A recent Victorian Department of Health study revealed that families and carers encounter a range of challenges and barriers when accessing and navigating the care system for children with asthma.
As a result, the State Government launched the Improving Childhood Asthma Management (ICAM) program to address increased rates of asthma-related emergency department presentations from children living in the NWMPHN catchment.
We collaborated with Safer Care Victoria to create an integrated care pathways project and initiate Communities of Practice (CoP) to accelerate the removal of obstacles, and streamline the diagnosis and management of paediatric asthma.
The 2023 CoP sessions aim to foster collaboration between the Royal Children’s Hospital, Asthma Australia, the National Asthma Council Australia and asthma care services in the inner west of Melbourne.
The ICAM CoP provides opportunities for asthma care providers who manage children to work together to improve clinical knowledge and confidence, including ways to better link patients into the system.
Sessions are held bimonthly on Wednesdays until May 2024.
The first one took place on 4 October. It focused on implementing updated paediatric asthma guidelines, and real-world challenges. You can watch the recording on our website.
Some topics are still being decided, but registrations are open now for all remaining events. Click on the links to do so.
- Session 2: 22 November 2023 – Reducing household allergens and triggers for asthma
- Session 3: 31 January 2024 – Back to school
- Session 4: 27 March 2024 – register here
- Session 5: 22 May 2024 – register here
Each session earns half a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners continuing professional development hour for Educational Activities, and a full hour for Reviewing Performance.
The ICAM program, particularly the whole of system approach, enables practices to feel as though they have a seat at the table alongside peak asthma bodies and stakeholders from different levels of the health system.
Improvement ideas tested so far during this program have enhanced quality of care for young asthma patients and those who care for them. These have been adapted into quality improvement activities, suitable for all practices. They are also reflected in updates to our childhood asthma management webpage.
Resources
Visit our QI activity hub to download these templates:
- Increase the number of paediatric patients who have had a 6-monthly asthma review (moderate to severe asthma)
- Increase the number of paediatric patients who have a complete asthma action plan
You can find other childhood asthma management resources on these pages:
And on HealthPathways Melbourne:
For more information, please don’t hesitate to email us at primarycare@nwmphn.org.au
