Australian Better Health Initiative – Primary Care Integration Programs
In February 2006 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) announced a four-year, national program called the Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) to strengthen the health system’s focus on promoting good health and reducing the burden of chronic disease.
There are five priority areas identified under ABHI: 1. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles 2. Supporting Early Detection of Lifestyle risk factors and chronic disease 3. Supporting lifestyle and risk factor modification 4. Encouraging active patient self management 5. Improving integration and coordination of care The fifth priority area under ABHI is focused on improving integration so that people with chronic conditions can receive more flexible and innovative support. Both the NSW Government and Australian Commonwealth Government have dedicated funding to this component of ABHI. Divisions have appointed regional coordinators to work as non-clinical change agents to support better chronic disease management.
Program Aims – A Consortium Approach Hunter Rural Division of General Practice is the lead Division in applying for ABHI funds as a consortium. The consortium consists of Hunter Rural, Barwon, North West Slopes and New England Divisions of General Practice. The consortium has a collective action plan with key objectives. These are:
The program aims to promote solutions to primary care integration between general practice and other local health providers that will assist in delivery of more ‘seamless’ patient care. This is particularly important in the context of better managing patients with chronic or complex conditions who often receive care from multiple providers, funded by different sources, across different settings.
Hunter Rural Division – Action Plan Divisions have appointed Regional Coordinators to work as non-clinical change agents to support better Chronic Disease Management. The Hunter Rural Division of General Practice has developed a local action plan that is addressing four main areas covering:
Communication and Integration
An essential requirement of integrated care is to establish collaborative relationships between the different primary care service providers. Networking functions will be instiuted to establish and strengthen communication channels and information sharing between the public and privately funded primary care sectors so that patients receive more streamlined care. Review of Divisions Project Funding To reflect and support local community health service needs, the ABHI research investigations was able to assist in affectively indentifying service needs and gaps in local communities. A review has taken place to channel appropriate current funding towards these areas of need and service gaps. Appropriate reallocation and funding agreements have now been realigned to address these results from the ABHI investigation phase. Training and Education The ABHI investigation phase highlighted that all key stakeholders requested additional training and education in the MBS EPC Item numbers. Referral methods between stakeholders varied and inconsistent by GPs, community health and allied health care professionals. Both parties indicated inadequate feedback and/or triage when providing health services to patients. Community Health was least referred to by GPs and private practices mostly referred to. Communication and education at networking events in the use of MBS EPC item numbers and processes, along with referral methods required by stakeholders will assist in seamless delivery of care for the patient. IMIT Secure messaging can replace stamps, envelopes, scanning, filing and faxing of GP referrals and specialist letters. Secure messaging encrypts documents automatically and sends it through to other health care providers, securely and cost effectively. The ABHI program will promote the use of secure messaging with aim to save businesses and general practices money and assist GPs and allied health care providers to keep in touch and maintain accurate medical records that reflect services provided to the patient.
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