Thank you to the clinicians, health managers, consumers and stakeholders who work with us to drive healthcare innovations across NSW.
Clinical network updates
The 3Ci model of care has been published on the ACI website. It aims to improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary hospitalisations for people with chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in NSW.
Local health districts (LHDs) and speciality health networks (SHNs) will be invited to complete an expression of interest (EOI) to participate in the 3Ci pilot commencing May 2023. The EOI will include a readiness self-assessment and criteria for site selection.
The 3Ci project team continues to collaborate and facilitate alignment of communications with the Ministry of Health teams for Integrated Care, Planned Care for Better Health and Collaborative Commissioning.
More about the Cardiac Network and the Respiratory Network.
The Diabetes and Endocrine Network has developed a clinical practice guide on the Use of SGLT2-inhibitors for type 2 diabetes in acute inpatient care. The guide outlines the safe use of sodium glucose co-transporter2-inhibitor (SGLT2-i) medicines. It aims to reduce the risk of SGLT2-i-induced diabetic ketoacidosis and improve early recognition and diagnosis of ketoacidosis that may be euglycaemic.
The Drug and Alcohol Network has established a community of practice (CoP) for the Alcohol and Drug Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) Program. The CoP aims to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among drug and alcohol services implementing ACE screening and assessment tools. The CoP is open to NSW Health services and non-government organisations. For more information or to join, email Network Manager Regina Nagy.
Welcome Joan Purcell
Joan Purcell has been elected Co-Chair of the Drug and Alcohol Network Executive Committee. Joan is the Chief Operating Officer at the Construction Industry Drug and Alcohol Foundation. Joan has worked in the government and non-government drug and alcohol sector for the past 10 years and has qualifications in psychology and alcohol and other drugs. Joan is passionate about providing quality treatment options, opportunities, and environments for people facing substance use issues.
Drug and Alcohol Executive Committee members
We recently farewelled departing members Carly Stanley and Keenan Mundine. Thank you for your contribution to improving the lives of people with substance use issues in NSW.
We also welcome two new members: consumer representative Robbie Lloyd; and Natalie Bell, Aboriginal Health Manager, Integrated Care Services and Community Partnerships, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network.
Welcome Regina Nagy
Regina Nagy has joined the ACI as the Drug and Alcohol Network Manager. Regina has worked in a variety of healthcare roles including youth health, out of home care, and drug and alcohol and project management. Regina has qualifications in community welfare, alcohol and other drugs and health sciences.
The Emergency Care Institute (ECI) has published the following new resources:
- The Pathway for Acute Coronary Syndrome (PACSA) has been updated and is now presented in a new digital format. The resources outline how to assess and manage patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It has been designed to standardise practice across all health services operating in NSW, including in rural, regional and metropolitan areas.
- The mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) fact sheet is now available to access in a PDF and digital format. This fact sheet is for emergency departments and general practitioners to provide to patients and carers. It covers symptoms, treatment, home care and when to seek treatment urgently. It was developed in a collaboration between the Emergency Care Institute, and the Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Rehabilitation Networks.
- Intensive Care NSW has published a clinical practice guide on Non-invasive ventilation for adult patients with acute respiratory failure. The guide supports local health districts and hospitals to develop local procedures and guidelines for critically ill patients. It aims to ensure patients receive appropriate and safe care at the right time, and that staff receive appropriate education.
- Moving early is essential to the recovery of children in an intensive care unit. Parents can support their child while they are in hospital by encouraging them to do the activities outlined in this information sheet. A new information sheet explains how: Help your child to recover movement – Information for parents on early mobility.
- Two videos have been produced for use in the ICU. They provide information to families and carers of adults and children in the ICU.
The Medical Imaging Network has published a clinical practice guide on Gastric emptying scintigraphy, which is the primary test for diagnosing abnormal gastric emptying. The guide aims to standardise the technique; optimise clinical practice; and reduce clinical variation across nuclear medicine departments in NSW.
The ACI is leading the NSW Government’s menopause initiative, working with all 17 LHDs and specialty health networks (SHNs) to establish multidisciplinary services for people experiencing severe and complex symptoms associated with the transition to menopause.
Four specialist hub services will be established in:
- Northern Sydney LHD
- South Eastern Sydney LHD
- South Western Sydney LHD
- Hunter New England LHD (to lead a rural network hub).
The hubs will support other services through virtual care, outreach visits, education and capability building.
A 17-member multidisciplinary Menopause Taskforce provides strategic advice around the design and implementation of the services. The Taskforce is led by four co-chairs:
- Professor Rodney Baber, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Doctor Amanda Beech, Endocrinologist and Obstetric Medicine Physician
- Professor John Eden, Director, Royal Hospital for Women Menopause Unit
- Ms Joanne Perks, Nurse Practitioner Women’s Health Centre, Liverpool
Separate consumer and clinician reference groups also support the taskforce. An Implementation Working Group, with representatives from each district and network, is putting the models into practice.
Menopause webinar
The next Menopause Lunch and Learn - A MDT Holistic Approach to Managing Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause will be held on 27 April.
More about the Menopause Taskforce
The Musculoskeletal and Pain Management networks have revised the Model of care summary for the management of low back pain, in collaboration with the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. The guide is for primary care practitioners caring for people with lower back pain.
More about the Musculoskeletal and Pain Management Networks
The Institute of Trauma and Injury Management (ITIM) collaborated with the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital trauma service to host a hybrid trauma education evening with more than 360 critical care clinicians joining virtually or networking on-site for the event.
Long COVID Model of Care
The Respiratory and Rehabilitation networks have published the Long COVID Model of Care. It was developed by members of the Long COVID Clinical Expert Reference Taskforce, involving senior clinicians from across NSW and health managers from the ACI and the Ministry of Health.
The four-stage, principles-based approach to care for people with symptoms of long COVID includes:
- self-management
- general practitioner or Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) management
- integrated Care management within local health districts (LHDs) and speciality health networks (SHNs)
- multidisciplinary specialised care within LHDs and SHNs.
Person-centred care and self-management is at the core of each stage and can be adapted by primary health networks, LHDs and SHNs to ensure it meets local needs. The Ministry of Health has allocated funding for each LHD and SHN to support implementation and ensure evidence-based, person-centred care is delivered in the right time and place to improve patient outcomes.
Person-centred rehabilitation planning
The ACI's Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Networks have finalised the Person-centred Rehabilitation Planning educational program for rehabilitation services. This will help to build capability in best practice, person-centred rehabilitation planning across NSW Health services.
On 15 March 2023, 50 clinicians working in rehabilitation at St Vincent’s Hospital and Griffith Base Hospital attended a two-hour workshop to learn about interdisciplinary teamwork in action, the development of person-centred rehabilitation goals and measuring outcomes. The ACI's networks are currently exploring different ways to share the education resources and deliver training across NSW.
New resources
- The mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) fact sheet is now available to access in a PDF and digital format. This fact sheet is for emergency departments and general practitioners to provide to patients and carers. It covers symptoms, treatment, home care and when to seek treatment urgently. It was developed in a collaboration between the Emergency Care Institute, and the Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Rehabilitation Networks.
- A new Paediatric rehabilitation: minimum standards and toolkit outlines the minimum standards and supporting resources to guide the coordinated delivery of paediatric rehabilitation care in NSW.
Diane Elfleet has stepped down from her position as Co-Chair of the Statewide Burn Injury Service (SBIS) after six years in the role. She was also an executive member since the formation of the SBIS in 2003. The network thanks Diane and acknowledges her passion and contribution to supporting and improving burn care in NSW.
The SBIS is calling for expressions of interest for a new Co-Chair, who will join Dr Justine O’Hara. Please contact Network Manager Anne Darton for more information.
The State Spinal Cord Injury Service (SSCIS) held consultations across NSW to identify current practice and inform future planning for delivery of timely access to appropriate levels of specialist care and support for people with spinal cord injury.
The SSCIS identified training needs for clinicians in non-spinal cord injury units. Working with clinicians from specialist spinal cord injury units (SCIUs) and non-specialist trauma centres, the network has co-designed a suite of evidence-based and user-friendly resources.
The resources address the knowledge gap and build capability of clinicians at non-specialist hospitals to provide evidence-based care to people with a spinal cord injury.
The first resource, Spinal Cord Injury Bowel Management Guide for Clinicians in Non-spinal Units, has been published on the ACI website.
The Surgical Services Taskforce has developed a number of new resources:
- Getting the most value from surgery involves patients having the right procedures, for the right reasons, at the right time. The Value-based surgery clinical practice guide aims to promote discussion and enable clinically appropriate procedures to be performed.
- The new Orthogeriatric hip fracture care: Clinical practice guideaims to inform contemporary clinical practice for orthogeriatric hip fracture care and highlight best practice recommendations across the inpatient journey: from the time a patient with a hip fracture arrives at the hospital to the time they are discharged.
- Enhanced recovery after surgery: key principles for colorectal surgery, elective surgery action plan and two local case studies have been developed:
- The Transition Care Network has captured the Transition care consumer experiences. The report provides information on what young people and carers share about transitioning from paediatric to adult health services. It highlights the need to increase the voice of young people in transition research; build the evidence base; and share learnings.
- Quick reference guides on the key principles for transition have been translated into Chinese, Vietnamese, Urdu and Arabic, as well as ‘easy read’ formats for young people, their families and carers. The guides support young people and their carers during the time they transition from children’s healthcare to adult health services.
The Urology Network has developed a nursing toolkit for the Management of patients with nephrostomy tubes. It outlines the principles for best practice care, including the correct insertion of a nephrostomy tube, ongoing care, removal of the tube, and discharge.
Statewide program updates
The Virtual Care (Palliative Care) team visited Southern NSW LHD in February 2023. The team gained an understanding of how the palliative care service works and delivered in-person and hybrid myVirtualCare training to enthusiastic attendees.
Palliative care clinicians were given the opportunity to practice using the platform and identify strategies to embed it in their model of care.
The ACI’s Virtual Care (Palliative Care) team have offered additional support to all LHDs and SHNs. Reach out to your service manager to organise an in-person or virtual session for your or your team.
Coming off mute: Supporting the consumer voice in virtual care
The ACI is hosting interactive workshops on the first and third Tuesday of the month (1-2pm) aimed at consumer representatives who are supporting the work of NSW Health to build their knowledge about virtual care. The next session will be held on 2 May, with subjects including:
- What is Virtual Care and Digital Health
- Know your Virtual Care managers and champions
- Virtual Care use cases (Spotlight on Virtual Care)
- Videoconferencing platforms
- Training, education and support for clinicians
- Enablers of Virtual care, and overcoming challenges
- Patient Reported Measures (PRMs)
For more information or to register, visit the ACI events calendar.
Virtual Care Central (VCC)
The Virtual Care Central (VCC) site has been updated to reflect the new ACI Strategy (2023–2026)
VCC is the portal to share and transfer innovation and information to enhance adoption and embed the use of virtual care safely and seamlessly into clinical practice.
The Resource section is still under construction. Changes are being made to ensure the section is easier to navigate and connect you to relevant information.
To join the VCC User Group or provide feedback, please contact us.
Spotlight on Virtual Care
A new report in our Virtual Care Spotlight Series, Spotlight on virtual care: Western Sydney Diabetes, reveals how a case conference model using a multidisciplinary team enables patients to better manage complicated diabetes while supporting general practitioners to learn about new treatments.
50,000 Patient Reported Outcome Measures collected in HOPE
A milestone was achieved in early March, with 50,000 patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) collected in the Health Outcome Patient Experience (HOPE) IT platform since its launch in February 2021. HOPE enables routine collection and use of patient reported measures (PRMs) across the state.
HOPE reinforces the benefit of collecting and using PROMs for clinicians, carers and patients. PROMs supports clinicians in understanding what matters to patients and enables shared decision making and care planning to guide and improve patient care.
As the NSW PRM program continues to grow and expand, HOPE will continue to support the routine collection and use of PRMs across the state.
Statewide integration of HOPE into the electronic medical record
The staged integration of the HOPE platform into the electronic Medical Record (eMR) will provide clinicians access to results for patients who have submitted a patient reported outcome measure.
Clinicians in Northern Sydney, Central Coast, Western NSW, Far West NSW, Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW LHDs will be the first to use HOPE via their eMR. All remaining LHDs will have access by the end of 2023.
For services that are live in HOPE, users can enable patients to complete PRMs, review current and longitudinal survey results and document them in patient records. For services that are not live in HOPE, but have a patient who has completed PRMs in another service, a read-only view of the HOPE surveys is available.
Education and training for clinicians is provided locally with PRM project officers and ICT team support.
For more information, visit the Patient Reported Measures website.