CURRENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

• Diabetes audit: Improved management of diabetes through practice assessment.
• Family needs assessment: Research the support service needs of families with young children.
• Footy fitness: A setting for adult health checks for young men.
• Safe tablet taking: Increase medication compliance through small personalised "tablet safe".
• Medical service communication protocols: Protocols for major service providers in Central Australia.
• Primary healthcare integration: Establish a multi-disciplinary Primary Health Care Division.
• Information technology and management: Effective management of information in General Practice.
• Immunisation data cleaning: Ensure high quality of date on the ACIR.
• Continuing Medical Education implementation: Relevant CME programs based on needs.
• Spinifex Times. The production of quarterly newsletter, the Spinifex Times.
• Provider and consumer partnership in palliative care: Integration of palliative care services.
• Consumer Reference Group review: Identification of future priorities for the consumer body.

Palliative Care Project

The CADGP's Palliative Care Project has now been operating for two years. Intersectoral collaboration has been used to improve the quality of Palliative Care in Central Australia with the following achievements:

• A Central Australia Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA) Conference on Palliative Care back to back with training provided by the specialists involved in CARPA Conference, a case study for Grand Rounds at Alice Springs Hospital and academic detailing for practitioners at Old Timers Nursing Home.
• A Palliative Care component in remote area practitioner training.
• The evolution of Palliative Care addenda to the CARPA Standard Treatment Manual.
• A unique model of a community-driven Palliative Care Volunteer service that includes a part time coordinator.
• A Palliative Care resource directory.
• Admitting rights for the Palliative Care Medical Officer to the Alice Springs Hospital.
• Palliative Care trained HAAC staff.
• Regular Grief and Loss workshops/CME/Community/Service Providers.
• Establishment of a Palliative Care Regional Reference Group.

Continuing Medical Education Implementation

The Division has an active Comtinuing Medical Education (CME) program with the following components:

• CME grants to assist GPs to attend Interstate Education and Training events and GPs in remote bush areas to travel to Alice Springs for educational events.
• A General Practice facilitator program that is specific to individual practice needs as well as provide a feedback mechanism to the Division's CME program.
• An organised CME program based on an a formal survey of the educational needs of GPs.

Consumer Reference Group Review

The Central Australian Division of General Practice has supported the Consumer Reference Group (CRG) since January 1998. The CRG has voting rights in the Governing Committee. A review of the Consumer Reference Group is currently underway. The CRG provides one of the few sources for consumers of health care in Central Australia. Issues that it has been pursuing include:

• After Hours Clinic on the Division work agenda
• Identification of the consumer needs for a Medical Practitioner in Tennant Creek
• Coordinated care for people with chronic illness in Alice Springs
• The needs of people with mental illness
• Improved consumer training and orientation

Other Projects

Weekly Division newsfax

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

• Youth health: Increase youth access to General Practice
• Mental health: Integrated and coordinated care for outpatients and community mental health clients
• CME needs assessment
• Scabies control program
• Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
• Child injury prevention