CURRENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

Division Management

Without appropriate and efficient Division management, all other activities would be disadvantaged. The Division is managed effectively, in accordance with corporate governance guidelines, and in a manner appropriate to the needs of GPs, key stakeholders and the community. The Division has had a number of challenges with the change to outcomes based block grant funding, but it is slowly addressing issues to allow it to be in a better position to attract funding, develop innovative programs, and allow adequate staffing levels.

Services provided by the Division include the Day to day management of the Division, addressing time management issues, funding applications and reporting requirements, and addressing human resource issues.

GP Support - Continuing Medical Education and Rural Incentives Program

GPs have previously identified a major need for local access to the required quota of CME points to allow them to maintain their vocational registration. The Rural Incentives Program was also identified as a key tool to assist in the attraction and retention of doctors to the area.

The aim of the program is to support GP members of the Barrier Division of General Practice. Achievements have been an educationally sound CME program, provided locally, allowing GPs to maintain their vocational registration without having to leave the city. Also a network of GPs who communicate with one another on both professional and social levels, previously GPs were quite isolated.

Services provided by the Division include coordinating a GP education program, ensuring that educational activities have CME points attached to them, supporting GPs through the Rural Incentives Program, for example. Through locum subsidies or travel and accommodation assistance. The Division also assists GPs to access other schemes to assist in attraction and retention of doctors to rural areas.

Barriers have been attracting enough and appropriate sponsorship to enable provision of education in the popular dinner meeting format.

GP Support - Information Management and Technology

The Barrier Division received funding to assist the Division in promoting GP computerisation and to support GPs in computerizing their practices. The aim of the program is to increase the level of uptake of computers into General Practice within the Barrier Division.

Services provided by the Division include, IM/IT education sessions and workshops, keeping a resource library of information for GPs to access. Also the Division provides an IMIT training room for GPs to come and experience using computers, and sample software programs for GPs to experience, also they assist GPs in obtaining quotes for IT.

In the past there have been a number of solo general practices, and combination of expense (perceived or otherwise) to set up systems in practices and lack of understanding of computers has been a major deterrent to computerising

Diabetes Integrated Care

The program aims to integrate services for people with diabetes, by providing education, dietary advice and promoting annual complications screening. As well as increasing community awareness of diabetes, including risk factors, signs and symptoms, and to identify all people with diabetes within the Barrier Division.

The Division is also aiming to improve linkages between service providers to improve diabetes care in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities.

Achievements have been a total of 1111 people registered at the Regional Diabetes Centre The Successful implementation of truly integrated complications screening program for people with diabetes. Also the program, previously funded by the Barrier Division and Far West Area Health Service, is now funded and staff through a tripartite agreement between the Barrier Division, Far West Area Health Service and Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Service. This will facilitate improved access for Aboriginal people and the provision of culturally appropriate support for people, with diabetes, amongst this major target population.

The program was also a Winner of 1998, and finalist for 1999 Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Awards.

Services provided by the Division include; Diabetes education, Dietary advice, Access to endocrinologist services and Annual complications screening with GP follow-up and management.

This program has been of enormous benefit to the population of the Barrier Division, especially those people with diabetes, their families and/or carers. The health sector benefits overall through earlier detection and better management of diabetes. The complications screening enables GPs to take management decisions for their patients. The screening report and retinal photos allows them to monitor the progress of the disease within each patient and provide the appropriate care.

The initial model for the diabetes program was not fully supported by local GPs, and the division underwent a considerable consultation process and redesigned the program. It has been operating successfully since the program redesign. This has highlighted the importance of adequate consultation.

Immunisation

The Barrier Division received funding to assist GPs in increasing immunisation rates within the region. The aim is to increase immunisation coverage amongst target populations. The program has resulted in a small, but positive improvement in the immunisation rate for the area. Services provided by the Division include; Education for GPs and practice staff, Practice visits - academic detailing on immunisation, and Health promotion.

Initially, it was felt that there was a level of underreporting. Education programs have been given, but there are still significant numbers of children who remain overdue or unimmunised. There may be a number of reasons for this, including lack of access to Aboriginal people, and financial barriers faced by people from low-income families, in attending GPs for immunisation.

Enhancing GP Primary Health Care

This program hopes to facilitate enhanced primary care by educating GPs, area health staff and other allied health workers about the new MBS items for enhanced primary care. It also hopes to improve the linkages between GPs and the Mental Health Team and Drug and Alcohol Services. This is a newly implemented program with many potential benefits.

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

• Needs Assessment Project - 1997
• Integrating diabetes care in the far west (pilot project) - since continued as Diabetes Program -1997 to 1999
• GP Intervention in Smoking Cessation
• Cervical Screening
• Access - Community Directory / Youth / After Hours