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Evaluation of Hunter & New England HealthPathways Phase 2 Report
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Wiggers, John (Author)
- O'Dea, Ian (Author)
- Gray, Jane (Author)
- Lynch, Margaret (Author)
- Tay, Tracey (Author)
- Hay, Liz (Author)
- Mackenzie, Marika (Author)
- Swan, Judith (Author)
- Harrison, Karen (Author)
Title
Evaluation of Hunter & New England HealthPathways Phase 2 Report
Abstract
Hunter & New England HealthPathways (H&NE HealthPathways) is an initiative to improve the
management and referral of patients by General Practitioners (GP) and Hunter New England Local
Health District (HNE) clinical specialists, and to facilitate the redesign of clinical processes to
achieve such an improvement. It seeks to achieve these outcomes through the collaborative
development of web-based clinical pathways by primary and specialist care clinicians.
An evaluation of H&NE HealthPathways was undertaken to describe: 1) changes over time in
patient referral and access to specialist care; 2) the implementation of associated clinical redesign
initiatives, and 3) change over time in, and the pattern of, H&NE HealthPathways website usage.
Date
2015
Language
en
Notes
Study topic:
Evaluation of the implementation and impact of three HealthPathways in the Hunter & New England region: Routine Antenatal Care, Persistent Non-Cancer Pain, and Suicide Risk.
Study type:
Mixed methods programme evaluation (including pre-post case studies, referral audits, Google Analytics, and GP surveys)
Key findings:
- This early evaluation of HealthPathways in Hunter & New England (HNE) found high general practitioner engagement, with 92% awareness and 72% usage among surveyed GPs in late 2014.
- HealthPathways was reported to improve referral appropriateness, care consistency, and access to local service information—key aims of the initiative.
- GPs valued the platform’s concise format, clarity on local referral processes, and alignment with everyday clinical workflow.
- Barriers to use included insufficient awareness among some practice staff, low integration with practice software, and the need for ongoing updates and support.
- HealthPathways was seen as a useful change management tool for promoting shared care, reducing variation, and enhancing integration across primary and secondary services in the HNE region.
Citation
Wiggers, J., O’Dea, I., Gray, J., Lynch, M., Tay, T., Hay, L., Mackenzie, M., Swan, J., & Harrison, K. (2015). Evaluation of Hunter & New England HealthPathways Phase 2 Report.
Topic
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