Key Steps and Best Practices.
To deliver high-quality, efficient and comprehensive healthcare in Australia, it is important to form successful healthcare partnerships. These may involve the public and private sectors, hospitals and community organisations as well as various healthcare professionals leading to innovative ideas, better patient outcomes and resource optimisation.
In this blog, we will discuss the main steps of establishing successful partnerships in healthcare.
Let us first analyse why these healthcare collaborations are so necessary. Its because they bring together different knowledge base, resources and perspectives that can address health problems at all levels. For example; joint efforts between hospitals and community health centres would result in comprehensive care for chronic illness patients by attending their medical needs alongside social determinants of health.
The success of any partnership relies on common objectives. What do you hope to achieve? Is it about improving patient outcomes? Are you looking at reducing readmissions? Maybe it is about increasing access to care in rural areas? Collaboration is well established on common, clear objectives that make it possible for all to work towards the same goal. Best Practice: Involve stakeholders in such discussions of goal-setting so as to get people on board and ensure that the alliance’s efforts are harmonised from its inception.
It pays to be meticulous when selecting potential partners. It is necessary to select organisations or individuals whose values match yours, who have the ability to achieve what you want and with similar goals. Look for partners who have strengths that can complement yours but are different in some way. Best Practice: Do your own research about them, learn about their operations and meet them in order to explore possibilities. This must be based on compatibility.
Lack of clarity leads to failure of many partnerships. To avoid these misunderstandings, each partner’s role should be defined clearly; besides, setting responsibilities helps prevent misunderstandings among partners. Who does what? How will we reach decisions? These boundaries must be set early enough. Best Practice: Create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or partnership agreement. Roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes and conflict resolution mechanisms should be outlined in this document.
Any partnership requires good communication to thrive. Regular and transparent communication enables trustworthiness, prompt problem solving and cooperation of all the individuals involved. You can take advantage of meetings, emails or collaborative platforms for this. Best Practice: Have regular check-ins and updates. Create a point person in each organisation whose role is to coordinate communications between the two.
Trust and respect are basic elements of a successful collaboration. This includes being accountable, open as well as considering contributions made by other partners. Trust takes time to establish but can be lost within no time; hence, it is necessary to always show up for each meeting with your partner in case you are available. Best Practice: Be patient and consistent. Small acts of kindness can make a difference when it comes to building confidence among partners
Digital technology and data offer invaluable means for strengthening partnerships nowadays. For example, shared electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth platforms, or even data analytics will enhance their performance in terms of processes, patients’ safety as well as provide insights into how they perform as one unit (partnership). Best practice: Invest in interoperable systems that facilitate seamless sharing of information across platforms. Ensure that all participants have been trained on how to use the technology comfortably.
For the partnership to stay on track, progress should be monitored and evaluated against the objectives that were set. Data collection, outcome evaluation, and feedback are required for this purpose. Based on what the figures indicate, adjust tactics where necessary. Best Practice: Establish a joint evaluation team to oversee this process. Make use of both qualitative and quantitative measures in order to have a complete understanding of what effect the partnership has made.
Celebrating successes could raise spirits and consolidate the partnership. Similarly, envisaging defeats as learning opportunities may assist in having an improved relationship, which is progressing. Celebrate milestones and achievements no matter how small they might seem while scrutinising setbacks for future avoidance. Best Practice: Organise regular review meetings where both successes and challenges are openly discussed. Use such sittings to reinforce shared goals and plan next steps.
In Australia, successful healthcare partnerships must have a common goal, partners who are suitable, roles that have been clearly defined, open communication channels, trust between stakeholders; technology and frequent evaluation. In following these steps as well as best practices, healthcare organisations can form strong collaborations that will enhance quality of care improve patient outcomes and stimulate innovation. So, whether you are a hospital administrator or a community health worker or a policy maker you can use these strategies to create meaningful partnerships. Get in touch with us at HCI for more information!
IHNA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
© 2022 HCI Australia. All Rights Reserved.