Refining, evolving and transforming
healthcare
While we continue to refine existing healthcare practices; we are increasingly focused on innovations that evolve and transform healthcare to deliver better, fairer, sustainable healthcare.
Transform: designing radical changes that completely replaces the way healthcare is delivered
Improving access to complex menopause care
Health professionals are now better equipped to support women experiencing severe and complex menopause symptoms, with new services opening across NSW and resources available through our Menopause Initiative.
- Four new menopause hubs are being established as centres of expert multidisciplinary care in South Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, Northern Sydney and Hunter New England Local Health Districts (LHDs).
- Each hub will provide clinical care to patients from 12 additional referral sites throughout the state.
- An expert Taskforce identified clinical priorities and developed the model of care that is now being implemented through the hub and referral sites.
- Northern Sydney LHD was the first to establish a fully operational multidisciplinary hub, receiving referrals from Central Coast, Far West and Western Sydney LHDs. Others are now also up and running.
- A bi-monthly forum, MenoECHO, uses case-based learning to support clinicians to build capability in menopause management.
- A new Menopause Care Clinician Toolkit provides tools and resources for clinicians to diagnose, refer and provide care for women with severe and complex menopause.
“By bringing together multidisciplinary teams of medical, nursing and allied health professionals, this model is an opportunity to improve the overall health of women and provide better access to menopause services for priority populations.”
Danella Hackett, Menopause Initiative Manager, Agency for Clinical Innovation
Evolve: implementing more disruptive practices within existing models of care
Improving access to specialist care for people with spinal cord injury
A new pilot model of care recommends a hub and spoke model to ensure people with a spinal cord injury receive care that meets their needs. It also aims to build workforce capability in non-specialist hospitals. The model has been tested through dynamic simulation modelling to evaluate its impact and resource requirements. It has high potential to:
- address bed-block in specialist units and acute care facilities
- provide access to multidisciplinary specialist care for patients in spoke sites
- shorten length of stay and reduce complications and readmissions
- reduce clinical variation in the provision of care.
Implementing revised Nutrition Standards
A collaborative, person-centred approach was key to updating the NSW Health Nutrition Standards into a new digital resource that reflects patients’ needs.
- Consolidated three separate standards catering to adult, paediatric and mental health patients into a single, searchable web resource.
- Considered sustainability and a stronger emphasis on accommodating patients’ religious, cultural, lifestyle and life-stage food preferences and needs.
- Involved extensive consultation with consumers, clinicians, vendors, suppliers and HealthShare NSW to ensure each perspective was considered.
- New breakfast menu implemented in September, with the lunch and dinner menu to follow.
“To provide patients with the best possible clinical outcome and food they want to eat while in hospital, we need to balance clinical nutrition needs with choice, taste and logistics. This also needs to be financially and environmentally sustainable to the health system.”
Suzanne Kennewell, Co-Chair of the Nutrition Network and Director of Nutrition and Dietetics, Sydney Local Health District
Refine: introducing discrete changes to existing practices
Delivering impactful resources to support best practice clinical care
Throughout 2024, our clinical networks produced 100+ resources, providing the latest evidence-based information, tools and guidance to clinicians and the health system:
- Clinical practice guides
- Models of care
- Fact sheets
- Toolkits
- Digital guides
- eLearning modules
30+ videos have been produced to explain clinical procedures or clinical environments, and share the experiences of clinicians, patients, families and carers.
Increasing capability to deliver chronic wound care
New digital resources provide practical tips and success stories on best practice wound care; and improve capability for clinicians to manage chronic wounds.
- Chronic wound management capability and education map allows healthcare professionals working in chronic wound management to search for appropriate learning resources to develop wound management capabilities.
- Chronic wound management virtual care guide supports health services to incorporate virtual care when caring for people with chronic wounds. The web-based resource includes practical tips and success stories.
- A new local case study on the Western NSW Virtual Wound Service shares learnings, as well as consumer and clinician perspectives.
