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.