Leaders from across the HealthPathways Community talked about the conference's theme in a real world context during the post-keynote panel discussion, with the topic of engagement coming to the fore.
During morning tea, delegates had the chance to digest the keynote addresses; including the role of HealthPathways as one of the enablers of whole of system change, and the stories of collaboration given by leaders from Canterbury’s district health board and it’s key primary care organisation.
However, it was during the panel discussion that they began to talk about the practical challenges and opportunities of realising whole of system change - with engagement across health systems, gaining buy-in, and aligning visions big talking points.
The panel included leaders such as Dr Angus Ritchie, Sydney Local Health District Physician Informaticist, and Jane Gray, Executive Director Partnerships, Innovation and Research for HNE Health.
"For us the start of the journey was very easy because we had very good buy-in from different sectors of the system," Angus said.
"We're now at that stage of the journey where we have enough product and we're seeing growth, but we need to see how it's making a difference."
Equally, Jane outlined how buy-in to the concept of HealthPathways wasn't an issue in general practice.
"We learned from Graham (McGeoch, HealthPathways Community Chief Clinical Editor) that the way to open the conversation with clinicians is not to say 'Hi, we're here to write a pathway', but to ask what's driving them nuts about the health system, so there's no selling involved."
Panel discussion: (L-R) Jody Paxton, Manager, Clinical Prioritisation Criteria Project for Queensland Health, Jane Gray, Executive Director Partnerships, Innovation and Research for HNE Health, Dr David Hambleton, Chief Executive of the NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group, Bernie Cummins, Advanced Divisional Director, Midwifery and Nursing (Women’s and Babies' Division) for SA Health, and Dr Angus Ritchie, Physician Informaticist for Sydney Local Health District.
But not every part of a health system is so easy to engage. Discussing alignment at the highest level to achieve whole of system change, Dr David Hambleton, Chief Executive of the NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group, explained his work building relationships with the five other chief executives in his sphere of influence.
"The council chief executive was really up front when I met him two years ago that he really didn't understand health," he said.
"It takes a long time for people at that level to get on the same page so it's well worth taking the time."
Many key players from the Canterbury Initiative gave their advice on engagement, with Carolyn Gullery, CDHB General Manager, Planning & Funding, emphasising the power of taking a patient-centric approach when progress is hampered by different ways of working.
"What got us through most of the rocky processes was to keep coming back to the patient. It's also important to have the right people in the room to have a broader conversation.
"It's amazing how many barriers then fall away."
When asked about the differences between regions that she may have seen, Carolyn reiterated that there is very little separating Canterbury when it began redesigning its health system and other regions working towards whole of system change now.
"What we've seen wherever we've gone in the world is that most people have the same elements we had, and frequently they're further ahead, but they haven't connected them up. They have the pieces but they haven't bought them together and they don't have a unifying vision to bring them together."