23 research outputs found
GPs and Psychiatrists Working Together: Literature Review
This literature review was completed to inform the development of the Access to Psychiatry component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative.This literature review is about general practitioners and psychiatrists working together in the interest of their patients, how it has been done over the last twenty or so years and what has been learned.
What has become clear with this review is that General practitioners and psychiatrists do not work in isolation. Both are dependent on systems of remuneration, fee-for-service and Medicare in the case of GPs and private psychiatrists, Government funding from many different âbucketsâ for the Divisions of General Practice and State Mental Health funding in the case of publicly employed psychiatrists and mental health workers. Thus working together involves the interaction of professional cultures, systems and bureaucracies, not to mention pharmaceutical companies.Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative; Access to Psychiatry
Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre (PARC
General Practitioners' peer support needs in managing consumer's mental health problems: A literature review and needs analysis.
This literature review was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to inform the development of the Access to Allied Health Services component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative.Looks at current arrangements for peer support/supervision in Australia in a number of professions which undertake psychotherapy. .A number of different models and issues are examined. The need for peer support/supervision for GPs undertaking psychotherapy is also assessed and an argument is made for its necessity.Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative
Meeting the primary health care needs of refugees and asylum seekers
Australia currently accepts over 13,000 refugee entrants each year. A refugee is a
person who, âowing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race,
religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside
of the country of his nationality and is unable or owing to such fear is unwilling to avail
himself of the protection of that countryâ. An asylum seeker is a person seeking
protection as a refugee but whose claim is still being reviewed. The application process
may take considerable time. Refugees are provided with the same rights to healthcare as
other Australian permanent residents, however asylum seekers have complex visa
conditions and not all are eligible to use Medicare funded services. This
RESEARCH ROUNDup examines the health needs and associated primary health care
challenges for refugees and asylum seekers in Australia
The primary care role for people with cancer
The announcement in January 2009 of funding of $5.6 million for cancer research
and a Primary Care Cooperative Cancer Clinical Trials Group to focus on prevention,
detection and care of people with cancer comes after the call by a number of
commentators for an expanded role for primary health care in the care of people
with cancer. Some recent studies have shown that transfer of care from hospitals
and specialists to general practitioners is safe and effective. However recent Australian research on
service design to support cancer care in primary health care is limited, with most
research focussing on the differences between care in urban and rural areas. The
forthcoming evaluation of the Cancer Service Networks National Demonstration
Program (CanNET) will fill a much needed gap in our research knowledge
Mental Health Programs in Remote Divisions of General Practice: PARC Knowledge Harvesting Program Issues Report
Part of the Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre (PARC) knowledge management strategy for the Primary Mental Health Care Network.This discussion paper describes the mental health activities of Divisions of General Practice (DGPs) operating in remote areas of Australia , and documents the knowledge of the people who work in these programs.Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre (PARC)
Primary Mental Health Care Network
Models of Primary Health Care Psychotherapy and Counselling
This literature review was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to inform the development of the Access to Allied Health Services component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative.This review looks at psychotherapy and counselling services in primary health care provided by persons from the Allied Health Professions. The report makes a number of recommendations regarding location of the service, fundholding and employment, practitioner support, reporting and confidentiality.Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative
Patient experience of health care performance
Patient-centred care, a fundamental tenet of quality healthcare, means delivering services which
respond to and are sensitive to the needs and wishes of the consumers or patients. Without
systematic ways of collecting information about patientsâ experience of the health care system, a
vital perspective is missing from efforts to improve the quality of care. Submissions to the draft
National Primary Health Care Strategy identified that consumer satisfaction, holistic care, equity of
access, and obtaining feedback from users are some areas which are appropriate for performance
management via indicators
Nursing in General Practice: still some way to go
A number of barriers and facilitators to an expanded role for practice nurses have
been identified. These include legal and funding issues related to the lack of a
system-level model, poor role definition for practice nurses, lack of space available
in general practices and GP attitudes. Inter-professional issues, medico-legal
concerns and a poorly defined scope of practice need to be addressed while a
defined educational and career pathway for practice nursing to attract nurses to
general practice is needed
Initiatives to integrate primary and acute health care, including ambulatory care services
Most people, at some time in their lives, will require health care services from multiple health care
providers, whether it is for short-term unexpected ill health, long-term chronic conditions or
co-morbidities that cross disciplines (eg. substance-related conditions and mental health).
Integration of health services is particularly important for patients with chronic and complex
conditions as they must frequently negotiate a path through different health care sectors, including
primary, acute and ambulatory care services, as well as the public and private health jurisdictions.
Standardised pathways for the more common chronic conditions may be needed to enable
seamless transitions and avoid negative outcomes that may result from delays, duplications and
errors in a system that operates as multiple independent organisations
Health literacy and primary health care
People with low levels of health literacy report poorer health status and experience
poorer health outcomes compared to those with good health literacy. Poor health
literacy is most prevalent in socio-economically disadvantaged populations, which
are often in greater need of health care to manage complex conditions. In
recognition of its potential positive impact on health outcomes, improving the health
literacy of populations is being incorporated into policy. This RESEARCH ROUNDup
reports on some recent developments in health literacy research and the role of
primary health care in enhancing health literacy to improve health outcomes