to provide the Statewide Licence for HealthPathways to 2027/28.

Key dates
Jul 2016
Jun 2028
Implementation sites
Across 12 Healthpathways sites
Partnerships
Primary Health Networks, Streamliners New Zealand, Healthcare Improvement Unit

Aim

Implementation of HealthPathways state-wide.

Benefits

  • Agreed guidelines to help general practitioners assess, manage and refer to the acute sector.
  • Improved referral and communication processes between referrers and specialist outpatient services.
  • Each health jurisdiction tailors the content of HealthPathways to reflect local arrangements and opinion and are developed between primary and specialist services locally. 
  • Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) decision support tools are embedded within HealthPathways.
  • Patient benefits from general practice having greater clarity for what can be provided and the appropriateness for obtaining further specialist service and alternative options.
  • The local health system benefits through less demand on services as patients are better managed in the community, freeing up resources.

Background

HealthPathways started in Canterbury in 2008 and use has steadily increased to the point that 99 per cent of general practitioners surveyed in Canterbury 2013 use it weekly in their practice, 70 per cent of whom use it daily. 

In Queensland, two sites (Mackay and Townsville) had implemented HealthPathways locally. In 2016 Clinical Excellence Queensland signed the state-wide licence. From this period, we had a roll out across Queensland to 12 sites implemented HealthPathways. Currently we have 8,000 plus HealthPathways live across Queensland

Solutions Implemented

Implemented across  the following sites: 

References

The Kings Fund: Developing accountable care systems: lessons from Canterbury, New Zealand

Further Reading

Clinical Prioritisation Criteria

Streamliners New Zealand

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Key contact

Elizabeth Garrigan
Director
Healthcare Improvement Unit
(07) 3328 9337
Elizabeth.Garrigan@health.qld.gov.au

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