HealthOne NSW Service Models

Co-location involves community health and general practice being physically located together, or in close proximity to each other (often in the same building). Co-location alone does not ensure integration, however the proximity of services to each other will enhance opportunities for informal and formal communication and collaboration. Effective and appropriate corporate and clinical governance structures will still be important to support integration.

 

Hub and Spoke can be understood in different ways in relation to the role of the hub, the role of the spoke, and how they are linked. In this model, one site acts as a central base for activity and plays a support and coordination role to the spokes or satellite services. Providers in the satellite services may also provide services from the hub. Effective corporate and clinical governance structures and communication strategies will be essential to promote and support integration between the hub and spokes.

 

A virtual integration model involves a number of separately located providers (e.g. community health teams / services and general practice). The providers are linked by communication technologies. Members of a virtual HealthOne NSW will communicate electronically and may rarely meet face to face. In this model careful consideration needs to be given to how the whole HealthOne NSW service will be coordinated and the structure required to ensure that this coordination and integration occurs in an optimal manner, in the context of geographically dispersed members of the HealthOne NSW team.