Working towards a person centred, collaborative partnership in health

Abstract

Introduction : The current health care system has been characterised as overly focused on treating illness rather than promoting health, and driven by the care provider rather than the consumer. In order to begin to shift this approach to care design and delivery we must work with consumers, enabling them to understand and manage their health needs. The NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Chronic Care Network has sponsored the development of a Consumer Enablement Framework in partnership with consumers, the NSW Ministry of Health, other NSW Health Pillar agencies, Health Consumers NSW, Local Health Districts and Primary Health Networks. Practice Change The Framework aims to Provide easy access to evidence and identify approaches that strengthen a person’s capacity and motivation to manage their healthcare Provide tools and resources to support an organisational culture and environment that optimises enablement, health and equity. Aim and theory of change : Enablement in health describes the confidence, skills, and knowledge people use to manage their own health and wellbeing. Enablement is also influenced by the way health services are delivered and the environment they live in. Increasing a person’s involvement in their own care can foster better health, offer opportunities for self-management, and avoid unnecessary treatments. Targeted Population : The Framework can be accessed by everyone, however, it has been written for healthcare providers, and staff within community and social organisations. Timeline : A draft Framework will be circulated for feedback in September 2017, with the final Framework due in February 2018. Implementation opportunities will be available in 2018 for interested clinicians, organisations and services. Highlights : We engaged more than 300 consumers, families and clinicians in the design and development of the Framework. Consultation occurred from the beginning and at multiple points throughout the process and a prototype was used to share and test ideas.  Use of an iterative process with multiple rounds of prototype cycles created state-wide buy-in, sharpened our thinking and ensured we designed and developed a valuable and practical Framework. Transferability : Due to the extensive consultation undertaken, the Framework is expected to be relevant and applicable to both NSW Health and Primary Care. Conclusions : Development of the Framework for Consumer Enablement has required explicit recognition of the multiple components of enablement and the interaction this has with individual’s strengths and weaknesses. This is a person centred approach to the management of health and wellbeing in which the principle aim of healthcare providers is to build upon and develop a person’s strengths, resilience and health literacy. The Framework aims to bridge the gap between choice and people’s ability to integrate care of their health with the demands of life.