Chronic Conditions
We provide treatment and support to help people live well with chronic conditions including diabetes , heart and respiratory conditions .
CHRONIC PAIN SERVICE : EVIDENCE-BASED PAIN CARE
Our Chronic Pain Service ( CPS ) provides evidence-based , multidisciplinary care to help people self-manage persistent pain and recover .
Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 Australians aged 45 and over .
We launched the CPS in partnership with North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network last year to address high demand for care and long hospital wait times .
Now in it ’ s second year , client data shows the service significantly improved health outcomes for participants and reduced the burden on hospitals .
By utilising existing partnerships with GPs , the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Northern Health , we increased community access to integrated care .
We also continued to provide hybrid telehealth and in-person options so patients could continue treatment during COVID restrictions .
What did we achieve ?
exceptional community
uptake with
160 +
clients supported in the first 18 months
reduced the burden of chronic pain for patients and hospitals
91.7 % of patients reported making at least some overall improvement
75 % reported an improvement in their physical abilities
83 % reported clinically significant improvement in depression
78 % of clients made a clinically significant improvement in how pain interferes with their daily life
97.2 % of wait times under 3 months – significantly lower than the national average
program funded for a further two years to June 2024 based on success
featured in the International Journal of Community Health newsletter
Key challenges
• recruitment of allied health and psychology staff . We revised position descriptions and broadened our advertising to help address this
What ’ s next ?
• marketing to increase awareness of the service and new clients
• developing a Chronic Pain Peer Support Group in partnership with the national Australia Pain Management Association
HEALTH SERVICES
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