HealthPathways Illawarra Shoalhaven Short Term Evaluation

Study topic: Evaluation of the HealthPathways Illawarra Shoalhaven (HPWIS) programme, a joint initiative between Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) and COORDINARE (South Eastern NSW PHN), assessing its impact on integrated care, referral quality, clinical redesign, and alignment with health priorities.

Study type: Programme evaluation

Key findings:

• The evaluation assessed the early implementation of HealthPathways in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, focusing on use, user satisfaction, and perceived impact.
• Survey responses (n=92) showed high awareness among general practitioners (94%) and frequent use (78% used it at least monthly), with 68% rating their overall satisfaction as good or excellent.
• GPs reported that HealthPathways improved knowledge of referral options, supported clinical decision-making, and promoted consistent care aligned with local pathways.
• Interviews with stakeholders indicated HealthPathways facilitated improved collaboration between primary and secondary care clinicians, though further engagement with specialists was needed.
• Users valued the platform's local relevance and integration with existing clinical systems but cited slow pathway development and limited time to explore the site as challenges.
• Recommendations included accelerating pathway localisation, increasing promotion and training, and improving metrics to demonstrate system-wide impact.