Better, sooner, more convenient health care in Midlands

2 IntroductionA model for better, sooner, more convenient primary health care in MidlandsThe Duty of Care modelWhat it looks likeThe Duty of Care principle focuses on the experience of the patient and their journey through thehealth system.Duty of Care in action is a patient never feeling unsupported on their journey through thehealth system.It is a patient receiving the right information, in the right place, at the right time, in a format theyunderstand. It is a workforce being acutely aware of the points in the healthcare system wherepatient care is transferred and not letting that patient slip through the cracks.It relies on having solutions focused staff who understand that when things go awry, patients andtheir families need both answers and advice quickly. It is staff who understand that the health systemcan be complicated, scary and intimidating and who work to find ways to make it less so.It means if you are lost we will help you find your way.How it worksDirect, Consistent and Managed Communication between Health Team and the PatientFor the Midlands Integrated Family Health Network to achieve true Duty of Care for their populationan entirely new level of patient engagement is required.In an increasingly technologically savvy world where a large percentage of people now haveaccess to a mobile phone or the internet, very rarely do we even look to record our patients’ emailaddresses yet alone use them in any meaningful manner. Our enrolled population, through thingslike online ticketing and banking, now has some base level expectation that these high priority itemscan, and will, be managed by the person themselves in an online and secure environment.Patient expectation of their healthcare system is that they should be able to communicate with usby email and yet the reality is often very disappointing and certainly not secure. The IntegratedFamily Health Centre must take responsibility for communicating with their enrolled population viathe medium that their enrolled population prefers. With the appropriate communication methodsharnessed a programme of wellness screening can begin.The process will be patient centred with a focus on self-management. The underlying goal howeveris improved patient understanding of healthcare situations where lack of comprehension can havevery real consequences.In the Integrated Family Health Network communication at a generic level will be managed centrally.The network will carry the responsibility for managing relationships at a regional level while theIntegrated Family Health Centre retains responsibility and communication milestones at a patientinformation level.A focus on wellness and preventative care in order to reduce acute demand on secondaryservices.“The burden of preventable chronic disease on the patient and his or her carer, family and whanau,the community and the nation is minimised through optimisation of processes of prevention, earlydetection, self-management support, clinical treatment and coordination and end of life support.”17