IFIC Australia Newsletter: Beyond COVID-19

Since our last newsletter the global landscape for health and care in Australia and beyond has been significantly shaken as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, that has added to the impact of natural disasters brought on by drought, bush fires and floods to make 2020 the most challenging of years for generations. The impact of COVID-19 has thrown into sharp relief the problems that Australia's fragmented health and care system faces in adapting to crises that require an urgent and collaborative response. The costs and consequences of the pandemic strongly suggest that bolder action is necessary. Recently, IFIC drew together international thinking to set out the terms of such a ‘Call to Action’ [1]. It argued that the future of health and care is integrated and the journey to achieve it must be accelerated as a response to the global pandemic. Key to this is in the understanding that stronger care systems cope better when its communities have the resilience to cope and where the most vulnerable in our societies are protected. The ability to collaborate and respond quickly and 'act as one' in times of crisis requires a more connected health and care system.

The good news is that the ‘science’ of integrated care has moved forward to an extent that we know what the essential building blocks of a higher value health and care system looks like. History tells us that integrated solutions often emerge in times of crisis. Like the debates on climate change, the knowledge of the challenges that lie ahead represent a critical ‘tipping point’ in our thinking and in how we choose to respond. In Australia, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on its healthcare system is likely to be more evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but change is unavoidable.

Much of IFIC Australia's activities have necessarily been put on hold over the past 6 months. However, in the month of September, IFIC will be hosting ICIC20 as a virtual conference with over 100 sessions, 150 hours of content, across 4 days - all available live and on demand [2]. In March/April 2021, IFIC Australia - with support from the Central Coast Research Institute for Integrated Care - will also be hosting a week of integrated care activities. At the heart of this will be a three-day 'Autumn School' for managers and professionals leading integrated care innovations in metropolitan areas. This learning programme will be supported by a new series of free-to-access webinars, details of which shall be provided soon.

Professor Nick Goodwin
IFIC Australia Chair

First, what is integrated mental health care- it is a mental health care system that should encompass clear and seamless care pathways that match the intensity and type of care with the severity and complexity of the illness that people experience over time. For most people living with mental illness in Australia these care pathways are often difficult to find and often unaffordable.

Improving mental health care services has been a focus of the Bupa Health Foundation since its beginnings some 15 years ago. The last 2 years has seen a refocus and increased investment by the Foundation in mental health research to better understand why, despite governments increased expenditure on mental health services and programs, we are not seeing expected improvements. This is well documented in the 2018 KPMG Report for Mental Health Australia- Investing to Save.

My reflection on the Australian health system, after many years working across many parts of the system, both public and privately funded, is that those with mental ill health and the elderly are the two groups who are most disadvantaged by the lack of connection and integration.

Over the past decade, there has been a growing realisation of the need to reform health and care systems in Australia to better coordinate care, improve quality, and promote value. For example, recent reports such as the 2017 Productivity Commission’s Shifting the Dial and the 2018 CSIRO report Future of Health criticised the existing disease-based, episodic, medically dominated and institutionally- led characteristics of the Australian health system as being unable to respond effectively to the new challenges of age-related chronic illnesses and the very high percentage of Australians living in ill-health. A more person-centered and integrated approach was required, including a shift in funding away from rewarding volume to incentivising value, empowering consumers, addressing health inequality, unlocking the value of digital health, and building integrated care solutions and new workforce skills. Indeed, almost all States and Territories across Australia – to different degrees of coherence and intensity - have developed policies and programmes in this space. Despite progress, the compelling case for integrated care as central to healthcare reform activities appears missing – or at least is subordinate to other priorities and concerns, many of which largely preserve the status quo. Moreover, where it is politically driven the hardest, it has become code for hospital avoidance strategies to reduce costs rather than improving care and outcomes for people in ways that add value. Read more.

In June 2020, the International Journal of Integrated Care (www.ijic.org) celebrated a further growth in its impact factor rating to 2.753 - it's highest rating to date. This reflects a growing level of citations for the Journal that have risen from 341 in 2012 to 1,245 in 2019. IJIC now ranks in the first quartile of journals in Health Policy and Services (17/87) and in the second quartile for Health Care Sciences and Services (32/102). The improved impact factor also reflects the Journal's growing readership with a total of more than 185,000 unique users in 2019 (a rise of 15% on the year) and some 235,000 article downloads. Respectively, Australian readership now ranks third of all countries internationally (at 8.5%), behind only the USA and UK, and second in overall article submissions (including conference abstracts), Undoubtedly, IJIC is fast becoming a popular Journal for health service researchers in Australia for their integrated care research.

Some key articles from Australia in recent months include:

Communication, Collaboration and Care Coordination: The Three-Point Guide to Cancer Care Provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Communication, collaboration and care coordination are integral in the provision of quality cancer care for Indigenous Australians. It is recommended that health policy and funding be designed to incorporate these aspects across services and settings as a strategy to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous people in Queensland.

Read the full article here!

Challenges to Introducing Integrated Diabetes Care to an Inner-Regional Area in South Western Sydney, Australia

This study highlights the need to integrate new diabetes services with existing health activities in the community and the importance of allowing flexibility and regular contact with local healthcare professional and community to encourage their involvement. Regular meetings with the funders, internal and external stakeholders are key for sustainability and to adapt programmes to the local situation. Further work is needed to identify and implement strategies to overcome these challenges.

Read the full article here!

Communication and Coordination Processes Supporting Integrated Transitional Care: Australian Healthcare Practitioners’ Perspectives

Findings indicate that healthcare practitioners use a range of communication and coordination processes in optimising integrated transitional care. Although participants involved their patients in transitional care planning, most participants were unaware of the recent implementation of consumer-directed care. In contexts of community-based care shaped by multidisciplinary, sub-acute and CDC models, care integration must focus on improved communication with patients and carers to ascertain their needs and to support their increased responsibility in their care transitions.

Read the full article here!

Introducing ICIC20 Virtual Conference, taking place over 4 days in September 2020. The ICIC20 Virtual Conference is a relaunch of the 20th International Conference on Integrated Care that was due to take place in Šibenik, Croatia in April. The new edition will take place as a virtual offer bringing over 100 hours of digital integrated care content presented through the innovative Events OnAir portal.

Patients and Carers can access all sessions for free by applying for a bursary pass.

ISSIC20 – Oxford

The International Summer School Integrated Care (ISSIC) which was due to take place in Oxford from 29 June to 3 July 2020 is on hold. Together with our expert networks IFIC are designing the online Certificate in Integrated Care.
Register you interest now to be the first out find out more about this exciting new course delivered 100% online, in your own time and from the comfort of your own home.

NACIC2020 – Toronto

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions in place, the 1st North American Conference on Integrated Care in Toronto has been postponed and rescheduled for 4–6 October 2021. We are mindful of those working on the front line and in the management of health and care systems right now and they must be our first priority. We are committed to delivering the conference and we appreciate your patience.

ICIC21 – Antwerp
We are delighted to announce that ICIC21, the 21st Conference on Integrated Care will take place in association with the Agency for Care and Health (Flanders) from 5 -7 May 2021 at the Flanders Meeting and Convention Center, Antwerp. The official conference launch will take place in the coming months.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to any of our events please contact Fiona Lyne, Director of Communications.

IFIC supports a host of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) which have been set up by IFIC members to allow the collaboration and development of specific topics within the Integrated Care field. These groups are led by experts in their respective specialist areas and give like-minded individuals the opportunity to make valuable contacts and gain insight and additional knowledge.

The overall aim for SIGs is to promote the development, adaptation or translation of scientific approaches for the specific purposes of integrated care, and/or promote a specific topic within the integrated care field. Topics may focus on research methodologies and certain target groups or similar.

SIGs run independently but receive support from IFIC via its website, which facilitates a blog and discussion forum. IFIC also helps SIGs promote their work via its communication channels including conferences, newsletters, social media platforms, marketing partners and our website.

Join IFIC’s growing SIGs movement, you just need join IFIC's Global Network - joining is free!