Improving outcomes for virtual care models
Strong virtual models of care can improve access to services, patient experience, efficiency and health outcomes while reducing costs of care compared to face-to-face care.
Project sponsor: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) partnership project grant
About the project
Virtual models of care (ie consultation by telephone, video-conferencing and remote-monitoring of health conditions supported by digital patient information and wearable devices) have been employed throughout Australia for many years to provide care to regional and remote locations. Virtual care models have gained significant traction (including rapid adoption in metropolitan areas) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating evidence of their viability, acceptability and potential value towards health system sustainability.
Notable gains include the potential for virtual models of care to create efficiencies in health service delivery and redress inequities in system and service access, with particular opportunities for improving patient experiences, costs and clinical outcomes for people with chronic conditions in hospital outpatient settings.
Lack of prospective planning for the integration of virtual care models and relevant change management approaches constrains the realisation of benefits, with health facility infrastructure identified by our partner organisations and in wider literature as a key barrier.
Through partnership between academic institutions, health infrastructure and health services, we seek to unlock the potential for smarter hospitals that integrate virtual models of care in the Australian health system by removing the infrastructure barriers in healthcare facility design.
Project goals
Our goal is to provide evidence and solutions for health services nationally to improve patient and service delivery outcomes for virtual care models, facilitated by best-practice change management.
Specific aims are to:
- produce fundamental new knowledge of the impact of virtual models of care on patient health and service quality outcomes, including for priority populations
- evaluate the context, circumstances and populations for whom virtual care models work, and economic impact of virtual care
- test the effectiveness of a specialised change methodology for improving workforce change readiness and capability for integrating virtual models of care compared to current practice
- co-produce and integrate theory and evidence-based virtual care design principles, evaluation framework and specialised change methodology for improving health and service outcomes of virtual models via a national community of practice.
Project lead: Professor Reema Harrison
- Dr Tim Badgery-Parker
- Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite
- Dr Ashfaq Chauhan
- Dr Kate Churruca
- Professor Robyn Clay-Williams
- Jessica Kolic – Adjunct Fellow
- Professor Rebecca Mitchell
- Dr Virginia Mumford
- Dr Bronwyn Newman
- Dr Prince Peprah
- Dr Ramya Walsan
- Professor Johanna Westbrook
Other members and collaborators
- Associate Professor Deepak Bhonagiri
- Dr Alexander Cardenas
- Dr Bradley Christian
- Professor Wei Chua
- Professor Rebecca Lawton – University of Leeds
- Professor Elizabeth Manias – Monash University
- Dr Michelle Moscova
- Associate Professor Craig Nelson
- Professor Sabe Sabesan
- Associate Professor Natalie Taylor – UNSW
- Nyan Tieu
Steering group
- Dalal Baumgartner – Health Consumer
- Nadine El-Kabbout – Health Consumer
- Sarah Fischer – Safer Care Victoria
- James Katte – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- Brent Knack – Queensland Clinical Excellence Commission
- Karol Petrovska – Ministry of Health
- NSW Health Infrastructure
- Western Health
- Northern Health
- Townsville Cancer Centre
- South-West Sydney LHD
- Western NSW LHD