February project update
Joint Development Phase (design and costing)
Beginning in July 2021, we are currently in the Joint Development Phase (JDP) of the project. This phase started with clarifying our cohorts and criteria, designing and mapping the pathway and working up the framework of benefits. Most recently, in addition to the ongoing consultation stakeholders we have worked through the pathway costings with external consultants and focused our efforts on implementation planning (pre-implementation). We are happy to report that so far, everything seems to be running to schedule and we are delighted with the progress made to date.
Executive sponsorship of Living Well pathway
The most notable achievement in the past months is the approval of the recommendations and overarching Living Well, Your Way pathway by the Patient Centred Co-Commissioning Group (PCCG or the Joint Executive Governance Group).
Our team has also been busy working toward a number of other important steps, including:
Project costing – we have been working alongside IQVIA to crunch the numbers for the projected costs and we are hopeful that the realignment of services will result in both cost savings and greater value to patients.
Pharmacy linkages – through our discussions with pharmacists across the region, we are working on establishing what patient-provider-pharmacy pathways look like, and possible models for referral and support.
Clinical Advisory Group – a group of clinicians, including medical specialists, GPs, pharmacists, nurses, health workers and allied health professionals, has been established to bring their expert knowledge to guide the design and implementation of new models of care and pathways of the program.
What it takes to cost a pathway
Each element of our proposed pathway needs to be costed to understand whether it is achievable, sustainable and can serve its purpose of optimising people’s care in the right place and at the right time.
In other words, while it is desirable to improve patient journeys and achieve better outcomes, the financial impact also needs to be examined.
This process has involved commissioning IQVIA to assist us understand the layers that make up costing over both primary and acute care, and examine current resources, referral pathways and practice models to see how they can be realigned to serve a more efficient purpose.
