The EAP was a 9-month WQ HCH trial program involving 7 practices, which commenced in July 2018 and tested the tools and resources of the program. Additionally, the Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), Centre for Rural and Remote Health (CRRH) and James Cook University (JCU) conducted an evaluation of the program.
The practices involved in the EAP were part of a network who:
- Championed the WQ HCH model including building the will to change within the practice
- Dedicated time, personnel and resources to the implementation of WQ HCH
- Were accredited, and maintained accreditation against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Standards for General Practices
- Were registered and using the My Health Record System including maintaining clinical information
- Collected, maintained and shared de-identified data with WQPHN for quality improvement purposes and business modelling
- Cleansed data and identified priority populations for enrolment into the program
- Participated in education and training
- Implemented patient feedback mechanisms, and used these outcomes for quality improvement purposes
- Considered new roles, including care coordination skills (within a team-based culture)
- Connected care through shared health records and partnering with the WQ HCH neighbourhood
- Made infrastructure available to support the necessary workflows including external providers
- Participated in ongoing formal evaluations of the WQ HCH approach,
