We acknowledge the Kaurna peoples who are the traditional Custodians of the Adelaide plains. We pay tribute to their physical and spiritual connection to land, waters and community, enduring now as it has been throughout time. We pay respect to them, their culture and to Elders past and present. We would also like to acknowledge and pay our respects to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other Nations who live, work, travel and contribute on Kaurna Country.
THE 2023-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN SETS THE FOUNDATION
FOR US TO ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUITIES AND INEQUALITIES BY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO SHAPE THE SYSTEM TO DELIVER BETTER OUTCOMES FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
Our Strategic Plan has been developed on the premise of the Quintuple Aim for improving health care by creating a stronger focus on health equity. The Quintuple Aim adds health equity to the existing Quadruple Aim, improving the individual experience of care for patients, improving the health of populations, reducing the per capita cost of care, and improving the experience of health care professionals. The inclusion of health equity calls on us as leaders to identity health dipartites, implement evidence-based interventions to address them, measure progress in the achievedment of equity.
Adelaide PHN has approached the development of our Strategic Plan through this lens as we recognise health inequities are complex and diverse affecting many of our local communities.
In response to addressing the health inequities, Adelaide PHN recognises our responsibility in shaping the market through partnerships, cocreating integrated care pathways and commissioning services that are people-centred.
Over the last 12 months our work has been guided by the four focus areas of our Strategic Plan:
1. Health Equity
2. Partnerships
3. Co-Creating
4. Data Insights & Stories
FOCUS AREA AND KEY STRATEGIES
Health equity
Prioritise better support for those who need it most. Increasingly demonstrate the inclusion of vulnerable people in our governance, engagement, and co-design processes.
Increase access, whilst improving the experience of vulnerable people in primary health care services by developing local pathways that lead to improved primary care engagement and ensure people receive the right care in the right place.
Commissioned activities are monitored, evaluated, and reported on through a health equity lens.
Partnerships
Connect the health system to deliver better care.
Build local service capacity, capability, and resilience through place-based partnerships with relevant stakeholders.
Collaborate nationally to strengthen primary health care and the PHN program.
Co-creating solutions
Encourage new thinking and more local approaches to care. Address service gaps by working with our partners, people with lived experience and our advisory councils to plan, co-design and commission services that address the needs of the local community.
Data insights and stories
Track and share our impact.
Measure provider performance against the quintuple aim.
Through our alliances, use practice and provider data to improve people’s access and experience of the health system through improved secure data sharing to better understand and address local health needs.
Collaborate with researchers, universities and other partners to improve understanding of local population health data which informs the design, delivery and evaluation of primary health care services.
2024 Highlights of our work
Health Equity
Recruitment to our Community Advisory Councils has attracted member experience (lived or professional) that aligns with our Priority areas and supports current Needs Assessment requirements.
We undertook 15 Community consultation sessions and surveyed a further 284 community members, Allied Health professionals & General Practitioners to help design services that ensure people received the right care at the right time We participated in the developing of the National Multicultural Health Framework Access & Equity Framework 86% of program based funding is allocated to low socio economic
Partnerships
81% of staff attended capability building in Place Based Approaches. As a result, our staff are better placed to identify and work with local communities to understand local priorities to achieve better access and health outcomes for local people.
Adelaide PHN Partnering Framework endorsed, with 71% of staff trained in how we approach a coordinated and consistent approach to working with our partner organisations. The Primary Health Research Interest Group was launched, a partnership between Adelaide PHN, Flinders University and Health Translation South Australia seeks to enhance research capacity at Adelaide PHN rm for discussing rimary health ork; Migrant and Homelessness.
To learn more about our work in these areas turn to our case studies.
2024 Highlights of our work
Co-Creating Solutions
Adelaide PHN sought to co-design Quality Improvement activities in Refugee Health. As a result we have developed a strong network of 7 General Practices who seek to create a more coordinated approach to Refugee Health across Adelaide PHN commissioned services, general practice activity, LHN activity (NALHN – Refugee focus) and engagement opportunities.
Early Ageing and Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACHs), have been co-designed with input from clinical and primary care teams. This has included design considerations relevant to industry priorities, gaps in knowledge, and routinely collected data (such as Patient Reported Measures and general practice data).
Research Projects which Address Industry Priorities
Evaluation of approaches to reducing restrictive practices in RACHs, funding from Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA).
Sleep interventions for people with dementia, funding from Dementia Australia Research Foundation and Aged Care Research.
Home modifications for ageing well for vulnerable populations: social return on investment, funding from the Office of Ageing Well.
We worked with 10 General Practices to deliver the Early Intervention Initiatives to Support Healthy Ageing and Ongoing Management of Chronic Conditions in older persons to live in the community for longer through commissioning of early intervention initiatives that promote healthy ageing, slow decline, and support the ongoing management of chronic conditions.
Data Insights & Stories
Adelaide PHN rolled out PHN Exchange within its region, providing greater visibility of general practice data thereby deepening our understanding of the health of local communities. Our Digital Health Plan was endorsed outlining initiatives designed to address strategies within the Data Insights and Stories focus area in our Strategic Plan and further enhance GP Data and Health Intelligence.
Adelaide PHN recently launched its Treatment Services Data Dashboard for its AOD commissioned service providers to monitor the effectiveness of programs funded by Adelaide PHN Adelaide PHN sought to co-design Quality Improvement activities in Refugee Health with General Practices to provide culturally safe and appropriate care to support the refugee community.As a result General Practices have delivered an additional 300 Refugee Health Assessments and 1400 catch up immunisations.
To learn more about our work in these areas turn to our case studies.
Health Equity
Case Study
The role of the Community Advisory Committees is to provide the community perspective to the PHN Board to ensure that decisions, investments and innovations are patient centred, cost effective locally relevant and aligned to local care experiences and expectations.
Our advisory structure comprises a Clinical Council (CC), Community Advisory Council (CAC), and an Aboriginal Community Advisory Council (ACAC). The CC is composed of General Practitioners and Allied Health professionals, while the CAC and ACAC include community members with diverse lived experiences across various health priority areas.
Through a review of our Advisory Councils it was identified that we needed to strengthen the way we work with the Advisory Councils to better reflect their role in the PHN and to help us better understand local health needs. Togethe our Councils play a crucial role in shapi Adelaide PHN's programs, services, an activities by providing deep insights int community needs and opportunities. T engagement is facilitated through vario community consultations and surveys; which are vital for comprehending the community's requirements.
Our community consultations include Kitchen Tables and Yarning Circles hosted by our Community Advisory and Aboriginal Community Advisory Councils creating a safe and supportive environment for health consumers, carers, and community members who typically do not engage in healthcare consultations, allowing them to share their experiences, ideas and opinions.
Over the past year, 140 community members participated in consultations on topics such as Digital Health, After
Focus Area
Partnerships
Case Study
Adelaide PHN sought to build our internal partnering capability to help guide and inform our approach and methodology to partnering. Partnering allows us to facilitate a sustainable primary health care system characterised by innovative care pathways by improving coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness of and between health and relevant community services.
Adelaide PHN have advanced a significant number of partnering opportunities including Caring Futures Institute, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, The University of Adelaide, Wellbeing SA, NCETA, Kura Yerlo, Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health, InComPro Aboriginal Association; Tauondi College.
Adelaide PHN formalised a three-year partnership arrangement with Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University. The strategic core partnership goals include: Explore research capacity and capabilities. Support joint research endeavours that respond to research needs.
Strengthen research collaborations internally and externally and support recruitment of higherdegree students and research fellowships.
To date we have been successful in securing $1,754,000 for joint research projects that support Commonwealth Funding priorities. Our staff regularly attend Research Capacity Building sessions to enhance their understanding of and engagement with research.
Social Prescribing for Healthy Ageing
The Northern Community Health & Research Foundation has launched a research project aiming to enable General Practitioners to better support their ageing patients at home.
The project focuses on improving options for ‘social prescribing’, where a GP or other primary care provider refers their patient to local, non-clinical community wellbeing programs and support services.
More effective and efficient social prescribing can assist to reduce reliance on health services, improve health outcomes, and build the healthy ageing capacity of communities.
The objective of this project is to facilitate a scalable, sustainable approach to health and ageing ‘in place’.
The project is supported by the Councils of Port Adelaide Enfield, Walkerville and Prospect, the Adelaide Primary Health Network, Flinders University and the Northern Communities Health Foundation with funding from The Northern Community Health & Research Foundation, The Hospital Research Foundation and significant in-kind support from The Adelaide Primary Health Network.
Co-Creating Solutions
Case Study
Partnership into the Medical Internship Program –
Adelaide PHN and Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.
Adelaide PHN and Northern Adelaide LHN: co-designed and co-funded a medical education program to facilitate five Intern Medical Officers throughout the calendar year 2023-24. This Australian-first initiative aims to provide medical interns with in-depth knowledge on culturally appropriate healthcare, connection to country and a greater understanding of the barriers to health care for First Nations Australians.
The LHN-PHN collaboration also aims at early introduction of vital skills which doctors require to provide culturally comprehensive and safe care. Over 1000 episodes of care were provided by the interns between February and November 2023.
Expectation: To not only attract medical officers to the region, but also potentially increase retention rates of medical officers in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health.
Future: The LHN-PHN partnership has been extended to include an additional 5 interns in 2024-25.
The first year of program demonstrated promising results, through an overall increase in the interns understanding of providing culturally comprehensive and safe care for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is scope for emulating the Aboriginal Health internship model for other priority populations e.g., LGBTQIA+ communities, refugee, and newly arrived communities.
Focus Area
Data Insights & Stories
Case Study
From October 2023 to March 2024, Adelaide PHN continued its engagement with Residential aged care homes (RACHs) as part of the Telehealth and Afterhours in RACHs program. The estimated $1.5million project running from 2022-2025 has significantly enhanced digital health infrastructure and improved timely access to primary care for aged care homes.
With over 70% of interested aged care homes in our region taking up the grant, telehealth services have now been made available to approximately 7000 aged care residents across our region. Recognising that providing funds for the technology alone isn’t enough, we prioritised education and training, delivering 4 workshops and 4 webinars to ensure sustainable progress.
The program not only improves access to virtual care but also equips staff with the necessary digital skills and resources making this a commendable step to embedding digital health and reforming the way we view access to primary care in aged care.
Our Partners
A snapshot of the organisations we have partnered with during 2023-2024
Reconciliation Action Plan
Highlights of our 2023-2024 performance include:
5 new sustainable commercial relationships with Aboriginal owned businesses have been developed
$81,000 Total spend with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, an increase of 140% on 2022-2023.
91% of staff attended Anti-discrimination training
35% of staff have learnt Kaurna Acknowledgement in Language
54 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were engaged in service design and planning to ensure that commissioned services are responsive to the health care needs of all people in the Adelaide Region Incorporated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork and flags in Adelaide PHN branding, included giving our meeting spaces local Aboriginal names.
Developed and implemented an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability Framework 2024 -2026
