Closed ATM View - Health/18-19/04745
Develop a clinical pathway/multidisciplinary care model for patients suffering debilitating symptoms attributed to ticks
The Department of Health requires the services of an organisation to develop an evidence-based clinical pathway, including a multidisciplinary care approach that can be flexibly applied in both private and public healthcare settings. It is hoped that this model will provide a clear diagnostic pathway for physicians and provide patients with a comprehensive assessment of their symptoms, ensuring that a potential diagnosis is not overlooked. Because of the imprecise nature of the symptom complexes some patients will remain undiagnosed therefore, ways to manage ongoing symptoms through a comprehensive patient-centred care plan will also be investigated.The procurement will also include a requirement to engage with key stakeholder throughout the project.
The Department of Health requires the services of an organisation to develop and document a clinical pathway for patients presenting with debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT), incorporating an evidence-based multidisciplinary care approach. At a minimum, this pathway will:
- assist with a differential diagnosis, include the ruling out of obvious diagnosable conditions, including classical Lyme disease, other tick-borne illnesses and other obvious chronic debilitating conditions;
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determine the composition of a multidisciplinary care approach or multidisciplinary care team (MDT) in terms of the skill mix required to comprehensively assess patients once obvious diagnosable conditions have been ruled out;
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provide advice on when a patient should be referred to a multidisciplinary care approach or MDT, for example: the nature/duration of particular symptoms, absence of diagnosis from prior tests, diagnoses previously being considered and excluded prior to referral to MDT;
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incorporate an agreed primary care management plan for those patients without a diagnosis that includes relevant ongoing support from their GP, allied health, and/or clinical specialists;
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be flexible enough to be incorporated into existing public and private health care systems; and
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take into consideration key stakeholder feedback throughout the clinical pathway’s development, including feedback from other similar disease groups; and
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be fit for purpose and acceptable to the majority of stakeholders, including Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council endorsement.
In developing the clinical pathway, the organisation will also be required to:
- take into consideration key documents;
- engage with key stakeholders; and
- convene a ‘think tank’ with DSCATT key stakeholders and stakeholders from other similar disease groups such as the ME/CFS group and emerging biotoxins group to discuss similarities and future support pathways, document think tank outcomes and incorporate relevant findings into the clinical pathway.
The organisation will also be required to:
- Assist with the preparation of agenda papers, briefing notes and presentations for Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council and its subcommittees – Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and Clinical Principal Committee – meetings.
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Participate in progress meetings with the Department of Health on a regular basis.
The organisation will be required to engage with a number of key stakeholders, including medical professionals, government health authorities and patient groups to ensure that the clinical pathway is fit for purpose and acceptable to the majority of stakeholders.
None
January 2019 to December 2019