Full bibliography

Study topic
Evaluation of the first year of HealthPathways Sydney, focusing on implementation, pathway development, engagement, usage, and early reflections.

Study type
Internal process evaluation with mixed methods (Google Analytics, surveys, workgroup feedback, academic detailing).

Key findings:

• HealthPathways Sydney launched in March 2014 as a partnership between Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) and Inner West Sydney Medicare Local (IWSML).
• By September 2014, 47 localised pathways were live and 223 were in development, exceeding initial targets.
• Pathways covered clinical, referral, resource, and patient information categories.
• 14 workgroups were held, involving 29 GPs, 81 SLHD clinicians, and 7 private allied health professionals.
• Google Analytics showed 2,381 sessions and 11,388 unique pageviews in the first 6 months, with mid-week peaks and low weekend use.
• Most accessed pathways included liver conditions, sexual health, and chronic hepatitis.
• 11% of GPs in IWSML were aware of HealthPathways, with 83 requesting more information.
• Academic detailing was used to support implementation in 21 practices, though uptake was limited due to low volume of localised content.
• A GP registrar survey showed HealthPathways was ranked equally with clinical supervisors as a referral resource after a brief demo.
• A Research & Evaluation Advisory Committee was established, and a program logic and evaluation framework were in development.
• The report emphasised the need for evidence to support sustainability and proposed future evaluation including health economics and impact studies.