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Report Confirms Key Role of GPs in Primary Health Care
January 30, 2008 at 6:04 PM
General Health News
The BEACH report found that:
80 per cent of Australians visit a GP at least once a year and spend more time with their GPs than people in many other countries. Australians spend around 83 minutes per year per head of population with a GP, compared to 56 minutes (New Zealand) and 30 minutes (USA),
GPs are playing a key role in the fight against chronic disease including high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and skin and heart conditions - with the number of encounters rising from 46.5 encounters/100 in 1998/99 to 52.1/100 in 2006/07,
Baby boomers and patients over 75 are needing to spend more time with their GPs, and
There has been a significant increase in general practice nurse activities being provided in conjunction with the GP consultation up from 4.2 to 5.7 per 100 encounters. The Government needs to build on this by expanding practice nurse incentives and support GPs to enable practice nurses to take on a wider role for and on behalf of GPs.
Dr Capolingua said the growing demand for chronic disease management and the mixed success of Government initiatives in this area highlight the need for the Government to reform GP consultation items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
More needs to be done to reduce the mountain of red tape that is a disincentive to GPs taking up chronic disease management programs, Dr Capolingua said.
But the MBS reform must involve talking to GPs.
I have heard GPs lament that the current state of Medicare item numbers means that looking after patients is like colour by numbers.
Patients and their problems do not just fit into Government-designed boxes.
Dr Capolingua said the BEACH data makes a significant contribution to informing health policy and urged the Government to continue funding the program.
Source-AMA
LIN/K
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