Achieving High Performing Health Systems : Putting the social into health care
AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY HEALTHCARE INNOVATION AND REFORM VODCAST SERIES. Highlights from Vodcast 2
A Joint Prestantia Health and AUDIENCED Production, with
– Dr Paresh Dawda, GP Lead and Adviser, Founder Prestantia Health
– Dr Wally Jammal, GP, Hills Family General Practice
– Dr Bogdan Chiva Giurca, Clinical Lead and Global Director, UK National Academy for Social Prescribing
FACILITATOR
Leanne Wells, Associate Consultant, Prestantia Health
Clinicians and consumers know only too well that life circumstances such as poor housing, income and food insecurity can have a negative impact on health outcomes. Conversely, participation in community activities, social connection and access to nature parks and leisure facilities can help maintain health and wellbeing.
More recent phenomena in public health have also focused us on the health and social care connection. Stress factors such as the sudden loss of employment and social interaction, moving to remote work or schooling, and the impacts of sudden, localised COVID-19 ‘lockdowns’ to prevent further outbreaks were triggers of increased psychological distress.
And loneliness is being described as our latest epidemic with chronic loneliness inked to a myriad of health problems and earlier death. A recent report found one in four Australians say they feel persistently lonely, and that loneliness costs $2.7 bn a year in health costs alone.
According to a 2024 Commonwealth Fund Mirror Mirror report, which compares the health performance of several countries, only 13% of Australian primary care providers (or other personnel in the practice) usually screen or assess patients for one or more social need – the third lowest in the OECD.
Primary care – predominantly general practices – is where most people get most of their health care and is a commonly visited health care setting. GPs and others in team have a continuous relationship with their patient and the opportunity to identify factors beyond immediate medical care that can impact on health and wellbeing.
Integrating health and social care is an exciting frontier in healthcare and was described as such by Australia’s Assistant Health Minister at a National Social Prescribing roundtable hosted by the Australian Social Prescribing Research Institute (ASPIRE).
Despite the recognition that primary care is a good place to start, the barriers are real. Practice systems, data systems with the capacity to capture information and make intelligent insights, the lack of flexible funding and the time pressures on practices are among them.
In this Australian Health Journal HIGHLIGHTS release, the panel discuss some of these barriers and the desire to put the social into health care.
The FULL LENGTH FEATURE of this VODCAST can be watched here https://youtu.be/KGjrLcjgFg0
Vodcast 2 was convened December 2024. Read the Prestantia Health Blog Post https://www.prestantiahealth.com/post/putting-the-social-into-health-care
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Jack Lancaster, Evolution Surgical
Continuing the Australian Health Journal, People In Health Care series is Jack Lancaster, the CEO of Evolution Surgical, an Australian owned company established in 2014, specialising in spinal fusion implants and custom instrumentation.
Jack talks about how the company works closely with surgeons to design custom solutions manufactured to surgical requirements, and ultimately, to the benefit of the Australia patient.
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Health Minister appoints Chair to National One Stop Shop Program
The Australian Government has appointed Emeritus Professor Ian Chubb AC, FAA FTSE to lead key reforms as Chair of the Inter-Governmental Policy Reform Group (IGPRG) for health and medical research, including clinical trials.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Hon Mark Butler MP commenting on the selection and appointment said, “Professor Chubb has dedicated his career to improving health and medical research and education in this county and I am pleased he has agreed to share his knowledge and experience through the IGPRG.”
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Continuing education program leads to better conversations
Medicines Australia’s Continuing Education Program (CEP) is designed to educate medical representatives to a recognised industry standard. Dr Tristan Ling, CEP Academic Lead and Project Manager at the College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania talks about the 900 students that come through the program each year.
The CEP is primarily directed at medical representatives working within the prescription medicines industry, but is also recommended to people who may not be currently employed within the industry but would like to pursue a career as a medical representative. It is also available to personnel working for organisations interacting with the pharmaceutical industry.
