Lisa Nissen: EvolveHealth - Person-centred Health Workforce Optimisation

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About the speaker

Professor Nissen is the Program Director of EvolveHealth: Health Workforce Optimisation at the Centre for Business and Economics of Health at The University of Queensland. She is an experienced pharmacy practitioner, researcher and educator having worked in hospital and community pharmacy in metropolitan and rural areas of Australia. Her career focus is on improving the quality use of medicines in the wider community, across the health care continuum, with an emphasis on health service development and factors that influence the prescribing of medicines. She has made a significant impact in the delivery of health care services in the wider community – beyond her own pharmacy profession, focusing on optimising the skills and abilities of health care professionals across the health care continuum. Her research aims to solve problems is practice and the health system with pragmatic approaches and those rooted in clinical reality and patient centeredness. Professor Nissen is dedicated to the roles all health care professionals can play in improving patient care. She is nationally and internationally recognised particularly for her expertise in vaccination and non-medical prescribing.

Abstract

Globally healthcare systems and services are in crisis. The rising costs of care, increasing demands of an aging population, the burden of chronic conditions and the expense of new technologies are straining healthcare delivery. These stresses are compounded by critical staff shortages across all healthcare professions including doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.

In Australia’s health and medical professions, scopes of practice are diverse and progressive, but they are not used effectively. Our health workforce is a key healthcare resource that are often under-utilised and could help deliver improved access to healthcare, new models of care and better health outcomes.

The EvolveHealth - Health Workforce Optimisation program aims to shift attention in policy and practice away from the traditional roles of professions and the characterisation of healthcare as doctor-led. Instead, it emphasises person-centred care and identifies the skills required to address consumer needs and preferences, informed by a holistic understanding of sector capabilities. It aims to redefine the future of work in the Australian healthcare sector for improved healthcare access, equity and outcomes.

Seminar recording