Programs and Projects

CURRENT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS (Perth Division pre-amalgamation)

GP Support and Networking and Community Liaison Program

Services to GPs and their practices

• The GP Network and Support Coordinator is available to discuss GP concerns.
• Telephone helpline for GPs and practice staff.
• Organisation of activities promoting the health of GPs.
• Organisation of a range of activities by which GPs meet informally.
• Provision of a range of continuing medical education opportunities for GPs.
• Organisation of business and professional development for GPs.
• Networking and education opportunities for practice staff.
• Monthly newsletter.
• GPs for GPs register/database.
• Casual locum register.
• Access to Divisional Library resources - reports, journals, Internet and audio-visual.
• Database of Divisional GPs with special interests and who are able to consult in languages other than English.

Services to the Community

The Division works with its own Consumer Focus Group which provides members of the community and local service providers with a forum within which to voice their concerns about local health issues and have input into Divisional programs. The Community Liaison Officer is available to network with members of the community, service providers and allied health professionals. The Division also aims to promote integrated care between GPs, hospitals, specialists and allied health services, and offers a range of health promotion and community health screening activities.

Information Management and Information Technology

The Information Management and Information Technology (IMIT) program is involved with a number of activities, including;

• To advise and support GPs in the implementation of IMIT solutions to business and clinical applications.
• To assist GPs in conceptualizing how best to move to IT in their regardless of what level they are currently at.
• To provide member GPs with basic recommendations for the hire/rent/purchase of computers and the minimum recommended specifications set for modems, processors, RAM, Video RAM, hard drive specs etc.
• To provide advice for how best to set out the doctor's desk for the optimal implementation of a computer. i.e.minimal intrusion into the Doctor-Patient relationship.
• To provide training to GPs in the basic principals of managing and supporting an IT system in their practice.
• To provide practical advice on integration of practice systems with IT systems elsewhere in the health sector.
• To develop and maintain services to satisfy the business needs of the Division.

Diabetes Management in General Practice Program

The Diabetes Management in General Practice program is a collaborative program between Perth, Osborne and Bunbury Divisions of General Practice. The program aims to improve GP effectiveness in the complete health and medical care of their diabetic patients and improve early detection in high-risk groups. This will largely be achieved through the establishment of a Division diabetes register and recall system which will greatly assist GPs in record keeping, monitoring and recalling of patients. GPs will also be assisted through regular audit reports, the dissemination of guidelines and educational workshops.

Other activities of the program include:

• GP training and support in clinical management of patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
• Patient register and recall system for GPs.
• A clinic for people with diabetes including podiatry, dietary advice and patient education.
• Gestational diabetes register and recall system for GPs accompanied by a patient information program.

The target group is NIDDM patients and high risk patients of GPs participating in the program. Patient knowledge, attitude and behaviour is also targeted through education sessions, and the use of the patient held record card.

The aim of the program is to improve the health of people with diabetes. The program has been designed to:

• Offer the opportunity of regular reassessment of diabetic patients by their GP
• Develop diabetic patients self-care skills, giving them greater confidence in coping with day to day activities
• Increase the patient's knowledge about diabetes, diet and exercise and life style modification
• Early detection of high risk patents
• Gestational diabetes register and recall

Diabetic Clinic

In conjunction with the Diabetes Management in General Practice Program, the Perth Division is conducting a Diabetic Clinic held at the Mercy Medical Centre, one day a week. The clinic is free for all patients registered on the diabetes program and referred by their GP.

A dietitian and podiatrist are available on a sessional basis and a diabetes educator will be conducting group sessions as well as one-on-one counselling. All these services are free of charge.

Healthy Minds Program

A General Practice approach to depression, anxiety and related disorders. The program includes such activities as;

• GP training and support in the detection, diagnosis and management of patients with depression, anxiety and related disorders.
• An additional focus on: adolescent mental heath, trans-cultural psychiatry, postnatal depression and mental health of the elderly.
• Patient register and recall system for GPs.
• Clinical psychology services for financially disadvantaged patients.

In their 1995 Needs Analysis, Perth Division's GPs nominated Mental Health as their top priority. In subsequent years the Division has provided GPs with a Clinical Psychology service for their financially disadvantaged patients.

The Division nominated Mental Health as a key area that they would address as part of their commitment to improved patient care and GP knowledge. Partly in order to meet the requirements of this new funding approach, the Division decided to expand upon the Clinical Psychology Service and the Depression in General Practice program commenced in July 1998. This program incorporated:

• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Depression (developed by A/Professor Geoff Riley, Consultant Psychiatrist and former GP, Centre for Primary Care Mental Health, Fremantle Hospital) (Click here for the Clinical Practice Guidelines)
• A depression rating scale
• Patient education handouts
• An optional patient recall system
• Optional upskilling seminars for GPs
• Ongoing access to the clinical psychology service

The Division's new mental health program, under the more inspiring title of the Healthy Minds Program, commenced on July 1st 1999 and is basically an expansion of the previous program, with an additional focus on Adolescent Mental Health, Postnatal Depression, Mental Health of the Elderly and Transcultural Psychiatry.

Continuing Medical Education for GPs enrolled in this Program will also be more skill focussed and will be spread across a variety of topic areas.

Getting Patients Treated

Getting Patients Treated is a collaborative venture between the Central Wait List Bureau and the General Practice Divisions of Western Australia aiming to reduce the amount of time patients remain on the elective surgery waiting list.

The Getting Patients Treated Program is an innovative and broadly encompassing program involving:

• Reviewing patients on the elective surgery wait list to determine their suitability for surgery to be conducted in a tertiary or non-tertiary hospital or by a procedural GP.
• Exploring and enhancing GP referral patterns to facilitate appropriate re-referrals for more rapid treatment closer to the patients home.
• Providing upskilling opportunities for GPs.

A major component of this program involves GPs reviewing their patients on the elective surgery wait list. The patient's suitability for treatment to be provided closer to home and more quickly are the cornerstones of the program. The GP will review their patient to assess if the surgery can be performed at a either a tertiary hospital, non-tertiary hospital or procedural GP setting.

Initially the pilot phase of the program involved Perth, Canning and Swan Hills Divisions of General Practice. Once this pilot phase is over the program will be commenced in the remaining four metropolitan divisions of general practice. This program is an exciting initiative that will assist in providing better outcomes for GPs and their patients.

Immunisation Program

The Immunisation program aims to support GPs and practice staff in the immunisation service delivery; to promote the electronic transfer of data to, and the use of, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR); and to increase the overall childhood immunisation coverage rate. Program activities include provision of resource materials, educational sessions for both GPs and practice staff as well as practice visits.

Quality Use of Medicines Program

Commenced in February 2000 the Quality Use of Medicines Program aims to assist general practices keep up to date information of the quality use of medicines. Antibiotics, hypertension and HRT will be offered as topics in the first year of the program. Program activities include case studies, educational sessions, practice visits and clinical audits.

The Quality Use of Medicine Program will:

• Provide unbiased independent information of new drugs
• Provide unbiased independent information on comparing and selecting drugs
• Provide information to improve patient care
• Provide information on getting the best value for money from pharmaceuticals
• Assist with conduct of clinical audit of CE points
• Assist in appraising pharmaceutical industry information
• Assisting in interpreting the PPR if requested
• Convey requests to the NPS secretariat

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