Across Australia, people in remote and rural locations, for a variety of reasons, are often the most vulnerable. The vulnerabilities are particularly evident with regard to access and uptake of health services, but change is underway with the launch of a new Victorian State Government innovation fund.
In March 2016, the Victorian State Government launched the Better Care Victoria Innovation Fund, allocating $10 million to fund improved patient care and outcomes, and increase efficiency across all aspects of the healthcare system, Victoria-wide.
The Southern Otways was one of the first regions to benefit through the BCV Innovation Fund, receiving funding for the implementation of a remote drug and alcohol recovery telehealth project. The project attempts to address the gaps that existed previously in service delivery for those in non-residential recovery programs, by integrating services through telehealth technology.
The Remote Drug and Alcohol Recovery for the Southern Otways Region project received funding late last year and the planning phase was recently completed, with client intake now up and running. The key recipients of the funding are Otway Health, Lorne Community Hospital and Windana Drug and Alcohol Recovery.
“The project uses web based telehealth innovations that can be run on any device—phone, tablet or computer—from home or on-site at a hospital or clinic,” explains Carissa Brock, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Otway Health.
These innovations create stronger connections between health service providers, to deliver specialist alcohol and other drug services and support, for those in desperate need of more immediate and local care opportunities.
Telehealth allows processes to be streamlined and considerable improvements made to service delivery and quality of care, without the barriers of the past that came with limited access to necessary treatment options. Offering more flexible care arrangements gives patients a better chance at accessing emergency care when they need it, transitioning into outpatient care in more productive and achievable ways.
“Our investment in Otway Health and Lorne Community Hospital will mean more people will be able to access drug and recovery services when they need it and without having to endure long travel and wait times,” says Gayle Tierney, Member for Western Victoria.
Telehealth is not only useful with regard to care provision but it can be an essential tool to deliver ongoing and updated training to specialist support staff in remote and rural areas.
“Windana counsellors have already provided education sessions at Otway Health and Lorne Community Hospital to raise awareness of the program,” adds Brock.
The goal of regional projects such as these is to capitalise on existing strengths and resources and build regional capacity. Systemic improvement is most successful when change is embedded into existing frameworks: improving on the old whilst transforming into the new.
Innovations like the Remote Drug and Alcohol Recovery Project are a key motivator of Better Care Victoria’s strategic plan for the coming years. BCV’s commitment is to improving the overall quality of the health care system by supporting innovations such as telehealth.
Innovation and change rarely exist without risk and a key component of BCV’s vision is safely assessing the value of outcomes. The end goal is to embrace new ideas that are essential to make way for positive change.
The Remote Drug and Alcohol Recovery for the Southern Otways Region project was selected as a finalist in the Preventing Harm from Alcohol category for the 2017 VicHealth Awards.