Primary Health Tasmania welcomes today’s announcement by the Australian Government that Tasmania will be included in the national Health Care Homes trial.
“This is great news for Tasmania because we have high rates of chronic disease and an ageing population against a backdrop of significant socioeconomic disadvantage,” Phil Edmondson, CEO of Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania’s Primary Health Network), said.
Almost one fifth of Tasmanians are living with three or more chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease. Sixteen percent of the population is over the age of 65, and 19% of people receive rent assistance from the Australian Government.
The Australian Government describes the Health Care Homes model as a new way of funding care for people with chronic health conditions.
A Health Care Home will generally be a general practice or Aboriginal health service that will act as a ‘home base’ to coordinate the comprehensive care that people with chronic and complex conditions need on an ongoing basis. People assessed as eligible and likely to benefit will be given the chance to ‘enrol’ with a participating Health Care Home, which will develop a tailored care plan for the person.
The trial is being rolled out in 10 regions around the country, based on Primary Health Network boundaries, with service delivery starting on 1 July 2017 and running until 30 June 2019. Evaluation of Health Care Homes in these regions will inform refinement of the new model of care and its suitability for broader rollout.
The process by which practices in these regions can apply to become a Health Care Home is being finalised.
The trial will focus on a limited number of practices (around 200 Australia-wide) and a sub-set of their patients (up to 65,000 Australia-wide) with complex and chronic conditions.
Mr Edmondson said he is looking forward to hearing further detail about the trial and Primary Health Tasmania’s role in supporting local implementation.
“Our significant direct involvement in programs aimed at better coordinating and connecting care for Tasmanians with chronic conditions – and our ongoing engagement with health care providers through those programs – gives us a good grounding for understanding what’s involved in supporting rollout of new models of care locally,” he said.
“We will work closely with stakeholders including peak general practice bodies to ensure this new initiative has the best possible chance of success in supporting chronically ill Tasmanians,” Mr Edmondson said.
*More information about the Health Care Homes trial is available on the Australian Government Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-care-homes
Primary Health Tasmania is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation working to connect care and keep Tasmanians well and out of hospital. It was established on 1 July 2015 under the Australian Government’s Primary Health Networks Program to support and enable a coordinated, primary care-focused health system.
Jenny Denholm Communications Manager
