Project Description
HSR Case Study: Medicine Advice & Therapeutics Education Service
The Project
Many of Australia’s veterans are today leading healthier and more active lives thanks to a major achievement by the UniSA Health Services Researchers behind the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (MATES) program. The MATES program provides patient-specific feedback to prescribers, gleaned from unique UniSA software tools and analysis of administrative claims data which highlight the veterans who may be at risk of medication-related problems. This is coupled with targeted educational material provided to doctors & pharmacists, healthcare professionals and veterans to think about and change the way they might be using medicines.
The Problem
Managing multiple chronic conditions particularly through appropriate medicine use is a major challenge in Australia. Every year, the inappropriate use of medicines triggers over 250,000 hospital admissions, with many Australians suffering adverse reactions. The attendant cost to taxpayers and insurance companies is around $1.4 billion.
The Impact
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, partnering with the UniSA team has created a exemplar program that has resulted in profound improvements in veterans’ health outcomes, cost efficiencies and behavioural change in healthcare provision. The national public learning from this highly successful program for veterans has been far-reaching across the wider health system, as well as being acclaimed globally.
Over the past two years, 70% of DVA clients and 80% of general practitioners who have provided feedback through the surveys have reported the educational materials beneficial.
The MATES program has assisted more than 300,000 veterans, 33,000 doctors, 8,500 pharmacies and 2,600 directors of residential aged-care facilities – helping to improve healthcare practice and health outcomes for veterans while at the same time reducing costs.
Results from the program indicate:
- 22,000 years of more appropriate treatment with medicines;·
- 67,500 DVA clients receiving tests and services necessary for their care;·
- 930 hospitalisations avoided; and at least 140 premature deaths avoided.
