Recognising that patients are partners in their health care, this award aims to acknowledge projects/programs which promote collaboration between the patient and the health care team to improve health.
Entries should be able to demonstrate innovation in:
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Transcript: The Last Days of Life: Paediatric and Neonatal Toolkit
The Last Days of Life: Paediatric and Neonatal Toolkit (Toolkit) recognises the human experience and best practice interventions required to ensure the patient and family remain the central focus leading up to a death of a child.
Previously in NSW there was no paediatric and neonatal guidance document available to support and empower clinicians to partner with patients and families.
The Toolkit equips clinicians with increased knowledge and confidence to work in partnership with families to transform the experience of a child dying.
This standardised approach empowers clinicians in acute care or hospice settings. Supporting a proactive but not prescriptive approach including information and communication strategies accommodating the needs of these families.
Building on further from the Clinical Excellence Commission’s adult patients Last Days of Life tools, the paediatric and neonatal toolkit has been created by a multidisciplinary team of neonatal and paediatric clinicians, nursing, allied health and pharmacy staff from Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Hunter New England, Clinical Excellence Commission and consumer feedback.
Transcript: Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Home-based Therapy Program: Community pharmacy collaboration
Immunoglobulin is a plasma-derived blood product used in the treatment of a range of autoimmune conditions.
Patients usually receive intravenous infusions in hospital every month, and for many this is a life-long requirement.
Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin (SCIg) provides an alternative to intravenous infusions and offers patients convenience and autonomy, as well as avoiding the constraints of hospital schedules.
Until recently SCIg was only made available to patients willing to travel outside of CCLHD. A local SCIg program has now been established and is available to all eligible patients.
Those who have transitioned to SCIg have all reported improvements to their quality of life and health outcomes.
To ensure sustainability of the SCIg program, an integrated care approach involving community pharmacies has been established to enable dispensing of immunoglobulin in locations accessible to patients.
This collaboration has reduced the burden on hospital pharmacies and allowed for program expansion.
Transcript: Cancer Institute NSW Patient-Reported Measures
The Cancer Institute NSW Patient-reported Measures (PRMs) program has successfully achieved its aim to provide the capability for electronic routine collection of patient-reported measures at the point of care.
This self-reported information is directly delivered with clinical recommendations to the Oncology Information System (OIS) for use by the care team.
The program links patients with tailored self-management support information based on their reported wellbeing.
The PRMs program supports better patient outcomes by enabling people affected by cancer across NSW to give real-time feedback on the symptoms and experiences that are important to them. It also supports focused conversations as well as shared care planning and decision making with a patients’ care team.
This information can further improve NSW Health’s cancer service delivery of care and inform advances in system redesign.
The PRMs program supports the Future Health Framework by enhancing the focus on patient-centred experiences, outcomes, and care for people with cancer by allowing the patient to have a voice and partner in their care.
It also supports the Cancer Institute NSW’s focus on equity, as it currently provides survey measures with linked support in eight community languages, and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific wellbeing measure to support the provision of culturally safe care.
Transcript: Developing a novel intensive care unit follow-up service for our sickest patients
Intensive care survivors and their families are at risk of experiencing physical, cognitive, and psychological health problems – collectively termed Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) – that can last for months after discharge.
Until now, PICS has been unmeasured and untreated in NSW.
This project aimed to transform the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient experience by developing a novel follow-up service to support patients and primary care givers (PCGs). That is, to ensure early recognition and management of PICS after long and/or complex ICU admissions.
Following feedback from consumer forums, the state’s first comprehensive patient-centred multidisciplinary ICU follow-up service was launched at Royal North Shore Hospital.
The clinic revealed a significant degree of PICS in patients not previously identified. This included, 148 patients have attended appointments, resulting in 87 referrals for ongoing management.
By proactively identifying and addressing psychological, physical and cognitive issues in patients earlier post discharge, the service is able to avert the need for hospital readmission.
This service enabled clinicians to plan and deliver care in partnership with patients and promote shared decision-making.
It also aligns with the Future Health objective of ensuring patients and carers have positive experiences and outcomes that matter, with 97% of patients reporting a high level of satisfaction with the service.