This paper on the South Western Sydney HealthPathways project was published in the Journal of Integrated Care. [PDF]
Chow JSF, Gonzalez-Arce VE, Tam CWM, Warner K, Maurya N, McDougall A. Creating a successful health pathway to support the integration of patient care. J Integr Care. 2019;28(2):171-82.
Abstract
Purpose
HealthPathways (HPW) is an online health information portal which provides general practitioners (GPs), guidance on the assessment, management and referral of a range of conditions linked to local resources. However, there is a lack of understanding of the acceptance of pathways within primary health. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study identified baseline factors that promote the successful implementation of HPW in a major local health district (LHD) in Australia. The development, implementation and acceptance of Diabetes HPW were evaluated. A total of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders and 4 GPs. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis approach.
Findings
Four major themes were identified that promote the integration of care in the region through utilizing HPW: engagement, sustainability, transparency and accountability. Several factors identified as “enablers” or “barriers” are described at micro and macro levels of the healthcare system.
Originality/value
By combining the perspectives of both stakeholders and end-users, this qualitative evaluation of the localized HPW has identified relational and structural factors that promote the successful implementation of HPW to facilitate the integration of care in this LHD. Furthermore, this study provides other implementers with a comprehensive evaluation of the HPW development.
