Island Bay Medical Centre has always had a patient centred philosophy, and has strived to provide health care for our patients which is appropriate, evidence based and as conveniently as we are able. In becoming a health care home Island Bay Medical Centre are acknowledging that the way we provide health care needs to change in order to continue to provide quality health care in a sustainable way.
What is a Health Care Home?
The Health Care Home is a model of care centred on a patient’s individual needs. The model enables patients to access same day appointments according to needs, provides extended hours of access and also allows patients to have virtual consultations with GPs via phone, or secure messaging as appropriate. Patients will also have access to their clinical information through patient portals (Manage My Health). The model involves multi-disciplinary teams which can include not only the general practice team, but hospital specialists and community nursing teams to support patients to maximise their own health. A key component of this “integrated” health team is that it enables DHBs and Primary Care to work in partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients and the wider community. The model results in a more comprehensive and cohesive system of health care that is: proactive, responsive and effective, with members of the general practice team being supported to provide the best possible care enabling patients to have more control over their healthcare and also to reduce health disparities.
Patients in a Health Care Home can expect:
The Practice to be a nice place to visit. A calm reception area where reception staff can focus completely on patient needs.
Easier access and more choice. Patients can access the Medical Centre online to book appointments, contact their GP or nurse, view lab results and look at their clinical information. This can save patients time and the hassle of a trip to see us in some situations. Patients can also phone, or make an appointment in the usual way and may be able to speak directly to a GP.
Access to care when it is urgently needed. If you phone a Health Care Home practice, you will be able to get an appointment on the same day if it is clinically necessary. At times you will be able to speak directly to a GP about your care before an appointment is made.
More services. Health Care Home Practices are expanding services so that patients can get additional urgent care (such as intravenous antibiotics and management of deep vein blood clots) thereby avoiding unnecessary trips to the Emergency Department for some conditions.
Better management of ongoing health conditions. Many patients who have ongoing health conditions will find that a Health Care Home makes it easier to plan and manage their health care, and enable them to maintain their quality of life. Practices will work with patients to set goals around health and wellbeing, and plan care to achieve those goals. A Health Care Home is focused on creating a partnership with patients, ensuring that there is appropriate time with a clinician to manage their health conditions.
Better service at hospital or After Hours. With the use of portals the Hospital and After Hours staff will be able to see patients’ health information, allowing them to provide better and more personalised care.
Health Care Home - Doctor Triage Service
What is Triage?
•You will notice that if you phone for an appointment for the same day you may be told the call will be triaged.
•This means that a doctor or nurse will phone you back to assess your needs, usually within 30 minutes.
•It may be your problem can be solved over the telephone or by a prescription or by seeing a more appropriate person than the doctor.
•If your problem is urgent, and you need to be seen that day, triage ensures that you will be seen. It might even mean you will be seen quicker.
Why is Island Bay Medical Centre making these changes?
•In becoming a Health Care Home we are trying to become more innovative and patient focussed - providing care based on need and more locally if possible. •We are aware that the demand for appointments is on the increase and the range of services we wish to offer will need to increase. We understand that there is therefore a need to create more capacity in General Practice. We need to be able to offer you different ways of communicating with us other than always needing a face to face consultation. This may be by telephone, email or eventually over the internet.
We are excited about these changes and we thank you for your patience while we develop this service.
Below is a link to a 16 minute TED talk about Health Care being a team sport – this may give some insight of what Health Care Home is trying to achieve and the direction that healthcare providers need to take to improve outcomes for patients.
https://ted.com/talks/eric_dishman_health_care_should_be_a_team_sport?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread