Understanding community needs

MPHN undertook a number of activities this year to continue its person centred approach of listening and responding which informed the development of the 2022 to 2025 Health Needs Assessment.

Community engagement continues to be the engine driving MPHN’s response to existing and emerging health needs and this year a range of activities provided community members, volunteers and health professionals from across the region the opportunity to authentically reflect on and share personal stories of their challenges and successes when interacting with the healthcare system. MPHN conducted activities designed to connect and empower conversations. Participants ranged from members of local health advisory committees and community members from a range of demographic groups including harder to reach populations such as First Nations and those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. Conversations on the Couch gives participants the opportunity to speak in person on health matters and experiences. It’s an important cog in identifying service gaps and key issues and informs the process of commissioning effective interventions and solutions to address them. As part of the Conversations on the Couch activity in 2022, MPHN’s Manager Planning and Reporting Toni Preuss travelled to 19 communities with populations of 1,000 people or more. “We had 215 people attend one of the 15 Conversations on the Couch and four Yarns on the Couch opportunities and we heard housing affordability, older people moving into smaller communities and smaller towns becoming commuter towns is putting significant pressure on communities, for both housing and health.” “Among the challenges we heard were food insecurity, awareness of services, and advocacy for those with low health literacy. However, people were quick to thank and commend their local health professionals who do so much for their communities, and those who attended a Conversation on the Couch expressed appreciation for us being there to listen to both their good and the not so good health experiences. We collected some critical data from a wide range of people, and it was always an insightful and sometimes humbling experience for staff to be involved with.” 2022 saw the introduction of ‘Yarns on the Couch’ events which were specifically provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to meet in a familiar location for them

to discuss their health needs. Four locations were attended in Wagga Wagga, Tumut, Hay and Deniliquin and attended by 45 people. “A major challenge for our First Nations people is around cultural awareness and respect, with many choosing to not attend treatment or seeking testing to avoid mistreatment. It’s a stark reminder of the need for better cultural understanding of local First Nations people and their needs.” The updated Health Needs Assessment reveals insights into the health needs of the Murrumbidgee, using quantitative and qualitative data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and MPHN’s Community Feedback Survey. MPHN’s Senior Manager Population Health Planning and Data Dr Jason Bennie reflected on the value of strategically connecting current data from a wide range of sources with key priority areas and the needs of target population groups. “By examining this data we can really see where our current priorities are meeting or not meeting the needs of those community members who are most at risk. One example of this is the growth in population of older people and the increase in needs for ageing related services, which will inform commissioning of aged care activity.” Dr Bennie said. “The 2022-25 health needs assessment also clearly shows a continued need to increase ante-natal support as higherthan-average teenage birth rates persist along with lower than average life expectancy due to prominent causes of death such as heart disease and dementia.” Another important barometer on health comes in the form of the region’s 33 Local Health Advisory Committees (LHACs). MPHN’s Senior Manager Primary Care Engagement Andrew Heap said LHACs play a critical role in providing authentic on-the-ground feedback to inform many of MPHN’s activities. “LHACs have the unique perspective of knowing their communities in a way that we don’t, they are across what works well and where the issues are. Our biennial LHAC forums and regular LHAC meetings are a wonderful opportunity to get real time feedback and learn where MPHN can provide support,” Mr Heap said. “As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased, a return to in person consultation with our LHACs through regular meetings and the LHAC forums was a priority and has been widely valued and embraced by all particularly with respect to the forums where we see spirited discussions, and where LHACs can share their local insights, success and highlight where they see the most need.”

THE REGION’S LOCAL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Adelong-Batlow Barham Berrigan Boorowa Coolamon-Ganmain Cootamundra Corowa Culcairn Deniliquin Finley Griffith Gundagai Hay Henty Hillston Holbrook Jerilderie Junee Lake Cargelligo Leeton Lockhart Moulamein Murrumburrah/Harden Narrandera Temora Tocumwal Tooleybuc Tumbarumba Tumut Urana Wagga Wagga West Wyalong Young

community feedback

HNA COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

March to August 2022 1091

people provided feedback including:

822 9 260

completed online surveys and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander online surveys

social media comments

people attended Conversations on the Couch and Yarns on the Couch