Finalists of the Health Innovation Awards

Exercise programme boosts quality of life of the elderly

11 July 2007

The quality of life and independence of some of New Zealand’s elderly has improved thanks to an innovative programme.

LIFE is a personal wellbeing programme, which uses goal setting and simple physical exercise to improve the lives of ElderCare New Zealand’s clients.

The programme helps the residents at ElderCare’s network of rest homes, hospitals and retirement villages set simple goals and then puts together an exercise programme to help them improve their fitness to reach those goals. Residents are supported and encouraged by dedicated LIFE sponsors and other residents.

The programme is running at 29 sites and has improved independence on average by 14 percent over 12 months. In a satisfaction survey, more than 91 percent of respondents said their lives had more purpose and 95 percent said their quality of life had improved.

LIFE was developed following the Promoting Independent Living study carried out in partnership with the University of Auckland. The study looked at ways to improve the quality of life of long-term care residents through simple exercises and setting goals. The results were so successful that ElderCare developed the LIFE programme, building on the study.

New Zealand’s rapidly ageing population means people working in the health and aged-care sectors need solutions to help older people retain independence, overcome age-related limitations and reduce pressure on health and support services.

The LIFE programme is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA) and will be competing against 21 other innovations, including five others from Auckland.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

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Innovation tackles child abuse and domestic violence in Hawke’s Bay

18 June 2007

Two Hawke’s Bay programmes are improving the identification of child abuse and domestic violence, earning the innovators a place in the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).

In an Australasian first, the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’s (DHB’s) Child Protection Programme (CPP) and Family Violence Intervention Programme (FVIP) are showing child abuse and domestic violence can be identified in a sustained way in a health system.

Both programmes use a comprehensive systems change approach to support clinicians to safely ask patients the difficult personal questions that are needed to identify child abuse and domestic violence. Since they began, child abuse referrals from Hawke’s Bay DHB have increased.

Asking all women over 16 about partner abuse is a new practice for most services and the programmes have become the national model for other DHBs in New Zealand.

One New Zealand study suggested at least one-in-three New Zealand women experience partner abuse during their lifetime. This can lead to long-term health, education and welfare issues.

Earlier identification of child abuse and domestic violence should eventually help reduce patterns of violent behaviour being copied from one generation to the next, resulting in a healthier population.

Improving the Identification of Family Violence Programme is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists, four of which are also from the Hawke’s Bay region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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Dietitian helps Auckland patients lose weight

9 July 2007

Introducing a dietitian into doctors’ surgeries has led to major weight loss amongst Tāmaki PHO’s patients.

The dietitian helps Auckland patients improve nutrition, increase physical activity and tackle obesity, leading to an average loss of 5.7kg after two or more consultations.

Tāmaki Healthcare Primary Healthcare Organisation is the largest Māori-led PHO in the country and 40 percent of its referrals to the dietitian have been Pacific peoples, while 31 percent have been Māori. One in three adults are overweight and one in five obese, costing the country $303 million annually. Obesity can lead to many chronic diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke

In free one-to-one consultations, the dietitian provides culturally appropriate treatment plans and realistic yet challenging goals for patients and their families. Education sessions and ongoing support for GPs and nurses, and work with community groups, all combine to spread healthy eating messages to the community.

The programme has also seen a high referral rate of high-needs patients, and excellent weight and body mass index changes within the population.

Future plans include increasing and expanding the one-to-one consultations, group education sessions targeting the younger population, continually evaluating the service through surveying patients and service providers, and measuring the impact of the project on the number of days patients spend in hospital.

The dietitian in primary health programme is one of six Auckland finalists in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

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Safer healthcare using electronic ‘red flags’

26 June 2007

An innovative tool which monitors the use of the drug Warfarin has earned the innovators a place in the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).

The new INR (international normalised ratio) trigger tool monitors Warfarin’s safety and effectiveness in the 265 East Tamaki Healthcare patients who are being treated with the anticoagulant drug.

Warfarin, which is the most frequent cause of adverse drug reactions in New Zealand, is also the most widely-used anticoagulant.

“Blood levels that are too high or too low can result in major bleeding, stroke and even death,” said Dr Richard Hulme of East Tamaki Healthcare.

“That’s why it is crucial to maintain the right blood level. This is made more difficult in the elderly and those with poor literacy and numeracy skills. East Tamaki Healthcare has a large high-risk population on Warfarin. Forty percent of Warfarin users are aged 65 years and over, and 76 percent are Maori and Pacific peoples.”

By using the electronic trigger tool, ‘red flags’ are used to identify potential adverse events from a patient’s medical record. Introduced two years ago, the tool is integrated into the patient management software used by receptionists, nurses and doctors at each East Tamaki Healthcare practice. It is now used to record 88 percent of all blood clotting test results.

A 2006 audit of patients on long-term Warfarin therapy showed a 4 percent reduction in the number at increased risk of major bleeding and a 3 percent reduction in patients at increased risk of clotting and stroke.

The trigger tool initiative is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists, five of which are also from the Auckland region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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10,000 newborn babies screened in new hearing test

6th June 2007

Since 2004, over 10,000 Waikato babies have been screened for hearing loss in Hamilton, Thames and Taumarunui. The programme has recently been extended to include all rural areas in the Waikato District Health Board area.

Waikato District Health Board’s Newborn Screening Programme involves a simple and painless test which is often carried out while the babies are asleep. The screening has seen 208 babies referred for follow-up by audiologists and 24 babies have been identified with hearing loss. Without screening, these hearing losses may not have been discovered until the children were three to five years old.

“Newborn hearing screening promises to improve the lives of infants with hearing loss because by detecting problems before six months, the babies have the potential to develop speech and language patterns within the normal range even if the hearing loss is profound” said Lynne Forsman from Waikato District Health Board.

“Children whose hearing loss is not detected until later often have speech and language difficulties that can affect their education, emotional well-being or long-term employment prospects.“

Of the 208 babies referred for follow-up by audiologists, 24 were identified with significant hearing loss, including 14 babies with permanent hearing loss in both ears.

From July this year, Waikato will be one of three DHBs undertaking newborn hearing screening, as part of a three-year roll-out of the national Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme. The national programme aims to offer screening to newborns across New Zealand by 2009.

The Waikato Newborn Screening Programme has made it through to the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists, three of which are also from the Waikato region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and the Accident Compensation Corporation, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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Innovative programme tackles obesity in Mangere

3rd July 2007

Since the Mangere Healthy Kai programme began in 2003, retailers have been selling more filled rolls, sandwiches, grilled fish and stir fry – at the expense of high fat food. The programme has been changing eating habits in Auckland’s Mangere town centre to help combat obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Whilst obesity is a serious problem in the three Auckland District Health Board regions, Counties Manukau is the most severely affected. Obesity is the main risk factor for type 2 diabetes with 12,000 people in Counties Manukau having been diagnosed with diabetes and estimates that nearly double this number have gone undiagnosed.

In 2003, the programme signed up all 11 of the eligible food retailers in Mangere town centre who agreed to put signs next to healthy foods in their shops. Retailers were kept engaged by regular communication, participation in promotional events including cooking demonstrations and taste testing, and by the introduction of the Retailer Award System.

The Mangere Healthy Kai programme has been expanded to include three new retailers in Mangere town centre, and a similar programme is now being run in Glen Innes, Glen Eden and Otara.

Figures from the 14 retailers show there have been changes in the type of food that has been sold since the programme began, with one greengrocer reporting an increase of 35 percent in the sales of fruit and vegetables. Shopper surveys show that since 2003, there has been a significant trend from high fat food choices to healthy kai choices.

The Mangere Healthy Kai programme has made it through to the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists, five of which are also from the Auckland region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and the ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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Endometriosis teaching programme reaches 100,000 school pupils

18 June 2007

An innovative teaching programme that has reached over 100,000 New Zealand school students and is so successful it may now be adopted overseas.

me is the first programme of its kind in the world to teach teenagers about menstrual health and endometriosis. Since the programme began ten years ago, there has been a marked increase in young women under 20 going to health professionals to discuss symptoms of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a condition reported to affect around one in five girls and women, and has a huge impact on patients, their families and friends. The time delays between initial discussion with a GP and treatment, documented as eight plus years, can lead to pain, suffering and potential infertility.

“me teaches young people how to identify the symptoms of endometriosis so they can get earlier diagnosis and treatment,” said project director, Deborah Bush.

“Early diagnosis improves quality of life and reduces the likelihood of fertility problems.”

me has also had a considerable impact on the medical sector where a ripple effect means GPs are becoming more aware of endometriosis. The project is currently running in Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough and Ms Bush has been asked to present on the programme at conferences in New Zealand and around the world.

me is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). There are 21 other finalists, six of which are also from the Canterbury region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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Pre-op programme decreases theatre cancellations

11 June 2007

A new programme at Waikato Hospital has halved the number of elective gynaecological operations cancelled over six months, and earned the innovators a place in the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).

In the Nurse-led Preadmission Gynaecology Programme, a clinical nurse assesses which patients are high risk and need to attend a clinic, and which can be interviewed by telephone.

Previously, a clerical staff member would decide which patients should attend the preadmission clinic and once there, women faced long waits to see the house surgeon scheduled to preadmit them. Many patients left the clinic without being seen and would arrive on the day of the operation without having had a preoperative assessment. This often meant their operations were cancelled.

Now a clinical nurse specialist reviews a health questionnaire completed by patients and asks only the high risk among them to attend the clinic. Clinical staff interview low-risk patients over the telephone, give them appropriate information and send them forms for blood tests.

A nurse sees patients who attend the clinics and takes their history, orders any preoperative investigations, plans and implements discharge requirements, delivers education and reviews blood test results. This means the patient is prepared for surgery before arrival.

The new system has freed up busy house surgeons who can now spend more time in the wards. This has helped reduce the average length of stay in hospital for post-operative patients. Patients themselves are happier with the new system as they have a greater understanding of how to prepare for their operation.

The Nurse-led Preadmission Gynaecology Programme is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists, three of which are also from the Waikato region.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

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Respite care service improves the lives of families with sick children

19 th June 2007

Parents of sick children are getting extra help thanks to a Waikato innovation.

The caregiver training programme gives parents some respite from looking after young children with ongoing medical and health needs.

The programme focuses on children with complex support needs who are discharged from neo-natal units. Caregivers help parents with care such as oxygen therapy, tube feeding and changing tracheotomy tubes and can offer overnight care.

By caring for individual children, the trained support workers, who are not qualified nurses, give parents time to spend with their other children, carry out jobs outside the home as well as enabling them to have some time to themselves or with their partners.

Counselling can also be provided to help parents cope with what can be an isolating and responsible job.

In almost all instances quality relationships have developed between carers, the children and their families. Parents are confident to leave their child in the care of the support person and are less stressed.

The programme is provided by Healthcare NZ, supported by the Waikato District Health Board and the Ministry of Health. A trial service was established in 2005. Healthcare NZ intends to extend this home-based support and respite care service beyond the Waikato region.

The caregiver training programme is one of four Waikato finalists in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA). It will be competing against 21 other finalists.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and the Accident Compensation Corporation, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on 10 October at the Wellington Town Hall.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

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More help for mental health patients in South Canterbury

5th July 2007

A new programme helping mental health patients get quicker access to services, has earned the innovators a place in the finals of the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA).

The aim of South Link Health-Timaru’s Mental Health Brief Intervention Service (MHBIS) is to ensure clients referred to the service by their practices are diagnosed and treated within the primary care setting.

Services are provided at the practice, increasing accessibility and acceptability for clients.

“About 17 percent of New Zealand’s population has a mild to moderate mental health illness,” said Sarah Taylor of South Link Health.

“Most clients can be helped to make needed changes to their lives, working through their issues until they have no further need of the service, or are better able to cope with their problems.”

The consultation needed to set up the service started in September 2003 and the service began seeing clients in April 2005.

A survey of the first 100 referrals to the service was very positive. Every general practice team believed the service helped client recovery and there was total satisfaction with the service’s timeliness.

Of the clients, 97.5 percent said the service understood and met their needs, and 92.5 percent reported they were “recovered” or “recovering” after referral to the service. These results are supported by formal research into the outcomes for 500 clients.

The MHBIS is a finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards (HIA), along with 21 other finalists.

The HIA, a joint endeavour of the Ministry of Health and ACC, were started in 2003 and recognise individuals and organisations that have developed new and innovative approaches to delivering better health services.

Further information about the HIA is available online at http://www.healthinnovationawards.co.nz

This year’s HIA winners will be announced at the HIA expo and gala dinner held on October 10 at the Wellington Town Hall.

ENDS

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