Getting patients access to the right care
HealthPathways is a valuable online resource which provides health professionals with quick and easy access to localised, up-to-date, evidence-based health information, resources, and referral options on a range of clinical categories.
It supports primary care clinicians to facilitate seamless continuity of care through primary, secondary, and tertiary health care systems. It also supports secondary and tertiary care clinicians to assist patients, to be connected to primary and community-based care, to remain well in the community. New pathways are constantly under development and existing pathways regularly reviewed.
Signing into HealthPathways
HealthPathways can be accessed through their corresponding local health networks or districts. You can locate your local PHN on the Australian Government website. You can also locate your local LHD on the NSW Health website.
Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (SCHN) collaborates with two local regions, South Eastern Sydney and Western Sydney, to develop paediatric HealthPathways. These regions correspond to the locations of our hospitals, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. All SCHN staff have access to HealthPathways.
How does HealthPathways work?
HealthPathways is designed to inform the referral lines or ‘pathways’ which link patients to the best treatment, local service, or specialist.
They are developed and regularly updated by local GPs, healthcare specialists, SCHN clinicians including medical, nursing, and allied health professionals.
How does HealthPathways benefit you?
HealthPathways benefits services that accept referrals. By providing referrers with clear inclusion and exclusion criteria and contact details for the service, HealthPathways can:
- Reduce incomplete/inappropriate referrals to your service which don’t meet your criteria.
- Assist in ensuring the correct diagnostic, pathology and other investigations are undertaken and results made available prior to the appointment.
- Assist in ensuring that the referrer includes the correct information in the referral which will help services to continue care for patient.
- Prevent presentations to the emergency department for conditions which can be managed locally.
Who uses HealthPathways?
HealthPathways is aimed at GPs, but can also be used by hospital specialists, practice nurses/managers, and community and allied health providers.
Originating in Canterbury, New Zealand in 2008, the program has grown to more than 40 regions across Australia, the UK and New Zealand. Currently, there are 14 HealthPathways regions that cover the state of NSW. Learn more on the NSW Health website.