Chronic Care Improvement Group

29-31 August 2017 - Christchurch, NZ
Meeting Code HRT1716

The focus of the Chronic Care Improvement Group is to discuss appropriate care, including options for treatment and prevention activities outside of a hospital, for patients with chronic disease.

Overall, we know that patients with chronic disease do not suit an episodic model of care - which is generally more expensive and offers a fragmented patient experience. Radical overhaul of current care models, along with early intervention and coordination with Social Care, is required in Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world as a 'Chronic Disease Epidemic' impacts on ageing populations. Many new models of care are being tried around the world.

Key points that arose from our latest reports (including the Health Roundtable's new Chronic Care Journey utilisation reports):

• Health Roundtable members have experienced a significant rise in the number of IP admissions for major chronic conditions (Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure). This trend shows no sign of levelling off. 
• Patients with chronic conditions use over 25% of the bed days in HRT member hospitals, even though they account for less 9% of the total number of patients in the respective hospitals.

The 2017 Improvement Group meeting will take place in Christchurch, New Zealand and will enable participants to hear speakers talk about leading-edge innovations from Australia and NZ, as well as share ideas with each other. Members are encouraged to bring a partner Primary Healthcare and other NGO organisations to the workshop.

In the 2016 meeting we heard about a revised service delivery model for Whanganui Health Service in New Zealand. Whanganui DHB currently ranked 2nd nationally in terms of workforce development, self- management, community resources, organisational systems and information systems. The project involved whole of system change was undertaken in the primary sector (focusing on early intervention, prevention and follow up) and a key lesson learned was that this also needs to be undertaken at the specialist level.