Allied and Scientific Health Office Long COVID Model of Care
Madeleine Della1, Suzanna Parkyn1, Danica Liu1, Nicolas Martin1, Ingrid Lensink
1SA Health, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Abstract
Background: As long COVID has a wide ranging and diverse impact, evidence necessitates the need for a multidisciplinary model of care (MOC) which brings together several different allied health professions (AHPs). We proposed a novel MOC to manage long covid in the current health setting (in SA).
Methods: The proposed MOC was developed through extensive consultation with key local and interstate stakeholders, detailed literature review and analysis of current best practice guidelines.
Results: In the proposed MOC the role of the GP initially is to assess and triage long COVID patients toward the appropriate pathway and corresponding level of intervention required. For those patients more severely affected, their clinical pathway and management will involve community-based allied health or specialised multidisciplinary tertiary services. After any intervention, the role of the GP is central to the coordination of the patient’s care long term. The model can be adjusted for recommended AHP FTE ratios based on demand and an economic assessment validated a positive benefit.
Conclusions: The proposed MOC highlights the value of utilising AHPs to help manage chronic conditions (including, but not limited to, long COVID) not only from a cost perspective (i.e., a discounted value of net benefits to the public healthcare system, and productivity gains from avoided workplace absenteeism estimated at $39.3 million over 5 years), in the community to prevent further decline and avoid unnecessary interactions with hospitals. This approach will produce a health service that is responsive to contemporary pandemic needs with the ability to transfer learnings to reform care of other existing chronic conditions.
Biography
Suzie Parkyn
Suzie is currently working in project management within the Allied and Scientific Health Office-South Australia. She is a Podiatrist by background and has been working within the public sector since 2008. She has extensive clinical experience in high-risk foot management, hospital avoidance and chronic conditions self-management working across both the acute and community sectors. She has a Graduate Certificate in Health Science and has previously worked for both health and university sectors providing clinical education to allied health staff and students. Her current interests are in workforce reform, data and staff wellbeing.
Madeleine Della
Maddie is currently working part-time as a project manager within the Allied and Scientific Health Office (SA). In 2022 Maddie was part of the ASHO long COVID project team, which produced a report with recommendations for a state-wide long COVID response with an allied health focus. She also works as a Senior Physiotherapist in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network Emergency Multidisciplinary Assessment Team, with a focus on hospital avoidance and complex discharge planning. She has extensive experience in the acute hospital setting and previously worked as a clinical educator for acute care physiotherapy students. Her current interests include workforce reform, value-based healthcare and allied health led models of care.