Major trauma rehabilitation collaborative learning session one focuses on whānau and consumer-centred care

The importance of whānau and consumer-centred care was the focus of the first learning session for the major trauma rehabilitation collaborative, recently held in Wellington.

The collaborative is part of the major trauma quality improvement programme, a partnership between the National Trauma Network (the Network), the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and the Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission).

At the session, Kat Quick, clinical lead for the Commission’s rehab project, and Ian Civil, Network clinical lead, shared the wider goals of fostering a national trauma system and findings from scoping work with the sector over the past year. The identified areas of improvement that came out of that scoping work are reflected in the local projects of the 11 teams involved in the collaborative. 

Andy Philips, chief allied health professions officer at Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, talked about Māori having a higher burden of trauma than any other ethnicity in New Zealand, yet there being a limited understanding of their experiences from the point of injury through to recovery. He also shared how the region’s musculoskeletal programme embedded kaupapa Māori principles into rehabilitation. This partnered approach has highlighted the positive outcomes Māori experience when the community is empowered to lead improvement.

Deon York, from the Commission’s Partners in Care team, presented on the principles and value of co-design, particularly with consumers, to have a high impact in service improvement and the tools available to support teams. 

The Commission’s quality improvement advisors involved in the collaborative introduced teams to useful tools for their projects. These included HEAT (Health Equity Assessment Tool), aim statements and driver diagrams, measures, and guidance for assessing improvement and change. 

The learning session was a positive start to the collaborative, and a second learning session is scheduled for June 2021. 

The Commission will provide on-site and remote support between learning events and collaborative teams will continue to have the opportunity to share their progress and challenges throughout the year.