The Future, Digital Integrated Care, Virtual Ward Technology Ltd Model and the ‘Old’ Canterbury Integrated Health Care Model
Professor Rhys Thomas
Virtual Ward Technology Ltd’s care model aligns with the Canterbury Integrated Health Care Model yet has a modern, digital twist that enhances its scalability, personalisation, and efficiency.
Canterbury Integrated Health Care Model
The Canterbury Integrated Health Care Model, as implemented by the Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) in New Zealand, is a comprehensive, person-centred system designed to integrate primary, community, and hospital-based care. This model has achieved significant success by:
Reducing Acute Admissions: Canterbury has successfully reduced unnecessary hospital admissions through acute demand management programs by providing community-based resources and support to general practices.
Decreasing Length of Stay: The model supports timely discharges with robust community rehabilitative services, allowing patients, especially the elderly, to return home faster and reducing long-term hospital stays.
Enabling Patient-Centred Care: This system emphasises care that considers social circumstances and clinical needs, facilitated by general practice teams supported by community and hospital-based resources.
Virtual Ward Technology Ltd Model
Virtual Ward Technology Ltd leverages the principles of the Canterbury model but enhances them with digital innovations. Here's how this modern approach brings additional advantages:
Personalised Health Care:
Wearable activity monitors and smart devices (e.g., Fitbits) allow for continuous monitoring of patients' health metrics, providing personalised data that informs tailored health interventions.
Virtual wards facilitate health and well-being improvement by tracking key performance indicators such as mental health status, activity levels, and vital signs, leading to more effective health strategies.
Reduced Dependence on Infrastructure:
By supporting patients in their own homes or community settings through digital tools, virtual wards minimise the need for physical hospital beds and infrastructure. This reduces the strain on acute care facilities and enables safe, efficient patient management remotely.
Technologies like remote monitoring and virtual consultations reduce the necessity for frequent hospital visits, optimising resource utilisation and expanding the reach of healthcare services.
Scalability for Medical Professionals:
Virtual wards can scale up to accommodate a larger number of patients without the proportional increase in physical infrastructure. This model supports a wider community through digital connectivity, allowing for broader health service delivery.
Integrating smart technology and data analytics helps medical professionals monitor and manage a more extensive patient base effectively, enhancing their ability to respond to health issues promptly and efficiently.
A Key Perspective from Canterbury’s Integrated Care Review
Carolyn Gullery’s 2020 review of the Canterbury Integrated Care Model highlighted a crucial point:
"Importantly, Canterbury DHB realised that ‘business as usual’ would, by 2020, require an additional 450 acute hospital beds, 20% more general practitioners, and 2,000 more aged residential care beds. The metric that captured the clinicians’ attention was that resourcing all of this capacity would require another 8,000 people in the health workforce when the working-age population was contracting in size."
Wrapping Up
The Virtual Ward Technology Ltd model is a digital evolution of the Canterbury Integrated Health Care Model. It retains the core principles of integrated, person-centred care but amplifies its impact through digital innovation. This modern approach offers significant advantages, including more personalised care, reduced dependence on traditional healthcare infrastructure, and greater scalability for healthcare professionals.
Implementing such a model can improve patient outcomes and streamline operations, making healthcare delivery more efficient and responsive to the community's needs.
