Background
A Model of Care (MoC) outlines best-practice health service delivery for specific patient populations aiming to assist health care workers and consumers in all aspects of the management of patients. It can facilitate delivery of quality of care, improve patient quality of life, and even decrease health care costs.1
While New South Wales had an existing burn MoC, several aspects of burn management were either missing or insufficiently addressed.
Method
A co-design process was initiated, engaging healthcare professionals from various regions and disciplines across NSW to gather insights on current burn care practices, identify gaps and suggest improvements. This collaborative approach was complemented by a thorough review of existing evidence and data to inform the development of the new MoC.
Results
Numerous iterations were created during the process, culminating in a suite of documents including the MoC, a new consumer package, and enhanced clinical guides. The new model of care has been received with interest both within and external to burn units. New and enhanced aspects include equity of access, cultural safety, virtual care, trauma-informed care, transition from paediatric to adult, patient reported measures, new technology / techniques, and better disaster preparedness.
Discussions
Although the final format of the model of care diverged from the original concept, it has successfully driven the creation of a consumer package as well as strengthening clinical guidelines. It is anticipated that the developed resources will guide practice for enhance care of burn patients statewide.
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