The challenge
Patients with complex and chronic health often present to the healthcare system with unique needs or functional limitations. Their health and wellbeing are significantly and negatively affected by many factors such as comorbidities, unemployment, homelessness, financial difficulties, and sociocultural exclusion. Thus, their treatment requires comprehensive and team-based strategies to ensure they receive holistic health and social care.
The research
With the aim to support this holistic care, the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) developed the Right Care Better Health program (RCBH). RCBH is a care coordination service embedded into general practice, that connects patients with complex and chronic health needs to appropriate clinical, social, and community services. RCBH is delivered in partnership with providers (EACH in the East and Silverchain in the North).
To support this change and sustainable implementation of the RCBH program moving forward, we first developed a comprehensive program evaluation plan in our original engagement in 2024, and then in 2025 subsequently evaluated the program using both the quasi-experimental technique of dynamic difference-in-differences analysis, as well as other techniques such as cost-effectiveness analysis.
The impact
The evaluation helped understand whether the program was increasing the healthcare utilisation and health of RCBH patients, as well as whether the program was cost-effective. This information was used internally by our client EMPHN to help them understand their RCBH program and also plan for future iterations of the program.
Two separate academic working papers also arose from this engagement and have been submitted to academic journals with our EMPHN clients as co-authors.
Our partner
Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
Our researchers
Karinna Saxby
Ron Fisher
Ou Yang
Susan Méndez
Jongsay Yong
Yuting Zhang