Patient-centred health care homes in Australia: Disruptive innovation?

In late 2015, the Primary Health Care Advisory Group (PHCAG) endorsed a new model of care for chronic disease in Australia – the Health Care Home.1 In media releases issued in March and August 2016,2, 3 the Australian government promised to ‘revolutionise’ the care of patients with ‘multiple chronic conditions’. The August media release announced a trial which would cover 10 regions, 200 GP clinics and Aboriginal Medical Services and up to 65 000 patients, those who consume over 60% of Medicare costs.3

The Health Care Home has been introduced in a number of countries and has different names to suit particular purposes, interests and contexts such as the ‘Medical Home’ and the ‘Patient-Centred Health Care Home’. It has a number of elements: patients are co-producers in their own care; care is provided by a multidisciplinary team within a bio-psycho-social model; services to patients are coordinated across the system; and care is provided using the full range of delivery channels including face-to-face, telephone and telecare. The system relies on evidence-based programmes, data-informed quality improvement and requires the alignment of payment mechanisms with outcomes.