A new innovative diabetes service using smart digital technology will be made available to patients in North Eastern Melbourne. The innovative mobile and cloud-based technologies will connect patients to their GP record 24/7 and keep patients on-track and empowered to manage their own care.
The program will focus on vulnerable populations with poorly managed diabetes. It aims to improve the long-term outcome for people with diabetes and reduce demand on acute services in the area. Nexus Primary Health is leading the initiative together with DPV Health and Hume Whittlesea Primary Care Partnership, with Precedence providing the digital health technologies.
Precedence will use its newly released MediTracker mobile app together with its established cdmNet coordinated care platform to engage patients in the full cycle of patient-centred team care.
MediTracker is the first patient-centred app to connect patients to their GP and their selected care team. It connects directly to the patient’s GP medical record, so the patient always has their latest health record with them, wherever they are. MediTracker also links to Apple Health and Google Fit and the vast array of monitoring devices and wearables, sharing this information with the patient and their care team.
MediTracker is integrated with Precedence’s cloud-based cdmNet coordinated care platform, which provides the collaboration space for the patient and the care team. cdmNet supports all key elements of chronic disease management as identified by the Primary Health Care Advisory Group, including patient needs assessment, team coordination, care planning, monitoring and tracking. It is used widely across Australia and university trials have demonstrated its use is associated with significant improvements in patient outcomes and quality of care.
Identified as a local priority, the recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australia’s health report indicates the prevalence of diabetes has tripled over the last 25 years, and is in the top five leading causes of burden of disease for those over age 65 years.
Evidence clearly shows that patient-centred team care for people with chronic illness results in fewer complications, lower morbidity and mortality, and improved quality of life. Planned team-based care can also lead to significant reductions in direct healthcare costs for chronic illness, significantly increase patient safety, and reduce potentially avoidable hospitalisations.
Professor Michael Georgeff, CEO of Precedence Health Care, said: “This service helps medical and allied health providers keep patients on-track with their health goals and supports patients to take more control of their own health. There has been nothing available before to connect patients to their care team and engage them in the full cycle of patient-centred team care.”
Enabling patients to be more engaged in their own care and connected to their healthcare providers is expected to improve health outcomes and provide more effective care delivery. This comprehensive integrated model supported by digital technology for coordinating care is a first for the area.
“This project will use the full capabilities of smart digital technologies for empowering patients to have the information they need to help manage their own care and to support greater collaboration with their care team,” said Professor Georgeff.
About Precedence Health Care
Precedence Health Care (Precedence) is an Australian software company providing advanced digital healthcare technologies for connecting healthcare professionals and patients and facilitating the coordination of care.
Precedence is the leading provider in Australia of digital solutions for patient-centred team care and the management of patients with chronic illness and complex conditions. Precedence products include the cdmNet Coordinated Care Platform and the MediTracker mobile app. cdmNet is used by over 4,000 GPs and 25,000 healthcare providers to manage the care of over 140,000 patients with chronic illness. cdmNet, together with MediTracker, is the only care management product endorsed by the RACGP for supporting quality improvement in general practice.
Precedence also supplies the core risk stratification and patient assessment technology for Health Care Homes and is trialling MediTracker with My Health Record in the Digital Health Testbeds program.
Professor Michael Georgeff is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Precedence and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University. He has been at the forefront of software innovation and commercialisation in the USA and Australia for over 40 years.
Precedence was established in Australia in 2007 and acquired by Sonic Clinical Services, the primary care division of Sonic Health Care, in late 2015.
To contact Professor Georgeff at Precedence Health Care for further comment, please call: 03 9023 0808.
About Nexus
Nexus is a Community Health organisation that brings a 40 year history of service delivery in the area. Their approach is predicated on identifying and meeting local needs, and putting the patient at the centre of service delivery.
Nexus has over 200 staff which currently services over 12,000 clients each year across the outer Northern Melbourne area which encompasses the Goulburn region of Victoria.
The Nexus GP Services currently provides medical and allied health services to patients at the Wallan Clinic and the Kinglake Clinic, with DPV providing services in South Morang.