STAT Handbook
The STAT handbook contains a step by step guide to implementing the STAT model. This handbook has been created and made freely available to help service providers to apply an evidence-based approach to the problem of health service waiting lists.
If you are downloading the handbook, we would be very grateful if you would send us a brief email describing the problem that you are seeking to address at your health service. This information helps us to understand what sorts of services are interested in the model and can be used to help guide the development of targeted resources. We would also like to be able to contact you in the future to ask about your experience with STAT. Your details will not be shared with any other party, and you will not be contacted by us for any purpose unrelated to the STAT model.
Download the STAT Handbook
Presentations and discussion
Want to know more? Head to the links below for presentations and Q&A on STAT from lead researcher Dr Katherine Harding, La Trobe University and Eastern Health.
Evidence Based Approaches to Demand Management for Community Allied Health in Gippsland: An online presentation recorded for Allied Health Managers in Gippsland, Victoria, on February 24th 2021 for the Gippsland Sectoral Development Team.
Connecting the Pieces Podcast (Episode 5): In this podcast produced by the Eastern Sector Development Team, Katherine provides an introduction to the STAT model and discusses how it can help health services to manage wait lists and reduce waiting times. She discusses the key features and benefits of the model and provides her expert advice on implementing the model within a range of health settings.
What are we waiting for? An evidence-based approach to reducing waiting time for ambulatory and community services. This presentation for the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand webinar series was recorded on 19 November 2020. It provides an introduction to the STAT model and discusses the evidence for its effectiveness.
Application to paediatric community health services
View the final results of this study as presented at the Health Services Research conference, Sydney, December 2022 CSTAT poster
Community based therapy services for children, such as seech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy are often faced with high demand and long waiting lists. The consequences of waiting for these services can be significant, as children miss out on important window of opportunity for treatment as their young brains develop and they move through educational milestones such as starting school.
The CSTAT project trialled the STAT model in 5 paediatric community health services in Melbourne. The project was funded by the Department of Health and Community Services, as well as the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) via funding for a Translating Research Into Practice Fellowship held by Principal Investigator Dr Katherine Harding.
Early findings of the trial were shared in an online forum on July 21st 2022. Katherine Harding begins by presenting the results of the trial, with representatives of four of the participating sites: Megan Madonna from Eastern Health, Maria Roubos from Access Health and Community, Sally Fyfe from Healthability and Sheila Ferris from EACH.
The recording is split into two parts. Part 1 includes the formal presentations, and Part 2 includes the Q&A that followed, including some commentary from Kylie Hughes, from the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. We are grateful to Kylie Huges, Michelle Clarke and the Victorian Government for their support of this work.
Application to medical outpatients
Dr Annie Lewis lead the first trial of the STAT model in an medical outpatient clinic. This before and after trial with a time series analysis and process evaluation took place in the epilepsy clinic at Box Hill Hospital. A waiting list of 600 people was virtually eliminated through a structured backlog reduction approach, without increasing waiting time to first appointment. A follow up study is now looking at whether this reduction is sustained with the STAT model in place.
A poster presentation describing the backlog reduction process was delivered by Annie at the Epilepsy Society of Australia Annual Conference on November 6th, and awarded a special commendation by the Education and Scientific Meeting Committees in recognition of an outstanding scientific presentation.
