Interim Evaluation presents promising results for Care Collective

The Care Collective is an initiative led by the Health Alliance to reduce demand on hospital emergency departments by coordinating care across the system for people with complex chronic health conditions.

The Care Collective commenced in Caboolture in December 2021 with Complex Care Coordinators integrated into general practices in December 2022. New funding from 1 July 2023 has enabled the continuation of the Care Collective in Caboolture and an expansion of the program to the Redcliffe region. An interim evaluation report, commissioned from Nous by Health Alliance, presents insights from the evaluation to date from June 2022 until March 2024.

Across Caboolture, 446 clients have been referred to the Care Collective between 2 June 2022 and 31 December 2023, with 39 per cent of referrals made by GPs. The highest number of referrals have been for clients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD).

Building on learnings from the Caboolture implementation, the Care Collective has now been successfully implemented in Redcliffe. While the interim evaluation report does not include data from Redcliffe, there has been strong uptake of the program by general practices in both regions, with eight practices participating across the Caboolture region, and nine across the Redcliffe region.

Notably, the number of emergency department (ED) presentations per month has significantly reduced after referral to the Care Collective. On average clients had a 63% reduction in ED attendances. There has also been a 77 per cent decrease in the number of clients with greater than one ED presentation per month. This translates to a considerable 450 per cent return of the funding invested in savings to the health system, or a $1,829 saving per month per client.

The Care Collective program will continue through to June 2025, implementing suggested improvements from the interim evaluation report. A report on the feasibility of the Complex Care Coordination service continuing post pilot funding period will be developed prior to the close of the program and will include either a business plan for transition or a sustainable funding plan and advocacy document.

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