CURRENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

Mid North Asthma Service

The Mid North Asthma Service aims to improve asthma education and reduce acute episodes and hospital admissions due to asthma. Asthma educators provide education to people with asthma and their carers, including information about the use of medication in treatment and prevention. Education is also provided in the use of peak flow meters and peak flow records; proper use of inhalation devices; use of crisis management plans and when to seek assistance for uncontrolled asthma and danger signs which require urgent intervention. The Regional Asthma Educator facilitates ongoing professional development opportunities for other Asthma Educators in the region.

Port Pirie Diabetes Project

The Port Pirie Diabetes program offers an integrated diabetes shared care service. It aims to enhance diabetes management by enabling cooperation between all health professionals involved in diabetes care.

Immunisation

The program provides support and guidance to GPs and Practice staff to meet current standards and optimise the use of the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.

Computers in Country Practice

This project has been funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) for 18 months to ameliorate the up-take of Information Technology by General Practice and GPs. This is being achieved through a variety of activities from helping practices assess their information technology and management needs, to one-on-one and group hands-on Information Technology (IT) training and development.

Statewide Mental Health Projects

During 2000,the Division will be participating in two mental health projects Developing Mental Emergency Plans and Dissemination of Guidelines for Depression in Young People.

Enhanced Primary Care Package

Providing assistance to GPs and General Practice in the up-take of the new MBS items released as part of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Package in November 1999.

Adolescent Health Project

This project entitled A Co-ordinated Approach to Improving Adolescent Health in Rural SA was funded through the Innovative Funding Pool and is a collaboration between three rural Divisions Mid North, Yorke Peninsula and Barossa. The project aims to develop and pilot a program that improves adolescent health through the strengthening of relationships between GPs and youths (13 to 16 years) by:

• Supporting GP involvement in broader community development strategies for youth.
• Enabling youth to increase trust, knowledge and use of GPs in their practice, to enhance individual adolescents health and lifestyle.
• Enabling GPs to come to youth in their own environments.
• Enhancing collaboration and sustainable partnerships between GPs, school staff and local and regional allied health professionals.
• Developing a coordinated approach to the identification, assessment and management of support for at risk youth.
• Assist with breaking down Division boundaries to ensure maximisation of resources.

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

• Major Trauma
• Mental Health Case Conferencing
• Cervix Screening
• Rural Adolescent Project Suicide Awareness and Prevention
• Diabetes and Asthma projects
• A comprehensive Obstetrics project based around a peer review model
• A Community Liaison Project
• Palliative Care and Cancer Support
• Farm Safety