Strategy 2: WQ Health Care Home (WQ HCH)
Welcome to the WQPHN 2021-2022 Annual Report Highlights. For a printable version of the report, please click here.
WQ Health Care Home
The Western Queensland Health Care Home (WQ HCH) program is a suite of self-evaluation, education, training, data analysis, and quality improvement tools and resources to help primary care practices operate efficiently and effectively.
Workshops are held each year and the 2021-22 year’s workshops focused on investigating the demographics of local communities, and how to integrate and utilise other local health and community services. The workshops blended theory, data, interactive, and practical components, and provided protected planning time for practices away from the busy day-to-day operations. Understanding practice data and populations provided a platform to look at ways to improve Chronic Disease management using the roles of Care Coordination and Team Based Care. The added benefit of the workshops was the ability for practice staff to network and meet likeminded people within their region.
Over 2021-22 the Practice Capability and Innovation Team delivered 12 Quality Improvement workshops to 18 Western Queensland Health Care Homes practices. The team visited 11 General Practices across the North West, Central West, and South West regions collaborating with 119 attendees.
Responses to attendance satisfaction surveys were positive, with 97% of participants indicating the learning objectives were met by the sessions.
Key to the success of the WQ HCH program is the ability of practices to utilise the tools and resources provided by WQPHN to drive continual quality improvement initiatives. As each year progresses, the practices have learnt and grown and implemented the skills and tools of the WQ HCH program into their Quality Improvement activities.
Workforce Challenges
A key challenge for practices across Western Queensland continues to be the decline in GP and Nursing hours available to support the work required to ensure patients have access to proactive, planned and structured care.
Total GPs and Practice Nurse Professionals in General Practice Networks trending year on year:
Telehealth & Digital Health
WQPHN is engaging with all levels of Government and sector stakeholders to improve and accelerate the uptake of telehealth and digital health services in our region, ensuring the needs of remote Australians are considered when policy decisions are made.
Nearly 23 per cent of homes in Western Queensland have no access to the internet - investing in the digital infrastructure to support access to telehealth, online supports, and community, aged care and disability services is a priority.
In 2021-22, 100% of healthcare organisations were provided support to transition from NASH SHA-1 to SHA-2 certificates, allowing them to continue to access digital health platforms and tools, including My Health Record.
Purposeful engagement with the primary health care workforce on digital health news, updates, priorities and opportunities through The Monthly Megabyte, and our Digital Health and Integration newsletter.
We also maintain the Digital Health Help Desk, providing expert advice remotely and in person on key topics and programs such as My Health Record, Secure Messaging, Electronic Prescribing, Telehealth, and the Adaptors to Web Services Program.
This year we began work to improve access to Telehealth and After-Hours healthcare for people living in Residential Aged Care Facilities with a goal to increase access to the right care in the right place at the right time and reduce potentially preventable hospitalisations.
In 2021-22 there was 9,915 occasions of service via Telehealth.
Our Stories...
headspace Roma celebrated their first birthday on Wednesday May 4, 2022, with local crew and staff enjoying the celebrations, which included a great BBQ, cake, art workshops, games and a chill out zone.
Chronic diseases are long-lasting, and while most are preventable and treatable, they cause approximately 64% of the disease burden among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and approximately 80% of the mortality gap.
The steady achievers in 2021/22 have once again been the committed staff working in residential and community aged care.
Nearly 23 per cent of homes in Western Queensland have no access to the internet - we need to invest in the digital infrastructure to support access to telehealth, online supports, and community, aged care and disability services.
WQPHN collaborated with Mable to visit regional communities throughout Western Queensland to discuss options for community-led aged care services and provide workforce solutions for rural and remote areas.
WQPHN has commissioned headspace National to provide the Wellbeing in Schools Early Intervention Telepsychiatry program (WiSE).
Credits
The WQPHN website was developed and is maintained by Michael R.G. Hughes of Extremely Geeky.
Disclaimer
While the Australian Government Department of Health has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or the reliance on the information provided on this website.