478 - Helping people experiencing homelessness connect with healthcare
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, we explore the intersection of healthcare and technology with experts Jayne Thompson , Tim Pegler , and Alison Sayer . The conversation dives into MediRecords ' pioneering solutions and how partnerships with organisations like Homeless Healthcare are transforming the delivery of care.
MediRecords: Bridging Traditional and Digital Health
MediRecords stands out for integrating traditional primary care with advanced digital solutions. Chief Product Officer Jayne Thompson outlines how the company manages patient consultations efficiently. The innovative admissions module extends this capability to cover continuous patient care in the short or long term. This ensures a more comprehensive patient health management, from entry through to discharge and follow-up care.
Tim Pegler, Senior Business Development Manager, emphasises the importance of digital health in improving overall healthcare delivery. Improving health equity through digital solutions is at the heart of what they do. This focus on equitable access to healthcare drives MediRecords to adopt technologies that mitigate disparities, enabling better health outcomes for diverse patient populations.
Homeless Healthcare: A Beacon for Vulnerable Populations
Homeless Healthcare, led by CEO Alison Sayer, provides vital primary healthcare services to the homeless community in Perth. Starting from modest two half-day clinics, the organisation now operates 14 clinics weekly, offering services in transitional and crisis accommodation, domestic violence shelters, and drug and alcohol rehab centres. The organisation employs a multidisciplinary team, including GPs, nurses, and social workers, to deliver comprehensive care to its clients.
Alison shares their goal of reducing the revolving door phenomenon between the hospital and the street. By bringing healthcare services directly to the underserved, Homeless Healthcare helps mitigate the adverse effects of homelessness on health. One notable achievement is the 44% reduction in emergency department presentations and a 47% reduction in hospital admissions among their clients, showing the tangible impact of their efforts.
The Role of Cloud Technology
One of the standout benefits of MediRecords for Homeless Healthcare is its cloud capability. Traditional software requiring VPNs was cumbersome for mobile clinics and often led to connectivity issues. The cloud-based system of MediRecords eliminates these problems, enabling easy access to patient records from any location. This flexibility is crucial for teams operating in diverse settings and ensures continuity of care.
Tim also highlights the potential for cloud technology to revolutionise patient engagement through portals. Imagine a homeless person having instant access to their medical records and prescriptions through a simple digital interface. This capability can be life-changing, particularly for those who have lost physical copies of important medical documents.
Interoperability and Data Sharing: Breaking Down Silos
Interoperability and data sharing are essential yet challenging aspects of modern healthcare. Electronic discharge summaries, for example, often face obstacles due to disparate systems and data formats. MediRecords addresses these challenges by focusing on a unified approach to data sharing, which is vital for improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
MediRecords’ Connect platform and FHIR capabilities are designed to enhance interoperability , allowing seamless data exchange between healthcare providers. This ensures that vital information is accessible when needed, reducing the administrative burden on healthcare professionals and improving care continuity.
The Patient Portal: Engaging Patients in Their Care
A significant advancement on MediRecords' roadmap is developing a patient portal named MediRecords Engage. This tool aims to extend clinical workflows to involve patients actively, making them key participants in their care. Future features will include easy access to personal health records, medication histories, and vaccination certificates, enhancing patient autonomy and engagement.
The Engage platform is not just a tool; it enables patients to take control of their health. By making information readily available, MediRecords hopes to alleviate patients' frustration when repeatedly asked for medical history details.
Data-Driven Insights for Better Decision-Making
Data is an invaluable asset in the digital healthcare landscape. MediRecords is committed to leveraging this resource to offer actionable insights through advanced dashboards and reporting tools. The forthcoming data initiatives aim to provide healthcare providers with a transparent view of patient records and care outcomes, facilitating better decision-making.
At MediRecords, they're not just capturing data but turning it into meaningful insights. This approach allows healthcare providers to track patient progress, identify care gaps, and effectively tailor interventions.
Partnerships: A Collaborative Approach to Innovation
MediRecords fine-tunes its offerings to meet real-world needs by working closely with organisations like Homeless Healthcare. Feedback from frontline workers has been instrumental in refining the admissions module and ensuring it serves its intended purpose.
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Future Directions: Expanding Reach and Impact
Looking ahead, both MediRecords and Homeless Healthcare have ambitious plans for growth and impact. MediRecords is focused on enhancing its digital payments feature, extending the Patient Portal’s capabilities, and advancing its interoperability initiatives. On the other hand, Homeless Healthcare is expanding its street outreach and residential services to meet the growing demand, aiming to cover more areas within Perth.
There's a great need for more outreach services, especially given the increasing rates of homelessness. The organisation is also looking to form more partnerships to expand its scope and effectiveness, ensuring no vulnerable person is left without care.
The Road Ahead
As we navigate the complexities of modern healthcare, the marriage of digital technology and clinical expertise appears promising. MediRecords and Homeless Healthcare exemplify how innovative solutions and collaborative efforts can address some of healthcare's most pressing challenges. Their work provides a roadmap for other organisations looking to improve access, efficiency, and patient outcomes through digital health initiatives.
The power of a unified, comprehensive healthcare system lies in its ability to provide a 360-degree view of the patient. This ensures that every individual's journey through the healthcare system is seamless, efficient, and, ultimately, more effective.
As these organisations continue to evolve and expand, they offer valuable lessons in how digital health can transform the landscape of care, particularly for those most in need. Through ongoing innovation and collaboration, the future of healthcare looks brighter, more inclusive, and increasingly patient-centred.
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MediRecords is Australia’s leading cloud-hosted patient management platform, operating nationally across the government and private sectors
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