Population Health

"Population health is concerned with improving the health of whole populations or specific populations, particularly to reduce health inequities, through policies, programmes, research and interventions designed to protect and enhance health" 1

VHA/Monash University Research Project: Population Health Approaches to Planning for the Victorian Healthcare System

The VHA has commissioned Monash University's School of Health Social Science Monash University to undertake a large scale population health research project. This project “Population health approaches to  planning for the Victorian healthcare system” aims to support healthcare agencies across Victoria to build their skills in, and understanding of, population health approaches to planning.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The project will:

1. Articulate the meaning and purpose of population health approaches to planning including defining associated terms
2. Identify the current misalignment of population health policy and planning practices
3. Support the Victorian health system to develop its capacity to undertake population health approaches to planning at agency, local, regional and statewide levels, by:
   - Providing resources and guides for population health approaches to planning
   - Documenting preferred data sources, their relevance, and how to access and utilise them
4. Provide the VHA with strong independent research-based evidence to:
   - Advocate across government for improved policy, investment and support for the health sector’s venture into ‘best practice’ population health approaches to planning
   - Raise the media profile of population health approaches to planning and its associated benefits for health outcomes in the community
5. Develop resources to strengthen the capacity of the health workforce by increasing their knowledge and skill in integrated population health approaches to service planning

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The project deliverables will include:

1. A position statement for use by the VHA and the Victorian health sector that will include relevant definitions and clearly articulate policy and other barriers to successful population health approaches to planning
2. A toolbox of population health approaches to planning for use by agencies in their planning activities, including identification of relevant data sources and how to utilise them
3. A practical guide for meeting current population health accreditation criteria and a strategy to improve the incorporation of population health approaches within accreditation frameworks (e.g. EQuIP, QICSA)
4. Development of a set of case study resources that highlight the findings of the project, support application of the toolbox and guide best practice population health approaches
   

Population Health Planning - Leading the Way -  One Day Forum   

The VHA held it's final One Day Forum for 2009 on 27 November focusing on Population Health Planning. This forum included presentations from Professor Helen Keleher and Dr Nikos Thomacos from Monash University School of Health Social Science, Professor John Catford and Tony McBride and case study examples from across Victoria. The presentations for this forum are now online. To view these, please visit the Event Presentations page.

Population Health One Day Forum - Population Health Planning: Healthy Communities, Health Futures

VHA Population Health Forum held with 120 delegates including member agencies and other health organizations.  This Forum included a consultation and feedback session led by Professor Helen Keleher’s team to gather input from health services management about the current understanding and practice of population health planning. Presentations from the forum are available under Event Presentations.

Best Practice in the use of Population Health Approaches to Address Chronic Disease

In partnership with Monash University and with funding provided by VicHealth, the VHA is seeking to better understand how population health approaches reduce the impact of chronic disease.  The application of the significant policy shift towards preventative strategies has been variable.  This research partnership will increase the understanding of how services can improve their practices.  Together with Monash University the VHA will build on the outcomes of this research through a larger research project to develop practical tools to assist Victoria's health sectors to apply population health approaches at a local level.

¹ Keleher, H. and B. Murphy, Eds. (2004). Understanding Health A Determinants Approach. Melbourne, Oxford University Press.