Researchers: Gail Cummins (Boab Health Services; formally Kimberley Division of General Practice)
Funding: Internal
Project summary: In 2001 the Kimberley Division of General practice, now Boab Health Services, conducted a Needs Assessment of Allied Health provision across the Kimberley region. As an outcome of this assessment More Allied Health Services (MAHS) funding was used to establish a Regional Dietetic Service and a visiting Podiatry service in the Kimberley. The demand on these individual Allied Health positions quickly indicated the need for a more comprehensive service and as additional funding opportunities became available the Primary Health Care Services auspiced by the Boab Health Services (BHS) expanded to include additional Dietetic and Podiatry positions as well as Diabetes Education and Counselling services. The Boab Health Services – Primary Health Care Team (BHS-PHCT) provides a chronic disease focused, multidisciplinary model of care to all towns in the Kimberly and to remote communities of significant size across the region. Opportunities to improve service delivery practices come from being reflective and recognising that there is science to changing behaviours, changing organisations and changing societies. The PHC professions included in the scope of this evaluation project are Counselling, Diabetes Education, Dietetics and Podiatry. The purpose of this evaluation project is to find out how aware people are of: What services are available from BHS; how the services are accessed; and once accessed, is a quality service provided and does the service meet the client’s needs. The key evaluation questions are:
What is the level of Community Awareness of our organisation’s Primary Health Care Services?
Are the Boab Health Services Primary Health Care Team’s Referral Pathways understood and working well?
Does the Boab Health Services Primary Health Care Team provide a Quality Service to the target population?
Progress: Completed in 2011