AHA has been appointed to conduct an evaluation of the process, outcomes and impacts of the CareFirst program.

CareFirst is one of three chronic disease management initiatives under the Care suite of programs developed by Medibank to support their members to improve their management of chronic disease with a coordinated and integrated approach.

CareFirst is a behaviour change program for patients who have been diagnosed with a chronic condition in one of five key disease areas – chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has been developed to enhance existing chronic disease management procedures in general practice to improve self-management behaviours, health status and quality of life, and to reduce hospital utilisation of patients who suffer from chronic or complex diseases.

AHA is evaluating the CareFirst program for participating PHNs across Australia, including WA Primary Health Alliance, Adelaide PHN and Eastern Melbourne PHN.

The project involves working closely with each PHN to develop tailored evaluation frameworks, interviewing local general practices and reviewing each area’s relevant data.