Outcome 10: Health System Capacity and Quality > Part 1 Outcome Performance Report

Major Achievements

• Supported the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Health Ministers’ Meeting, the Health Task Force and the Life Sciences Innovation Forum.
• Increased education and awareness of gynaecological cancers through the establishment of a Centre for Gynaecological Cancers.
• Improved the detection and reduction of type 2 diabetes in Australia by leading the development of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) initiatives.
• Raised community awareness of asthma and effective asthma management strategies through a national media campaign.
• Provided leadership in e-Health through the delivery of a number of initiatives, including Broadband for Health, Managed Health Networks, HealthConnect and HealthInsite.
• Enhanced Australia’s national health and medical research capacity. In 2006–07, the Department provided grants totalling $435.8 million to 14 research organisations.
• Supported continued research into adult stem cells through funding for the establishment of the National Adult Stem Cell Centre.

Key Strategic Directions for 2006–07

Improved Quality and Coordination of Cancer Control

Strengthening Cancer Care

In partnership with Cancer Australia, the Department worked to reduce the burden of cancer in Australia through the Strengthening Cancer Care Initiative. It did this by supporting better coordination of cancer services, prevention and research programs, health professionals and consumers. For example, the Department provided funding through the Breast Cancer Network Australia to support those newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Gynaecological Cancer in Australia

During 2006–07, the Department coordinated the Government response to the report of the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Gynaecological Cancer in Australia 2006, Breaking the Silence: a National Voice on Gynaecological Cancers. Key recommendations from this report highlighted the need for a Centre for Gynaecological Cancers; increased funding for gynaecological cancer research; and an increase in education and awareness of gynaecological cancers in Australia. In response to these findings, the Department provided funding for the establishment of a Centre for Gynaecological Cancers in Australia under the auspices of Cancer Australia to increase education and awareness of gynaecological cancers among medical and allied health professionals and the community.

Support for Those Living with Cancer

The Department continued to administer the Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Program. This initiative enables women diagnosed with breast cancer to receive supportive care and information in their local areas. Significant funding was also provided to the National Breast Cancer Centre to improve clinical practice and information relating to breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and the management of lymphoedema.

In addition, increased support for people living with cancer was achieved through funding provided to the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia, Camp Quality, Ronald McDonald House in Forster, New South Wales and CanDo.

Implementation of the National Chronic Disease Strategy and the National Service Improvement Frameworks

Australian Population Health Development Principal Committee

In conjunction with State and Territory governments, the Department established the Australian Population Health Development Principal Committee in August 2006 as part of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council restructuring in order to provide better, more coordinated advice. The committee is responsible for coordinating national strategies relating to primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease. It also has carriage of implementing the National Chronic Disease Strategy and National Service Improvement Frameworks. In 2006–07, the Department provided research and secretariat support to assist the committee to finalise a work plan and establish agreed priorities. The priorities included overseeing the national implementation of the Australian Better Health Initiative (discussed in the Outcome 1 and Outcome 5 chapters) and developing an integrated approach to chronic disease.

National Diabetes Strategy

The Department continued to manage a range of activities within the National Diabetes Strategy to improve the prevention, early detection and management of diabetes in Australia. These activities included providing funding to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for the Islet Cell Transplantation Program to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes through research and refining the islet cell transplantation procedure.

Reducing the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

During the year, the Department played a lead role in the development of the COAG initiative to improve the detection and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in Australia. Development of the package included extensive analysis of available research into diabetes best practice, reviewing existing type 2 diabetes programs and services, and seeking expert opinions regarding the most appropriate package to achieve outcomes in the field of type 2 diabetes. Announced in April 2007, the package includes the development of a new assessment tool to identify people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the introduction of a Diabetes Risk Plan to be used by general practitioners for eligible patients at high risk of developing the disease. It also includes the introduction of national standards and accreditation processes to ensure lifestyle modification programs that aim to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes are safe and effective. Support enabling the Divisions of General Practice to purchase or provide accredited lifestyle modification programs was also included.

Management of Type 2 Diabetes

The Department managed the funding and contract with the International Diabetes Institute to develop and implement the Lift for Life® Program nationally. The institute designed an evidence-based training program to improve the management of type 2 diabetes in older Australians. Since the program launch in February 2007, more than 50 service providers expressed interest in the program and 53 trainers completed the Lift for Life® training program.

Asthma Awareness and Self-Management

The Department worked to improve the public’s awareness of asthma by launching a national print and radio awareness campaign in May 2007. The campaign focused on highlighting the symptoms and seriousness of asthma and encouraged people with asthma to utilise evidence-based preventative strategies. Funding was provided to continue national programs supporting consumer self-management in Australia. These included the Community Support and Community Grants Program and the Asthma Friendly Schools Program. In addition, the Department supported the development of asthma management training packages for health professionals which will be delivered nationally by the National Asthma Council of Australia.

Arthritis and Osteoporosis Awareness and Self-Management

The Department developed an implementation plan for the Better Arthritis and Osteoporosis Care Initiative and provided funding for national programs to improve community awareness and help people with arthritis and osteoporosis to self-manage their conditions. In addition, the Department engaged the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to develop primary care guidelines for arthritis and osteoporosis and the Australian Orthopaedic Association to develop a national undergraduate musculoskeletal curriculum for health sciences.

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Improved Provision of, and Access to, Quality Palliative Care Services

A range of new and ongoing programs under the National Palliative Care Program were administered to improve access to quality palliative care. The initiatives focused on improving access to medicines and equipment, and education and awareness programs for health professionals. Improved coordination of services in rural and remote areas, and supporting patient choices were also targeted.

Support for Health Professionals

The Department continued to administer the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach which enables health professionals to improve their skills in palliative care through workforce placements in a specialist palliative care service. Participants are able to provide better palliative care and also teach these skills to colleagues. In 2006–07, 139 primary health workers undertook placements, including 30 general practitioners and five Aboriginal Health Workers. Twenty-five per cent of all participants were from rural and remote areas.

Funding was provided for the development of a web-based national Rural Palliative Care Resource Kit. Developed by the Australian General Practice Network, the kit assisted the Divisions of General Practice to implement local integrated palliative care services in rural and remote communities to better cater for patients’ needs.

Palliative Care Initiatives

Through the Local Palliative Care Grants Program, the Department supported the development of local responses to palliative care needs. This included providing grants to develop innovative ways to improve access to appropriate palliative care services that reflect patients’ needs and support the development of services in local communities. This year, the Department advertised its fourth round of grants.

The Department also supported Palliative Care Australia to manage the National Community Education Initiative. The initiative was launched at the start of National Palliative Care Week in May 2007 and will raise awareness of palliative care options in Australia. A National Story Collection, also launched in National Palliative Care Week, will gather stories from people experiencing palliative care. The initiative will run until October 2007 and includes the national distribution of palliative care resources, radio and television advertisements.

Facilitated and Promoted Electronic Clinical Communications

Electronic clinical communications enhance the timeliness and availability of critical health information for health care providers and so support the provision of the best possible care to people in the community.

In 2006–07, the Department provided leadership in e-Health through the delivery of initiatives including Broadband for Health, Managed Health Networks, HealthConnect, and HealthInsite. Work also continued with the National E-Health Transition Authority and in implementing COAG initiatives on clinical terminologies and health identifiers. In addition, the national direction setting through the Australian Health Information Council, National Health Information Principles Committee and the Board of the National E-Health Transition Authority was progressed.

As at June 2007, the Broadband for Health Program had subsidised business grade broadband services for 62 per cent of eligible general practices (includes 98 per cent of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and Royal Flying Doctor Service sites), and 88 per cent of community pharmacies.

HealthConnect is an overarching national change management strategy to improve safety and quality in health care, by establishing and maintaining a range of standardised electronic health information products and services for health care providers and consumers. The Department’s support for HealthConnect resulted in significant gains in a number of states and territories. An example is the successful implementation of the HealthConnect Northern Territory Shared Electronic Health Record covering approximately 11,500 customers, all Northern Territory public hospitals and 320 health care providers. The 320 health care providers who have registered to participate in the Northern Territory’s Shared Electronic Health Record are able to create and view initial health profiles, medical event summaries and pathology results. In addition, the providers can view hospital inpatient discharge and emergency event summaries for consumers who have registered to participate.

Legislative barriers were removed from the use of electronic signatures in prescribing and established a process for approving proposals. In addition, the Department, in collaboration with HealthConnect Northern Territory, established a trial of electronic prescribing in an aged care setting which has seen savings in time for the general practitioner, streamlined administration of claiming for the pharmacy and improved medication charting in the residential facility.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

In 2006–07, the Department continued its strong working relationship with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to promote improved patient safety and quality across the continuum of health care in Australia. The Department provided advice to the Minister for Health and Ageing in relation to the national safety and quality initiatives that the commission is leading, which include issues such as accreditation, hygiene, and medication safety. In addition, the Department played an integral role on the Inter-Jurisdictional Committee and the Information Strategy Committee by contributing to the oversight of the commission and the development of an Information Strategy.

Improvements in Research Capabilities

Providing researchers with the capacity to work on discovering cures to diseases will help ensure that Australia remains a world leader in the field of medicine. In 2006–07, the Department negotiated funding deeds with, and processed payments totalling $435.8 million, to 14 medical research organisations. This funding went to organisations such as the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute for research into serious childhood diseases and conditions, and the University of Queensland and the Princess Alexandra Hospital to support the establishment of the southern hemisphere’s first integrated research and development facility for the development, testing and small scale production of life-saving biopharmaceuticals. This funding was for infrastructure to support health and medical research that holds out the hope of discovering cures to diseases.

The Department also provided funding to establish the National Adult Stem Cell Centre following extensive negotiations with the Griffith University. The centre will enable Australian researchers to apply adult stem cell research to diseases such as Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and Motor Neurone disease.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Health Ministers’ Conference

In 2006–07, the Department supported the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Health Ministers’ Meeting, the APEC Health Task Force and the fifth Life Sciences Innovation Forum. These events required significant effort both on the logistics and policy sides. Planning for the events proceeded in close cooperation with other agencies, especially with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and AusAID. Close liaison with Canada, as Chair of the Health Task Force, was also critical to the success of the meetings. Particular emphasis was given to involving Health Ministers in the meeting which ensured a high level of ministerial attendance (ultimately 11 out of the 21 member economies were represented by a Minister). The Health Ministers’ Meeting was held on 6–8 June 2007 and was preceded by a meeting of the Health Task Force on 5–6 June 2007. The theme for the ministerial meeting was Building on our Investment: a Sustainable and Multi-sectoral Approach to Pandemic Preparedness and Emerging Health Threats.

The Health Ministers’ Meeting discussed ways that APEC economies can respond effectively to disease outbreaks and as far as possible maintain the cross-border movement of goods, services and people, thereby benefiting Australian businesses and travellers. Key outcomes from these events were a renewal of APEC Ministers’ commitment to efforts against avian and pandemic influenza, including cooperation with other international bodies such as the World Health Organization; and endorsement of projects to build capacity in the region, including an Australian project on Guidelines for Functioning Economies in Time of Pandemic. The guidelines were endorsed by APEC Leaders at their meeting in September 2007.

In addition, the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum in Adelaide from 19–20 April 2007 provided an opportunity for government representatives, business and academia to engage in dialogue on regional developments in the Life Sciences sector.

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World Health Organization

On 14–23 May 2007, 2,400 representatives of the World Health Organization’s 193 member states and non-government organisations attended the 60th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. The Assembly elected the Department’s Secretary, Ms Jane Halton PSM, as its President.

The World Health Assembly considered a wide range of health issues, with the key theme this year being International Health Security. The Assembly adopted a record number of resolutions on public health issues and on the technical and administrative work of the World Health Organization.

In addition, the Medium Term Strategic Plan that was approved by the World Health Assembly set out the key areas of focus for the Assembly for the period 2007 to 2011. The plan will focus on 13 strategic objectives including combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Reducing both the burden of other communicable and non-communicable disease and the health consequences of emergencies and disasters are also identified priorities.