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Outcomes
Based Funding Programs |
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Workforce |
The workforce
program aims to support GPs and practices with recruitment and retention
strategies to sustain an adequate general practice.
Direct services include: information and resources regarding all relevant
rural workforce strategies, support and advice in relation to ‘Area of Need’
applications, liaison with the AHS and maintenance of a local workforce
database. This program also provides advocacy for General Practice at a
national, state and local level. |
Education and Training
|
The GP Education and
Training Program aims to address the professional development needs of
GPs which are highlighted in their annual education and training needs
analysis. The Division offers a minimum of monthly social and education
evenings, providing a high standard of education and training presented by
specialists in their field.
All events have Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points allocated
where appropriate. Regional GPs have the option of either attending in
person or of having the education event provided to them in hard copy also
with CPD point allocation |
Clinical
and Practice Support
|
The aim of this
program is to provide some infrastructure to support practices nurses and
practice staff that in turn provide appropriate support to GPs. Within this
program the Division provides GPs and practice staff with education,
information and resources to support the provision of effective and
efficient chronic disease management , population health opportunities and
methods to enhance practice capacity to improve health outcomes.
This program provides GPs and practices with access to a nurse with
proficiency in clinical applications for nurses working in general practice,
including compliance with accreditation standards, risk management and OH &
S issues. Group education sessions are provided that include triage, phone
answering techniques, infection control, wound management, dealing with
aggressive patients, Enhanced Primary Care and the Practice Incentive
Program MBS Items. The Division also produces a newsletter aimed at practice
staff providing them with timely and accurate information to enhance their
roles within the general practice setting. |
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| Immunisation |
The Immunisation program provides
GPs and practice staff with relevant, current information and resources in
relation to immunisations. Close liaison with the Area Health Service is
maintained in order to streamline and maintain existing services.
This program provides training in practice data cleaning and utilisation of
the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) on line. Advice and
support in relation to ‘cold chain’ monitoring and accessing the GP
Incentive Program (GPII) is also provided through this program. |
More
Allied Health Services
|
The aim of the
More Allied Health Services
Program is to improve health outcomes for people living in rural areas by
providing opportunities for General Practitioners to link with allied health
professionals and to upgrade the quality of health service delivery at the
local level. Under this program the Division appoints and sustains allied
health professionals to provide services in regional towns where needs have
been identified. This enables further support for GPs to develop multi
disciplinary partnerships with allied health professionals. This also leads
to development of partnerships with local Area Health Service and private
allied health providers. Allied health services currently provided under
this program include: Generalist Counselling - Dietetics / Nutrition -
Palliative Care - Asthma Education - Podiatry, and Diabetes Education.
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Aged Care
|
This new
program has been introduced in the 2004—2005 financial year. It aims to
establish effective primary health care relationships to address aged care
issues. Initially the Division will be meeting with local aged care hostels
& units to develop systems for engaging with general practice. Local aged
care stakeholders will be contacted to ascertain immediate aged care issues
in relation to general practice and a local working party will also be
established to address issues within the Division area. |
Information Management
|
This program provides training, support
and advice to GPs and practice staff on various clinical desktop, billing
and appointment software. The program aims to assist practices to maximise
the effectiveness and efficiency of their information and routine data
collection so that the practice as well as the patients benefit. Training is
provided on-site so as to provide relevant solutions to address individual
practice and GP needs. Division staff can also assist practices in the
development of patient registers, reminder and recall systems. The Division
actively advocates for general practice computerisation as a strategy for
effective and efficient clinical practice. Direct services to GPs include
training in the following applications of Medical Director:
· Script writing · Letter writing, including shortcuts · Shortcuts in
progress notes · Creating templates · Pathology downloads · Creating
diabetes registers · Reminder & recall systems · Adding to patient
histories, and much more…… |
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|
Non Outcomes Based Funding Projects |
| Pharmacist GP
Liaison (National Prescribing Service and Home Medicines Review Program) |
The
National Prescribing Service (NPS) funds this program which offers
visits to GPs in their practices by a local pharmacist offering education
and training as directed by the NPS, Pharmaceutical Benefit Schedule (PBS)
program and GP feedback. This program also receives funding from the
Pharmacy Guild of Australia to coordinate the accreditation of local
pharmacists for participation in Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) as well as
providing GPs and practices with clinically relevant information in relation
to HMRs and all associated activity. |
|
Mental Health Access Project |
The Division sub-contracts
three psychologists and one social worker experienced in mental health,
currently in private practice in Dubbo. On GP referral, they provide
Focussed Psychological Strategies for patients in this region. The funding
for this program is via the Commonwealth’s Better Outcomes in Mental Health
Care Initiative. GPs who are eligible to access the new MBS Items for the
3-Step Mental Health Process can then refer to this service at a minimal
cost for their patients. This initiative provides for up to six time-limited
sessions with the subcontracted allied health professional, providing the
opportunity to improve mental health outcomes for individuals |
|
Aboriginal Health Asthma Project |
This project has been funded
through two Community Grants from the Asthma Foundation of Western
Australia. The project has two distinct aims i) to establish an Asthma
Management Planning Clinic at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Dubbo and,
ii) to facilitate Asthma Educator training for Aboriginal Health Workers and
nurses working in general practice locally. At completion of the project it
is envisaged that local Asthma Management Clinics will be sustained at
several locations |
|
Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance
Program (MSOAP) |
The aim of the MSOAP program is to
improve access to medical specialist services in regional, rural and remote
locations by funding new outreach services or extending existing outreach
services. This program is an initiative under the Commonwealth Government’s
Regional Health Strategy and has funding until June 2008. The Division MSOAP
program offers the following visiting specialist services to the region: ·
Cardiology · Rheumatology · Respiratory · Neurology · Dermatology ·
Neurosurgery |
|
Clinical Risk Management for GPs Working in Small Rural
Hospitals |
The Clinical Risk Management
Program is funded by NSW Health and is a collaborative pilot project between
the Division and Macquarie Area Health Service. The project aims to improve
the quality and safety of patient care, by providing rural general
practitioners in small rural hospitals with a peer review process that
monitors adverse patient events. The pilot project will operate for 12
months and will include an evaluation period. It is a quality improvement
process that offers true peer review for rural GPs. The GPs reviewing
medical records are working in similar environments to the GPs whose work is
being reviewed and are sensitive to the issues faced by doctors working in a
small hospital.
Enhancing General Practice in Western NSW |
