North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program Evaluation
NWMPHN funded this project. Karabena Consulting was commissioned to lead the project.
Who funded the project
The Integrated Team Care (ITC) Program is funded through Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Australia. The program aims to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with complex chronic diseases to manage their condition more effectively through providing access to care coordination. PHNs are responsible for commissioning health organisations in their regions to provide services under the program.
NWMPHN contracted Karabena Consulting to undertake an independent evaluation of the ITC Program in their region to inform the recommissioning process.
Summary
The aims of the project were to:
gain an understanding of how the ITC Program is applied and implemented across the region by the six providers;
identify whether the service is achieving its intended objectives and proposed outcomes;
understand the benefits of care coordination for program participants; and
assess how best the recommissioning process could address and support identified key enablers and barriers for successful program delivery.
The findings of the evaluation will inform future models of service delivery and how these components will be included in settings where ITC is delivered in a recommissioned environment.
Project aims
We prepared an Evaluation Report including a series of recommendations for recommissioning the ITC Program under six main themes: Equity vs equality; Scalability; Recruitment, retention and discharge; Cultural safety; Workforce development and capacity building; and Managing consumer complexity and data collection. We delivered the final report to NWMPHN which is being utilised by them in their recommissioning process.
Methodological outcomes
Our evaluation methodology was underpinned by utilisation-focused, theory-based, quasi-experimental and mixed methods approaches.
We conducted a literature review and the Project Steering Committee co-developed evaluation questions. We consulted a range of stakeholders including NWMPHN, ITC Program staff, primary health care professionals (GPs) and consumers through emails, online surveys, phone interviews, face-to-face interviews by ITC Program staff, questionnaires and an online roundtable.
The consultation approach was adapted in response to Melbourne’s ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in the planned face-to-face interviews and roundtable discussions being conducted over the phone or online. We had initially planned to hold two roundtables, one with the funding body (NWMPHN) and one with community (ITC consumers). However, it was determined by the Project Steering Committee that consumers would be better engaged if consulted face-to-face by ITC provider staff in the form of a questionnaire.
Methodologies
We are hoping that our recommendations will be implemented, including that:
the ITC Program funding cycles be increased to at least three years;
the program guidelines be reviewed for potential changes/clarification in relation to Supplementary Services funding, discharge processes, definition of complex consumer needs, cultural safety training and a mandatory RAP requirement for providers; and
GPs undergo accredited training and/or a points system to undertake training in the ITC Program/cultural safety.
Impact
We delivered our recommendations and are optimistic that many of these will be implemented by NWMPHN, not only in commissioning the ITC Program, but across their other program areas as well. Further, we are hopeful that our recommendations could also be implemented more widely by PHNs throughout Australia.
Project Outcomes
Evaluation Plan
Midway Report
Case Study Analysis
Presentation at roundtable
Evaluation Final Report
Output
Integrated Team Care, PHN, primary health care, cultural safety, ACCHO, chronic disease, care coordination, commissioning, recommissioning, evaluation, complex chronic condition, multidisciplinary care, holistic care