A focus on Leading Better Value Care

Learn about progress across our Leading Better Value Care initiatives and register for the Value Based Health Care Forum on 6 November.

While some programs paused across the health sector as it responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of the ACI’s Leading Better Value Care (LBVC) initiatives continued to progress.

Adopting virtual technology

The ACI is supporting the rapid integration of virtual technologies into the care environment, including the following:

• As part of the COVID-19 response, in-person pulmonary rehabilitation services have transitioned to a virtual model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Partnership between local health districts (LHDs), ACI and eHealth to design and develop myVirtualCare – a clinical waiting room and video-consultation platform that mimics a physical consultation for clinicians and patients. Read more in our article about virtual care.
• All LHDs and specialty health networks (SHNs) are partnering with the ACI to pilot Physitrack exercise prescription software. Physitrack enables exercise assessment, prescription, education and monitoring for the Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program (OACCP) and Osteoporotic Refracture Program (ORP) in a virtual care environment.

Measuring patient outcomes

With new additions to the electronic Medical Record (eMR) across the OACCP and ORP initiatives, clinicians are being supported to record and measure clinical and patient outcomes for people who are living with the conditions within the LBVC program. Outcome measures can be used in real time to support clinical care as an important element of the move towards value-based healthcare (VBHC) in NSW.

These changes will be piloted in five sites within Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains LHDs. To date, the changes include patient finding tools; standardised assessment records and goal setting; auto-populated clinical and patient measures; and communication tools. To find out more, contact Melissa Tinsley at Melissa.Tinsley@health.nsw.gov.au

Patient information resources for the management of diabetes

The Diabetes COVID Community of Practice has rolled out the Patient Education Resource Library (PERL). PERL, driven by the Go-Share platform, was made available with ACI funding to all NSW diabetes services for 12 months.

PERL enables clinicians to access an extensive library of credible patient education resources, including fact sheets, patient story videos and apps. PERL also includes more than 75 videos on all aspects of diabetes management developed by the Western Sydney Diabetes Service.