New tech for community health
WellSouth Primary Health Network has been working with Pacific community healthcare providers in Otago and Southland to help improve their services.
The primary health organisation for the southern region has customised a computerised practice management system (PMS) – Medtech Evolution – to supported providers’ patient administration.
This system has been installed at Pacific Island Advisory Charitable Trust (PIACT) in Invercargill and Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group (OPICG).
The PMS brings the Pacific providers’ services to the forefront in primary care, as they connect on a more safe and secure platform. This allows more access to services for all Pacific patients through the general practices they are enrolled with, and continuity of care for the patients accessing services with the Pacific provider with their GP so there are no silos of care.
WellSouth’s General Practice Operations Advisor Karen Bolch has installed and continues to train, advise and support providers.
“OPICG and PIACT are already doing amazing work. WellSouth’s solution just enhances what they can do and enables them to provide an even better, smoother and more confidential service to clients,” she says.
“The system makes data easily accessible and more secure than before. It enables clinical and other practitioners to see important patient information like health checks and medication. It also records, tracks and shares progress with general practices where their client is enrolled, all in discussion with the client.”
“This means their clients can receive wrap around care from all services available.”
In one case, the PMS enables an on-site clinician to write scripts and refer to other services, where previously this could only be done through a general practice. client data would be emailed to the general practice they are enrolled at, which was time consuming, not as secure as accessing the system and because of the double handling left room for error.
WellSouth hosts and is therefore able to customise the Medtech PMS system.
“The solution is bespoke, which is a first, and customised according to the providers’ needs,” says Ms Bolch.
“As they grow, they have a system readily available to use.”
One such service is Ola Manuia at PIACT, where health improvement practitioners and social workers are available at the centre for mental health and wellbeing support. It enables services like health link support worker services, women’s and men’s support groups, whanau ora, dietician, and pharmacist services now easily referred into through the PMS.
PIACT’s Health Contracts Lead and Board Advisor Judy Bradley says the PMS has paved the way to launch Ola Manuia.
“We know that some of our community are not enrolled with a practice, or if they are they don’t always find it easy to visit their practice for a variety of reasons. This is compounded when we talk about mental health, which is as real a burden for Pasifika as for non-Pasifika.
“It is now much easier for us to welcome people into the space and support them and their health and wellbeing needs as suits them.”
This solution is portable, so social workers and community support workers can log in remotely to research and update notes.
It is also much easier to get accurate reporting at the touch of a button.
Providers can also modify components such as the sign-up forms to be even more friendly and accessible.
“So many medical forms and paperwork are hard to understand especially if English is your second language,” explains Ms Bradley.
“Something like a client information form that you can understand and starts the process positively can make the difference between someone staying and getting the help they need or leaving.”
Ms Bolch says the PMS will enable providers to provide even more healthcare services onsite in the future.
“This is where healthcare needs to go. We need to help break barriers so people get support where they feel most comfortable. It makes a difference to people’s lives, to their families, their future.”
Pictured from left to right back row is PIACT’s Community Linkage Worker and Whanau Ora Navigator Aiga Toomalatai, WellSouth Relationship Manager Primary Care Network Team Daniela Duggan, WellSouth Primary Care Operations Advisor Karen Bolch, Ofa Boyle Whanau Resilience Kaimahi, Ida Brunt Receptionist Alison Adam Finance and Admin, Tere Papatua Whanau Ora Navigator Tracey Kuresa Reception and Whanau navigator.
Front row : Ngaiwa McCallum Access and Choice navigator, Judy Bradley Health Contracts Lead and Board Advisor, Roy Brunt Support Role.
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