PCD Strategy Evaluation 2007.pdf - NT Health Digital Library ...

esources to support the implementation process. Planning is underway to implement the systeminto Wadeye, Peppimenarti and Palumpa in the Top End and Ti Tree, Ti Tree 6 mile, Ti TreeStation, Stirling, Ali Curung and Yuendemu in Central Australia. This implementation plan forCentral Australia will mean there is not a consistent information management solution for allhealth services in a health zone. For example in the Walpiri Health Zone – Yuendemu, Willowraand Nyirripi, there are plans to link up Yuendemu to PCIS, but not the other 2 sites. A similarsituation will exist in the Anmatjere zone. The key barrier identified by Health ServicesInformation to implement the system in all communities is the poor communication infrastructurein remote areas with only satellite communication available in many places. Thereforeconsideration will also need to be given to finding a computerised patient information system forsites where there are no medium to longer term plans to implement PCIS.The urban community health services do not have a patient information system or recall systemfor managing chronic disease care. This is largely because they do not provide medical services,however, many of the services required by people with chronic disease are delivered byCommunity Health Services.The Renal Services Unit in Darwin is using a patient information system provided by apharmaceutical company, which is not tailored specifically for their needs. Without an informationsystem that supports recall systems and communication between service providers there is nobasis to manage patient and share information in urban areas.During stakeholder interviews staff from NTDH&CS consistently reported that acute caredemands continue to dominate the business of the clinic. For this reason in some communities,the Public Health Nurse is the only person actively following up chronic disease patient recalls.Effective orientation and training for short-term employees remains an ongoing challengeparticularly in sites with high turnover.Apart from the NTDH&CS clinics participating in the ABCD project, very few NTDH&CS servicescould demonstrate any ongoing quality improvement activities to help strengthen chronic diseasesystems. In the new WYN Health zone, the role of the public health nurse is to establishpopulation health systems, including the chronic disease recall systems, and to train staff in theiruse. This position will undertake quality improvement activities to establish PDSA cycles of auditand feedback about chronic disease care. This was one of many roles identified for the PublicHealth Project Officer that was proposed for each health zone in a paper tabled by AMSANT atthe NT Health Forum in 2001 (and very similar to the role of the Professional Practice Nurse thatChapter 3: Progress Against PCDS Objectives – Evaluation of the NT Preventable Chronic Disease Strategy 2007 28