New model to improve chronic care

Great Ocean Road Health (GORH) is leading the delivery of a new, more inclusive, easier to access and individual-focused support service for people in the Colac, Coast and Otways region living with and at high risk of chronic conditions.

As of this month, GORH will deliver Your Care Path support services in partnership with Colac Area Health and Hesse Rural Health as part of a new regional care partnership approach to delivering much-improved primary health care services to people in the region.

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) chief executive officer Rowena Clift said the network was excited at its appointment of GORH and its partner agencies last month to deliver the services that had been developed in collaboration with local health providers and people with lived experience alongside their families and carers.

She said the new approach ensured these important support services were made available to as many people as possible in rural and remote communities.

“Each Your Care Path client will work toward a set of personal goals.

“The program will have the flexibility to deliver services face-to-face as well as via telehealth. There will also be opportunity for support services to be delivered in group settings and/or on an individual basis.”

Your Care Path will be available to people living with and at high risk of chronic conditions in the Colac Otway Shire and parts of the Golden Plains and Surf Coast shires.

The new model is designed to focus on several factors, including:

• Delivering person-centred care
• Supporting early intervention and promote evidence-based self-management
• Supporting the development of multidisciplinary collaborative care teams
• Supporting partnership approaches
• Supporting integration with primary care
• Supporting standardisation of outcome measures, and
• Ensuring maximum value is delivered within the available budget.

GORH chief executive officer Sandy Chamberlin said GORH would work with its partner health services – Colac Area Health and Hesse – and the PHN to improve the health of local communities.

“Our vision and purpose support our clients to live healthy purposeful lives, and this partnership will further support this vision in our region.”

Ms Clift said WVPHN would continue meeting with service providers this year to identify how to best transition clients using the existing Chronic Conditions model of care service to the new approach to ensure continuity of care.

“We will also work with our providers to ensure GPs and others in our primary care community are fully informed on how the new model will benefit their patients and how they can participate in the transition process and beyond,” she said.

For more information, head to greatoceanroadhealth.com.au