28 May Comparative Evaluation of ComCare and CHOC Systems
ComCare was implemented as the clinical information system for a range of community-based services in the Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) in 2014 following a review of adult community health services in 2013. This decision represented a shift from the NSW Health State Strategy that implemented the Community Health and Outpatient Care (CHOC) system, a state-wide solution that had been running since 2009 across eight services in NSW.
We evaluated whether the use of ComCare is well aligned to the CCLHD business requirements and strategic objectives, or if these needs would better be supported by using CHOC in line with the NSW state-wide strategy. The evaluation process involved wide ranging consultation using surveys, face-to-face interviews and focus groups with stakeholders within CCLHD, Northern Sydney SLHD (shared ICT services with CCLHD) and eHealth NSW.
The evaluation found that ComCare supports the strategic objectives of CCLHD at both an enterprise and a division level, and that the business case for the initial investment in terms of operational efficiencies remains strong for further investment. One of the key aspects of the evaluation was to give weight to wound management and the scheduling capabilities of ComCare due to the efficiencies generated, particularly for Community Nursing.