- Integration between community and hospital health services by providing staff with a point of contact for community care
A new innovative online tool, HSE Area Finder, designed to support healthcare professionals to streamline patient care and enhance the quality of healthcare services has been launched.
Aimed at healthcare professionals, HSE Area Finder provides a point of contact in primary care and community services, and assists with timely communication between community and hospital systems.
According to Dr David Hanlon, HSE National Clinical Advisor Primary Care: "By having this information at your fingertips, healthcare professionals can swiftly connect with the appropriate point of contact, ensuring that patients receive the care they need promptly.
"Our aim is to empower healthcare professionals to save time, make informed decisions, as well as relieve pressure on urgent and emergency care by directing them to local services and, most importantly, to provide the best care possible to their patients.”
HSE Area Finder enables users to identify contact information for Community Healthcare Networks and for healthcare services such as Public Health Nursing, Community Specialist Teams for Older People and Community Specialist Teams for those dealing with Chronic Diseases. Most recently, the Area Finder has been extended to include generic contact details for the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) across the country. Additional contact information will be added to the tool on a phased basis, for example Adult Disability Services and Mental Health Services.
The HSE Area Finder is designed with the needs of healthcare professionals in mind and offers a range of features:
- Location Matching: Using a patient's Eircode or address, healthcare professionals can find the patient’s nearest Community Healthcare Network. This innovative feature reduces the time spent on administrative tasks and allows for quicker decision-making in patient care.
- Map View: Users can view patients’ locations and local Community Healthcare Network boundaries on a map. This mapping functionality provides a clear, comprehensive overview that can be instrumental in care planning and coordination.
- Point of Contact Details: Find email addresses for the Community Healthcare Network, and other points of contact including:
- Assistant Director of Public Health Nursing
- Community Specialist Team for Chronic Disease
- Community Specialist Team for Older Persons
- Children’s Disability Network Teams
"The HSE Area Finder exemplifies our commitment to making healthcare services more accessible and efficient," commented Mari O’Donovan, General Manager, HSE Enhanced Community Care programme.
HSE Area Finder is available for free and is accessible on any internet-enabled device: www.HSEAreaFinder.ie
Last updated on: 16 / 01 / 2024
