SNAPSHOT
Project: Spiritual Care in Health - National Model
Process: Leadership forums, stakeholder interviews and survey
MosaicLab’s role: Design and facilitation of engagement
Host organisation: Spiritual Health Association (SHA)
Timeframe: July 2022 – March 2023
Participants: 123
Outputs: Development of a model for piloting across Australia
THE DILEMMA (REMIT)
We have a responsibility to care for the whole person when they are in hospital – this includes their spiritual needs. Research tells us that responding to spiritual needs improves health outcomes, including quality of patient experience and healthcare safety.
OVERVIEW
July 2022 – March 2023
MosaicLab worked with the Spiritual Health Association on a ground-breaking project to collaboratively design a national model for spiritual care in health. It is the first co-designed contemporary model for spiritual care in Australia.
The process engaged the health sector in the co-design of a contemporary and consistent spiritual care model to ensure that patients, no matter where they are in Australia, can receive the best possible care.
This was needed to improve a model of care that has been largely unchanged for decades and to address some key dilemmas that were evident through consumer and health service research.
MosaicLab designed the six-month process with the project team, which included representatives from Alfred Health, Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care, and the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. The process included leadership forums, stakeholder interviews, and a survey.
FAST FACTS
KEY CHALLENGES & Success factors
The process needed to:
remain inclusive, respecting religious traditions while also incorporating secular and Indigenous perspectives
bring together multiple stakeholders across Australia in a meaningful way within short timeframes
maintain a clear focus allowing for a targeted and actionable model
“The MosaicLab project team were awesome! Continued commitment and contribution was at such a high level. As mentioned in our final de-brief, I think was in a large part due to the caring and collaborative culture established by the facilitators at the very beginning which continued throughout the project.”
Spiritual Health Association
““(I liked) the recognition of and discussion about the place of spiritual care in health and the multiple struggles from every side to integrate and value this aspect of holistic care.
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THE PROCESS
MosaicLab designed the six-month process with the project team, which included representatives from Alfred Health, Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care, and the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.
The process included leadership forums, stakeholder interviews, and a survey and involved a broad range of stakeholders.
“One thing I learnt today was the diversity of what spiritual care looks like.”
OUTCOMES
The co-design process led to the development of Australia’s first National Model for Spiritual Care in Health, aimed at ensuring consistent, high-quality spiritual care across healthcare settings.
In July 2023, a pilot phase launched across 21 hospitals and health services, including a national health service. At its conclusion, sites finalised a review with audits and staff surveys to assess the model’s impact on spiritual care, staff awareness, and patient experiences.
An evaluation report detailing the significant findings and insights from this initiative was released late in 2024.
“We witnessed an incredibly engaged and dedicated project team bring leading research and best practice into this national model for spiritual care in Australian hospitals.
By engaging key stakeholders, we helped develop and refine the model ready for piloting across Australia, marking a tremendous collaborative achievement in spiritual healthcare for all involved.”
LEARN MORE
Learn more about the project here.
Read more of our case studies
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