Department of Health

Evaluation of the Redesigning Hospital Care Program

Key messages

  • An external evaluation of the Redesigning Hospital Care Program (RHCP) found that all of its projects met the primary objective of delivering measurable improvements and a positive return on investment across the health system.
  • The RHCP also met the second objective of increasing redesign capability by training staff across the system to lead projects, implement change and train their peers.
  • The evaluation found that the RHCP is highly valued and there is significant support for its continuation among stakeholders.
  • The Victorian approach to redesign has established the RHCP as an exemplary process improvement program.

In 2012, the Department of Health & Human Services commissioned DLA Piper to undertake an independent external evaluation of the success and impact of the Redesigning Hospital Care Program (RHCP) in Victoria, and to recommend future program directions.

Scope of the evaluation

The evaluation reviewed several of the 250 redesign projects’ implemented under the RHCP in the preceding period and found that all demonstrated a meaningful return on investment. The evaluation was overwhelmingly positive and identified a high level of support for the RHCP and its continuation from stakeholders.

Findings of the evaluation

The evaluation found that the RCHP is highly valued by health services and had been successful in the achieving its two primary objectives, namely to:

  • increase redesign capability by training staff across the public health system to lead projects, implement change and train their peers
  • measurably improve health delivery processes and outcomes across the system.

Culture, leadership and process improvement

The evaluation also found strong recognition of the relationship between health service culture, leadership and the ability to successfully embed process improvement across health service operations.

Alignment of clinicians and non-clinicians, senior management and board members with the strategic priorities of a health service creates the environment necessary to support organisational improvement and change in the long term.

Success in developing a comprehensive and integrated approach

The DLA Piper report stated that while the RHCP shares a number of program elements with other states and territories, Victoria has succeeded in developing a comprehensive and integrated approach to process improvement. Health services in Victoria have had significant flexibility to determine their own redesign priorities and methodologies, leading to redesign projects that are broad in scope and impact.

Reviewed 11 December 2022

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Contact details

For more information about the program, visit the Better Care Victoria website or contact the team:

Improvement and Innovation Program Safer Care Victoria

Phone +61 3 9096 2795
bcv@safercare.vic.gov.au
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