Projects-Archive
Review of the Melbourne East General Practice Network’s Consumer Engagement Strategy
Tere Dawson
The review involved the assessment of written reports and documents produced within the context of the implementation of the Strategy, and undertaking of five face-to-face interviews with staff, Board members and stakeholders (GP and practice staff and others). The final report included a series of recommendations, emerging from the review, to enhance the engagement strategy in the future.
Consumer participation in research project
Tere Dawson
In 2009, Health Issues Centre was successful in obtaining 12-month funding from the Victorian Cancer Agency to develop and deliver a program of training for consumers in consumer participation in research. The project included consultations and workshops with consumers, carers, clinicians, academics and cancer researchers to develop a training program for consumer participation in cancer research. Once the program was developed, the training was delivered in Melbourne over two weekends. The project also developed resources for consumers and researchers. These are available at Health Issues Centre's web site e-library under "research".
National Safety and Quality Healthcare Standards
Assunta Morrone
Health Issues Centre was funded by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) to recruit consumers for a workshop consultation to provide feedback in relation to the draft National Safety and Quality Healthcare (NSQH) Standards. Twenty five consumer advocates attended the consultation which took place Victoria University in December 2009.
Participate in Health Conference- My Story Matters
This Conference was held from 21-22 September 2009 at Victoria University, City Campus 300 Flinders Street Melbourne.The event was a huge success with over 150 delegates registered. An exceptional program was developed covering a wide range of themes from patient safety, consumer participation, health reform and quality improvement.
Participate in Health Conference Sept 2009 - Full Program
Development of a comprehensive suite of consumer, carer and community performance indicators for Victorian Health Services
Tere Dawson
This project aimed to develop a comprehensive suite of consumer, carer and community performance indicators for Victorian health services. The approach to develop the indicators involved a consumer consultation, a literature review, a mapping exercise and a workshop with stakeholders to gain consensus on the final suite of indicators. The Lincoln Centre for Research and Ageing and the Centre for Quality Improvement Research and Practice collaborated with Health Issues Centre to implement the project. Funding was provided by the Statewide Quality Branch, Department of Human Services
DHS Indicators project E Newsletter updates October 2008
DHS Indicators project E Newsletter updates January 2009
DHS Indicators project E Newsletter updates March 2009
Audit of Health Service’s Quality of Care Reports
Tere Dawson,Julia Byford,Panayiota Romios and Jackie Mansourian
The aim of the audit was to inform the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the DHS Participation Advisory Committee on implementation of the strategic direction of the DHS Doing it with us not for us policy, as reported in 122 (2007–08) Quality of Care Reports received from Victorian health services.
Quality Health Care Conversation Consumer Consultation
Assunta Morrone
Health Issues Centre was funded by Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to deliver a one day workshop with consumers on the new National Safety and Quality Framework for Australia. The framework is designed to guide action to improve safety and quality of care in all healthcare settings over the next decade.
Medical Practitioners Board Victoria
Tere Dawson
In 2005, Health Issues Centre assisted the Medical Practitioners Board Victoria to establish a Community Consultative Committee – the first in a health registration board in Australia. An excellent range of community members were nominated and the final committee reflects this. An orientation session was run initially but such was the calibre of the committee that the intended further training session have not yet been necessary. The Board reports that the committee is being highly valuable in proving advice from a community and consumer perspective to the Board n its operations and planning.
Consumer Participation Strategy for CanNET Victoria
Assunta Morrone
In 2008-2009 Health Issues Centre was funded by CanNET Victoria, NEMICS and Hume RICS to explore consumer’s experience of cancer services in the northern metropolitan, and Hume regional area. This project will inform CanNET Victoria's Consumer Particpation Strategy. Health Issues Centre consulted with 57 consumers, from a range of diverse backgrounds including Spanish, Italian, Turkish as well as Australian born consumers. Health Issues Centre also consulted with a number of Indigenous health workers and community workers regarding the Indigenous communities’ experience of cancer services and suggested strategies for engagement.The report makes a number of recommendations for CanNET Victoria, NEMICS and Hume RICS in regards to the needs of diverse consumers, engaging diverse consumers and professional development and support for staff.
Pathways of Cancer Care that Involve Public and Private Cancer Services: North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Service
Panayiota Romios, Tony McBride, Lauren Cordwell, Charin Naksook and Nicola Bruce
This study aimed to identify the care pathway (from diagnosis to treatment completion) experienced by forty consumers whose pathway involves both public and private cancer service providers within the North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Service (NEMICS) catchment. A literature review, an analysis of the interviews with consumers and clinicians and a range of recommendations for future service coordination were the key outcomes of the project.
Analysis of findings of a Consumer Usage Questionnaire for the Inner South East Mental Health Alliance
Tere Dawson and Lauren Cordwell
This project involved the analysis of data obtained from a consumer survey conducted by the Inner South East Mental Health Alliance. The analysis aimed to increase awareness of service usage, interagency referral processes and consumer needs. A report was prepared which included findings from the analysis and recommendations for enhancing current best practice.
Development of a Consumer and Carer Consultation Strategy for the Home and Community Care Program
Tony McBride, Tere Dawson, Lauren Cordwell
This project, funded by the Department of Human Services, involved the development of a Consumer and Carer Consultation Strategy for the Home and Community Care Program (HACC) Active Service Model Project. The project sought information from consumers and carers to input into the development of the implementation plan for the HACC Active Service Model initiative. The project also sought consumer and carer input to determine appropriate and feasible strategies for consumer and carer contribution for the ongoing development and implementation of the model.
Dental Costs Study
Dell Horey, Charin Naksook and Tony McBride
Health Issues Centre, Dental Health Services Victoria and Dianella Community Health jointly undertook the study on costs of delayed dental treatment of low-income consumers. The project was funded initially by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and the Victorian Department of Human Services. Additional funding was provided by Dental Health Services Victoria. The project aimed to estimate the costs incurred by the public health system and consumers associated with waiting lists for oral health treatment. The Dental Cost Study Report-Why is he not smiling? Final report is now available. An article on findings from qualitative data collected in the face-to-face interviews was published in Health Issues, No. 92, Spring 2007.
Cancer Australia: Consumer Orientation and Information Resource Project
Tony McBride, Tere Dawson, Vanessa Lynne and Nicola Bruce
This project formed part of the Strengthening Cancer Care Initiative and was funded by the Australian Government. The project aimed to provide suitable and sustainable training and support mechanisms to both consumer members of national committees and cancer support networks around Australia.
The project delivered:
Existing relevant resources were reviewed and used in the development of the documents, especially resources and packages where consumers have been heavily involved in their development. The resources are available at Cancer Australia's web site.
Development of Potential Consumer Participation Models for Care Connect
Tony McBride and Maria Wright
The aim of this project was to identify how Care Connect can embrace consumer representation to enhance the quality of its client services.
Development of a Strategy for Consumer Participation-Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice
Lauren Cordwell, Tony McBride and Tere Dawson
This project developed a consumer participation model for the Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice. Through interviews with local stakeholders and a review of key lessons from the experience of other Victorian Divisions, this project identified the key rationales for engaging consumers in Division activities and proposed some models for consumer participation that took into account the views of stakeholders and the Division and were based on current consumer participation good practice.
Effective Engagement of Consumers and Community in the Development and Dissemination of Health Advice
Tony McBride, Panayiota Romios, Margaret Wohlers and Sandra Robinson, in conjunction with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
The project was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and focused on identifying and documenting current practice in consumer participation in health advice development (e.g. health information, clinical guidelines, health policy. The report can be found in the Health Issues Centre's e-library under "health information and literacy".
Informed Parental Consent for Newborn Screening in Victoria
Tony McBride, Kim Hider and Charin Naksook
In May 2005, the Department of Human Services funded Health Issues Centre to develop a report on informed consent by parents for newborn screening in Victoria. The project aimed to explore the factors that facilitate parental consent to newborn screening-and related issues such as secondary uses of the card-and to determine those factors that obstruct/hinder/impede such consent. Informed by this final report, the Newborn Screening Review Committee has produced their report and recommendations, signed off by the Department's Ministry in 2006. The final report on this project is now available.
Monash Division of General Practice - Developing Divisional Capacity for Undertaking a Community Health Needs Assessment
Lauren Cordwell
Health Issues Centre provided tailored support to the Community Advisory Panel at the Monash Division of General Practice. This Community Advisory Panel is implementing a project which aims to enhance the capacity of the Division to undertake a community health needs assessment and identify the unmet health needs of the catchment. Health Issues Centre supported the design and implementation of this project and specifically delivered a workshop to the Community Advisory Panel on implementing a community health needs assessment and utilising population health data.
Older People Living Alone without a Carer Project
Panayiota Romios, Ian Gardner and Laura Varanelli
Health Issues Centre, in conjunction with the Council on the Ageing Victoria and the Lincoln Centre Ageing and Community Care Research, undertook the project on behalf of the Victorian Department of Human Services to improve understanding of what paid and unpaid care people living without a carer do access and of why and at what points in the health and care continuum older people living with and without a carer do not access care that would meet their needs.
Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS): Optimising Consumer Participation in Cancer Services
Tere Dawson, Lauren Cordwell and Tony McBride
In May 2005, Health Issues Centre was commissioned by SMICS to develop and implement a model for active consumer participation as a key strategy for improving cancer service delivery in southern Melbourne. This two-year collaborative project involved the recruitment and education/training of consumers and carers who will be members of committees working with clinicians in the implementation of the Patient Management Frameworks (PMF) and other high level decision making committees within SMICs. Tailored training in consumer participation for clinicians involved in SMICS was also developed and implemented. The project also developed, trialed, and evaluated diverse methods and tools for consumer and carer participation in cancer services delivery and quality improvement.
Complaints Handling Project for the Royal Australasian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrist
Panayiota Romios, Greg Ford and Gillian Halliday
The project aimed to develop a framework to enable a consistent and continuous improvement approach to complaints handling by the College. The project was conducted between March and September 2003. The framework recognised the rights of consumers and carers to lodge complaints; the contribution that complaints can make to safety and quality improvements in mental health services; the value of public awareness and accessibility of the College's complaints handling process; and the existence of complaints handling bodies available to consumers who access psychiatrists.
Consumer and Community Participation Self Assessment Project
Charin Naksook, Gillian Halliday and Tony McBride
This two-year project, led by the Centre for Clinical Effectiveness at Monash Institute for Health Services Research, facilitated over 320 clinical and other units within five major metropolitan health services to undertake a self-assessment of their consumer participation activities. The aggregation of al the data showed that there was a considerable degree of consumer participation occurring, although mostly at lower levels. The report also made a series of recommendations about future promotion of consumer participation. The project also evaluated the self-assessment tool itself, and this was subsequently fine-tuned using this feedback to produce a new self assessment tool.
Consumer, Carer and Community Participation in Primary Health Care
Tere Dawson and Vanessa Lynne
This project was directed to Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) across Victoria and had two main components. One component was the management and facilitation of interactive workshops on specific consumer participation areas and the production of resources on each topic addressed; the second component, was a small consultation project about the modalities of consumer participation Primary Care Partnerships chose to engage consumers, carers and communities in their work and their rationale.
Consultancy to the Metropolitan Ambulance Service
Helena Maher
In November 2003, Health Issues Centre was contracted by the Metropolitan Health Services to provide advice on the establishment of a Community Advisory Committee to provide advice to their Committee of Management on improving community satisfaction with the services provided by the Metropolitan Ambulance Service.Health Issues Centre delivered a number of reports that included advice on: the strategic role of consumers and a Consumer Advisory Committee in the Metropolitan Ambulance Service; terms of reference, recruiting and selecting committee members; providing orientation and training; and developing a strategic approach to engaging the community in the work of the Metropolitan Ambulance Service. The Metropolitan Ambulance Service Board of Management will consider this advice in relation to the findings and recommendations of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Community Advisory Committee in Metropolitan Ambulance Service.
Department of Human Services Strategy for Consumer and Carer Participation in Cancer Services Reform
Tere Dawson, Lauren Cordwell and Tony McBride
As part of the Cancer Services Framework, the Victoria Department of Human Services commissioned Health Issues Centre to develop a strategy for effective participation of consumers, carers and community members as partners in health care planning and delivery. Health Issues Centre conducted a statewide consultation involving over 150 people. A total of 17 interviews with key informants, 18 focus groups (10 with consumers and carers and eight with service providers), seven telephone interviews with facilitators of cancer support groups, and a survey of consumer and carer participation activities in cancer services, were conducted. A key outcome of the project is a Guide availabe at Health Issues Centre's e-library as "Guide to Enhancing Consumer and Carer Participation in Victoria's Integrated Cancer Services'.
Development of a Consumer Participation Plan for Prahran Mission
Tony McBride, Tere Dawson, Lauren Cordwell
This project aimed to develop a shared understanding, common agreement and vision of why service user participation should be encouraged and strengthened at Prahran Mission. A systematic model whereby consumers and carers can have meaningful participation and support in the planning and implementation of the Mission's services was developed and linked to an appropriate criteria and rationale for measuring the effectiveness of participation.
Development of a Consumer Participation Strategy and Service Mapping Profile - Calvary Health Care Bethlehem
Lauren Cordwell, Tere Dawson, Sandy Leggat (La Trobe University)
A consumer participation strategy and service mapping profile for Calvary Health Care Bethlehem were the outcomes of this project. Strategies for increasing consumer participation were identified through consultations with staff, consumers, carers and relevant peak bodies. Dr Sandy Leggat (La Trobe University) developed a service mapping profile to gain an understanding of the perceptions and needs of current and future individuals and organisations that make referrals to the palliative care and neurological services.
East Wimmera Health Service
Tere Dawson
This was an eight month project to develop a Community Participation Plan for the East Wimmera Health Service (EWHS) in Victoria. The EWHS consists of five campuses located in St. Arnaud, Donald, Birchip, Wycheproof and Charlton. Each campus delivers acute, primary health and aged care services. Extensive consultation with key service staff and community groups and individuals in each town informed the development of the Plan.
Education and Support Mental Health Consumer Participation Project
Panayiota Romios, Vanessa Lynn, Charin Naksook
Health Issues Centre, in conjunction with the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC), developed and conducted the project in 2006 and 2007, with funding support from the Reichstein Foundation. The project aimed to facilitate active consumer involvement in mental health service planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation. The final report comprising key issues from consultations with consumers, results of the education and support sessions, and project recommendations is now available.
Exploring Women-Centred Care in Maternity Care Research Project
Panayiota Romios, Dell Horey and Charin Naksook
This project was undertaken in conjunction with the Royal Women's Hospital and funded by the Council on Quality and Safety in Healthcare in 2005. The project aimed to compare womens' and midwives' understandings of women-centred care in the midwifery-led component of TeamCare in the maternity care program of the Hospital. The project had three components: a literature review; interviews with mothers about their experiences and midwives about their perceptions of women-centred care; and analysis of data and development of conclusions. The outcomes of this project is a report
Integrating Consumer and Community Participation in Metropolitan Health Services
This workshop was held on 30 April 2001. The workshop brought representatives from the Executive and Boards of the 12 Metropolitan Health Services together with members of the Community Advisory Committees, their Resource Officers and staff from the Department of Human Services and Health Issues Centre. The program included presenters, small groups working through scenarios and a final plenary session. The workshop report identifies recurring themes of the day, along with specific recommendations from discussion groups and the evaluation of the workshop.
National Review of Complaints Handling: Turning Wrongs into Rights
Panayiota Romios, Margaret Wohlers, Tony McBride
The Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care sponsored the Turning Wrongs into Rights project to improve the way consumer complaints are managed by health care services. The project was developed and undertaken by a consortium of the NSW Health Care Commissioner, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Resolution Resource Network and Health Issues Centre. The project developed Better Practice Guidelines on Complaints Management in Health Care Services based on evidence of good practice in complaints management in Australia and overseas. These have been accepted by the Australian Ministers, and are now published by the Council. The project was conducted between April and December 2003.
Older People's Experiences of Community Care Services in the Western Metropolitan Region
Panayiota Romios, Margaret Wohlers and Tere Dawson
The project explored the experiences of older people in the Western Metropolitan Region receiving community care services. It aimed to help the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria, and the Aged Services Network Western Region (ASN) clarify the organisations' policy positions on issues pertaining to community care services.
Respecting Patient Choices Projects
Tere Dawson and Tony McBride
Austin Health's groundbreaking Respecting Patient Choices (RPC) Project has aimed to allow patients and their families to make advance decisions about end-of-life care. The Commonwealth Government has funded the second and third phases of this project. Phase Two aimed to develop a sustainable transferable model for integrating community and hospital based advance care planning. It introduced advance care planning into 17 community-based agencies: including two community-based palliative care services and a number of residential aged care facilities, including two non-English speaking aged care facilities in Austin Health's catchment area.
Health Issues Centre conducted a learning needs analysis to inform and enhance the implementation of existing training modules for staff. Between January and April 2004 Health Issues Centre also conducted a consultation to gain a better understanding of the current consumer understanding of, and involvement in, advance care planning. The consultation was intended to guide the RPC program in the development of its implementation strategy. It was particularly intended to shape the consumer education package to be made available to residents, patients, and their families in aged care facilities and community-based palliative care services.
Between 2005 and 2006, Health Issues Centre conducted interviews with residents and family members of the Italian and Greek residential aged care services participating in the RPC community extension project. A final report was submitted at the end of 2006.
Between 2004 and 2006, Health Issues Centre also participated in the evaluation conducted by the Centre for Development and Innovation in Health, Australian Institute for Primary Care, La Trobe University of interstate roll-out of the project. Health Issues Centre interviewed patients and carers/family members about their experiences of the process of completing an Advance Care Plan in the participating hospitals in Adelaide and Newcastle. The evaluation interviews of patients and family members in the participating hospital in Townsville were carried out in collaboration with James Cook University. The final report of this project was submitted in May 2006.
During 2006, Health Issues Centre conducted a literature review to compliment its contract with Austin Health. The review was around cultural perceptions and practice on advance care planning. Chris Atmore and Charin Naksook undertook the review in consultation with Austin Health. The report on the literature review was submitted in February 2007 and is now available. Tony McBride is Chair of the project's Respecting Patient's Choices National Reference Group.
Tailored Support for Particular Primary Care Partnerships
Tere Dawson
For the last four years Health Issues Centre has been working with Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) to strengthen the capacity of health agency staff, consumers, carers and community participants to work together using participatory models. In November 2004, Health Issues Centre and the Regional PCP Managers' Network invited Expressions of Interest from PCPs for appropriate support in 2005. As a result, across the nine Victorian Department of Human Services regions, nine consumers-only, six staff-only and three joint consumers and staff activities were held. The activities included training sessions, planning sessions, and information/open day sessions. The final report of the project was submitted to the Department in August 2005. One of the main lessons learnt from this project is that ongoing work with service providers results in a better understanding of consumer and carer participation, and that health services need ongoing training and planning support to make consumer participation sustainable and effective.
An evaluation of the project showed that those who were new in their roles or positions learnt practical strategies and were able to see, more clearly, their role in consumer and carer participation. Those who had been already involved in consumer participation activities were able to systematise their knowledge and learnt planning processes that would facilitate their work in the short-term.
Victorian Quality Council - Needs Assessment
Tere Dawson, Tony McBride, Sandra Robinson and Helena Maher
During the summer of 2003-2004, Health Issues Centre undertook a needs assessment on consumer participation for the Victorian Quality Council. This entailed interviewing over 80 people - health providers in acute services in Victoria (CEOs, Board Chairs, Quality Managers, clinicians, etc) as well as consumers including some Chairs of Community Advisory Committees and members of consumer groups. The assessment found that consumer participation was being increasingly accepted at senior levels as core business, and many examples of it being successfully and valuably being undertaken. However professional, and to a lesser degree organisational, cultures were still perceived to be significant barriers to broader acceptance and implementation. The report made a number of recommendations for action to foster consumer participation. These included the need to promote leadership and champions, create clearer policies and provide more training to both staff and consumers.
