The MHATODS team at North West Hospital and Health Service (HHS) successfully secured $50,000 in funding through the Multimorbidity Quality Improvement Strategy (MQIS) to enhance healthcare outcomes for consumers with or at risk of multimorbidity.

Referring to the presence of two or more chronic conditions in a person at the same time, multimorbidity is a growing health concern, as patients who have multiple conditions often report increased psychosocial burden and lower physical and psychological quality of life.

As such, this funding has supported the purchase of essential mobile physical health assessment kits for MHATODS clinicians to employ when conducting home visits and outreach services.

These kits will improve the accessibility and quality of physical health assessments, particularly for consumers in remote areas, and strengthen service delivery.

The mobile assessment kits will equip clinicians with portable medical tools to provide on-the-spot care during home visits, reducing missed appointments and improving assessment completion rates.

Director of MHATODS, Dan Van Der Donk, said limiting the amount of time patients spend in hospital is a positive for patients, their families and carers, and for the health service.

“Keeping our patients comfortable at home, while providing safe, high-quality treatment can be beneficial to improving health outcomes,” said Mr Van Der Donk.

“Emergency departments can be busy, noisy places at times and can be overwhelming for people in mental health distress.

“These health assessment kits give patients the convenience of being evaluated with their support network close by and reduces hospital visits which can put a strain on mental health and financial wellbeing especially for those needing to travel.”

This initiative aligns with the MQIS goal of improving health outcomes through prevention, identifications, and treatment of chronic conditions, reinforcing North West HHS’s commitment to delivering high-quality, integrated care to our consumers.