Community health priority tools

Page contents: What are the priority tools | Evaluation of the priority tools | Next steps: Use of revised tools required | Download documents

What are the priority tools

The department in collaboration with the community health sector and other key stakeholders has developed a set of evidence-based, clinical decision-making tools for prioritising clients as part of Initial Needs Identification. These consist of:

• a generic priority tool
• seven discipline-specific clinical priority tools
• the Dental Emergency Demand Management System (EDMS).

Evaluation of the priority tools

In 2008 the department commissioned Australian Healthcare Associates to evaluate the pilot of the community health demand management priority tools.  These tools were developed as part of the Towards a demand management framework for community health services published in January 2008.

Australian Healthcare Associates presented a report to the department.  As the report is detailed, highly technical and long, the department has produced the attached document which combines:

• a summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation; and
• the department’s response to the evaluation conclusions and recommendations.

Next steps: Use of revised tools required

As a result of the evaluation, the department has revised the priority tools and require the use of the revised tools for community and dental health program services and encourage their use across all services provided from community health services where practicable.

Download documents

Community health priority tools (322kb, pdf)

Evaluation of community health demand management priority tools: Summary and departmental response (62kb, pdf)