Health Care Home in a Nutshell
Health Care Home (HCH) is a nationwide general practice model of care that supports primary care to deliver a better patient experience, improved quality of care, benefits for clinicians and greater practice efficiency. HCH introduces change to improve access for patients and to keep general practice sustainable, through a process of continuous improvement.
The Southern HCH Programme is a two-year funded programme which focuses on four areas of general practice: Sustainability, Urgent and Unplanned Care, Proactive Care for those with Complex Needs, and Routine and Preventative Care. Beyond the jargon, Health Care Home is about finding ways to spend more time with patients who really need it, improving patient experience, and improving processes to make things easier for staff. Although only a two-year programme, we challenge you to think about where you want to be in five years’ time, and how to get there.
We encourage you to contact a current Health Care Home practice to hear about their experience, or reach out to the Health Care Home team and we will put you in touch.
Why implement HCH?
The population in the Southern region of New Zealand is ageing. An ageing population leads to patients presenting with increased complexity and morbidity. By 2036 we expect to see a 73% increase in the number of GP consultations required to service our 65+ population. The health inequity gap is growing, and risk factors such as obesity continue to grow, impacting the lives of our whānau. Health Care Home is not a one size fits all solution to these problems, but it can be a step in the right direction for delivering patient-centred care and preventing staff burnout. Health Care Home aims to improve patient access, better manage long-term conditions, use technology as appropriate and apply lean processes to improve work and patient flow.
Who does what?
|
Staff |
Role |
|
Receptionists/Administrators |
Be open to change and working in new ways. Play an active role in HCH e.g. become a Huddle or Portal champion. |
|
Nurses |
Be open to change and working in new ways. Play an active role in HCH e.g. CLIC and improving practice processes. |
|
General Practitioners |
Critical that GPs are onboard and are actively participating in HCH. |
|
Management |
Engage staff around the benefits of HCH. Create a change team responsible for implementing HCH. |
|
WellSouth |
Engage staff and owners around the benefits of HCH. Support general practice through the HCH journey. |
What does each practice work on?
Throughout HCH you will work across 4 domains:
1. Urgent and Unplanned Care
2. Proactive Care
3. Routine and Preventative Care
4. Business Efficiency
In practical terms this means:
Engaging in continuous improvement projects around same day access and the need for GP triage.
Long term conditions management through WellSouth CLIC program.
Activating patients onto a patient portal and using the portal to improve processes within the practice.
Routinely seeking feedback from patients and using this information to make informed decisions.
Huddles and visual management tools are used in the practice to create a cohesive and efficient general practice team.
Practices also work on projects important to their patient populations. This may be working more closely with SDHB around developing a care plan for COPD patients or developing a wellness programme to run in your local community.
Further Resources
HCH Model of Care
Video explaining HCH principles
Dr Nick Giblin from Broadway Medical Centre discussing the benefits of HCH