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Creating a successful health pathway to support the integration of patient care
Resource type
Authors/contributors
- Chow, Josephine S.F. (Author)
- Gonzalez-Arce, Veronica Eugenia (Author)
- Tam, Chun Wah Michael (Author)
- Warner, Kerry (Author)
- Maurya, Nutan (Author)
- Mcdougall, Alan (Author)
Title
Creating a successful health pathway to support the integration of patient care
Abstract
HealthPathways (HPW) is an online health information portal which provides general practitioners (GPs), guidance on the assessment, management and referral of a range of conditions linked to local resources. However, there is a lack of understanding of the acceptance of pathways within primary health. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study identified baseline factors that promote the successful implementation of HPW in a major local health district (LHD) in Australia. The development, implementation and acceptance of Diabetes HPW were evaluated. A total of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders and 4 GPs. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis approach. Findings Four major themes were identified that promote the integration of care in the region through utilizing HPW: engagement, sustainability, transparency and accountability. Several factors identified as “enablers” or “barriers” are described at micro and macro levels of the healthcare system. Originality/value By combining the perspectives of both stakeholders and end-users, this qualitative evaluation of the localized HPW has identified relational and structural factors that promote the successful implementation of HPW to facilitate the integration of care in this LHD. Furthermore, this study provides other implementers with a comprehensive evaluation of the HPW development.
Publication
Journal of Integrated Care
Volume
ahead-of-print
Issue
ahead-of-print
Date
2019-01-01
Language
en
ISSN
1476-9018
Accessed
2/20/20, 2:35 AM
Library Catalog
Emerald Insight
Notes
Study topic
Qualitative evaluation of the development, implementation, and acceptance of HealthPathways (HPW) for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), Australia.
Study type
Qualitative study (part of a larger mixed-methods evaluation) using semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and GPs.
Key findings
- HealthPathways is a web-based portal providing GPs with locally relevant clinical guidance and referral information.
- The study focused on the T2DM pathway, which had been live for over a year and was co-developed by a Clinical Working Group including consumers, GPs, and specialists.
-
16 interviews (12 stakeholders, 4 GPs) revealed four key themes for successful implementation:
- Engagement: Active collaboration across organizations and disciplines.
- Transparency: Improved communication and visibility of processes and services.
- Accountability: Shared responsibility for care quality and pathway maintenance.
- Sustainability: Ongoing development, local relevance, and adequate resourcing.
- Macro-level impacts include improved referral quality, service standardization, and reduced inappropriate referrals.
- Micro-level impacts include increased GP confidence, better access to evidence-based guidance, and improved patient management.
- Barriers include limited GP engagement, technological access issues, unclear governance structures, and insufficient specialist involvement.
- The study highlights the importance of co-design, shared governance, and continuous evaluation to support integrated care.
- Since inception, over 500 localized pathways have been developed, with expansion into patient factsheets and companion sites.
Citation
Chow, J. S. F., Gonzalez-Arce, V. E., Tam, C. W. M., Warner, K., Maurya, N., & Mcdougall, A. (2019). Creating a successful health pathway to support the integration of patient care. Journal of Integrated Care, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-08-2019-0039
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