Health System Sustainability Webinar Series

Webinar - Not yet business as usual: How are alternative models of care changing the health system and healthcare?

How should we deliver care? Alternatives to the traditional model of going to the hospital or the doctor’s office are increasingly being put into practice. As healthcare costs continue to rise and inequities in access grow, the need for a greater diversity in models of care – models that are high-value, effective, and affordable – has never been more apparent. In this webinar, our two expert speakers will delve into this pressing question with their research and first-hand experiences in advancing alternative models of care.

Early supported discharge and hospital in the home services are associated with equal or better health outcomes for a variety of conditions, but this model of care may be underutilised in Australian hospitals. Professor Rachelle Buchbinder AO will discuss her ongoing research on the uptake of hospital in the home in the past decade and whether upscaling it could lead to reductions in unnecessary health system expenditure.

Like hospital in the home, virtual care is among the most promising alternative models of care – particularly during a pandemic. Dr Tracey Tay will speak about the ground-breaking work of NSW Health in establishing the Virtual Care Accelerator in response to COVID-19. A multi-agency, 18-month program, the Accelerator has aimed at providing safer care and better access for patients during the pandemic.

The conversation will be moderated by Professor Leonard Gray, lead investigator in the PCHSS’s Telehealth Research Stream and Director of the Centre for Health Services Research at The University of Queensland.