How the Queensland Health system can embed and support prevention

Key messages

• Queenslanders are living longer, yet many people experience more years of poor health due to preventable chronic diseases.
• Effective chronic disease prevention in clinical settings improves quality of care and patient outcomes, increases the efficiency of the health system and improves health equity.
• There are many unseen and unknown opportunities to strengthen and integrate prevention as part of routine clinical care in the Queensland Health (QH) system.
• QH’s Preventive Health Branch led a systems analysis to better understand how the QH system supports but also limits chronic disease prevention.
• The project, which focused on prevention in clinical settings, used a range of methods to engage with more than 200 stakeholders.
• It explored two case studies as entry points to better understand the QH system: what works in prevention and why, and how the dynamics and key drivers within the system could work better to strengthen prevention and embed sustainable system change.
• A key finding is that while many stakeholders are keen to prioritise prevention, they do not believe prevention is seen as part of QH’s remit or an integral part of QH’s quality clinical service delivery.
• It found there is a need to prioritise prevention and actively build a shared understanding and vision for prevention across QH.
• Other factors that can support sustainable prevention practices and programs are supportive governance, patient-centred care, systemic support for innovation, champions and connectors, and funding and finance systems.
• The project identified 20 intersecting actions across five domains to build the supportive systems, practices and culture to enhance prevention in the QH system. The actions will be considered as part of the QH reform process.