Northern NSW Local Health District is leading the state with a newly commenced, 200-person trial of a key part of its Integrated Care Strategy: Admission and Discharge Notifications (ADNs).
These notifications will immediately and automatically notify GPs when their patients are admitted to, or discharged from, local hospitals.
The trial is focused on selected chronic disease patients and capturing unplanned admissions to hospitals in the Tweed/Byron and Richmond areas, including the major referral hospitals, Lismore Base and Tweed, as well as the district hospitals, such as Casino, Ballina, Murwillumbah, and the soon to open Byron Central Hospital.
Results of the Notifications Trial will be shared with participating GPs - totalling 55 - and staff at the facilities. An evaluation after three months will be used to review and, where necessary, improve the service.
According to Vicki Rose, NNSWLHD’s Executive Director/Allied Health Chronic & Primary Care, the Ministry of Health, Agency for Clinical Innovation and NSW E-health are also closely monitoring the progress of notifications and the evaluation assessment. E-health is believed to be keen on rolling out the service across NSW.
“The intent of this service is to rapidly notify GPs of unplanned admissions, and to provide instant notification of discharge, including indication of death should this apply,” Ms Rose explained.
The ADNs initiative will produce a range of patient care benefits, she added.
ADNs are to be delivered independently of discharge summaries, and are designed as an ‘informational courtesy note’, not a transfer of care.
Scenarios covered by the program include ward admission from ED, ED Short Stay Unit or Outpatient clinic, direct admission (e.g. mental health), and surgical.
Recurring admissions, for example renal and oncology, are not included.
“GPs will be encouraged to ‘reach in’ to the hospital upon a patient’s admission to discuss current medication and other information that the hospital may not be aware of,” Vicki Rose said.
“On discharge, a GP will be able to contact Medical Records for a discharge summary before the patient presents for follow-up appointments. This will ensure that any appointment can be scheduled for after the completion of a discharge summary.”
The Senior IT Project Coordinator Tim Marsh is available to discuss the notification service with practices, and answer any questions that may arise. Contact
