News

WNSW PHN has partnered with Precedence Health Care, and their shared health platform, Inca, to implement a new self-assessment tool to assist COVID-19 patients to recover safely at home. 

Designed to support patients during isolation, the initiative has already proven successful in relieving pressure on ambulance and hospital services, while also assisting primary health care providers in caring for large numbers of patients safely and efficiently.

The Inca COVID-19 patient self-assessment tool initiative assists patients to self-triage and take appropriate action that is proportionate and specific to their needs.

It also allows local healthcare teams to overcome the challenges associated with monitoring illness severity, deterioration, and vulnerability for all their COVID-Positive patients.

In alliance with WNSW PHN, the Inca shared health platform is being rolled out to the region’s public hospitals, general practices, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations; a rare level of uniformity and cooperation in health data systems that reflects the accessibility and acceptability of the Inca-based technology.

WNSW PHN CEO, Andrew Coe, says the initiative epitomises the collaboration and cooperation that the region’s healthcare providers continue to embrace in response to the pandemic.

“Our region’s healthcare providers should be commended and applauded for the exceptional way in which they continue to provide vital care for people suffering and recovering from COVID-19 in our community, and the adoption of the Inca shared health platform is another fine example of their willingness to adopt new and proven methods of providing greater levels of care for their patients and their commitment to improving health outcomes.”

“I’m thrilled that our partnership with Precedence Health Care in delivering the Inca shared health platform to our region is already making such a positive impact for our region’s GPs, healthcare providers, and all of their patients.”

Mr Coe added, “This commitment as part of our region’s COVID-19 response is facilitating greater coordination, communication, and connectivity between patients, their carers, and healthcare providers in primary care, hospital, community, and social care settings, delivering greater efficiencies for our health professionals, and better care and recovery for those in our region who are stricken with COVID.”

How Inca Works

Patients with COVID-19 can be enrolled in the initiative at the invitation of a GP or other primary health care provider. Once enrolled, patients respond to an online questionnaire about known risk factors and indicators of severe illness. For example, problems with hydration, mobility, cognitive function, or chest pain. Patients are also asked about any urgent need for food or medication. Patients also have the option to record heart rate and oxygen saturation if they can measure these themselves (for example, with a home pulse oximeter). 

Based on their answers, patients receive specific advice and instructions about what they should do next, from continuing to isolate at home as normal, through to seeking emergency hospital treatment. Once enrolled, patients are presented with a fresh copy of the self-assessment online every day throughout their illness, so changes in their condition can be monitored, and the advice updated accordingly.

Alongside automated feedback to patients, the self-assessments are visible to the patient’s healthcare providers on the Inca shared health platform. This ensures healthcare providers can exercise informed clinical judgement in determining the support a patient may require. This is proving a highly efficient and effective method for primary care providers to monitor large cohorts of COVID-19 positive patients.

An additional benefit of the program is that the Inca shared health platform is already used by a variety of healthcare providers. This allows patient responses to the self-assessment to be accessed and shared among multiple members of the treating team, alongside other healthcare information already routinely stored on the platform. 

About Precedence Health Care

Australia's marketing leading shared health platform, Inca, provides seamless integrations to all major healthcare platforms for healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients.

Simplifying the care of patients for all involved is especially relevant in the times of COVID-19 and the need to be able to rollout a shared health platform quickly and easily makes Inca highly beneficial in healthcare today.