Practices, Partnerships, and Population Health: Report on the 2000-2001 Annual Survey of Departments of Family Medicine. Information Service, Discipline of General Practice, Flinders University and Australian Department of Health and Ageing. ATAPS Access to Allied Psychological Services ATSI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ASD Annual Division Review.
CRM Customer Relationship Management DGP Division of General Practice EPC Enhanced Primary Care ERP Estimated Resident Population FTE Full Time Equivalent.
INTRODUCTION
METHOD
However, PHC RIS also strives to improve data quality through a series of data checks. One hundred and ten departments out of 115 (96%) submitted their survey by the deadline – the highest completion rate ever. Four of the remaining five departments submitted their survey a week after the deadline, with the final departments submitting their ASD on October 14, 2008.
All data processing was completed on November 19, 2008, when an electronic draft copy of the department's tailored feedback report (a summary of responses to the ASD) was sent to each department.
DIVISION CONTEXT
Note, the total number of general practices and solo practices were collected from the two disbanded NSW metro divisions (the former Liverpool Division and the South West Sydney GP Network) in order to get a comprehensive Australia-wide view . Some Divisions listed the number of GPs in one or more of these categories as unknown (see Table 3.3), this data is not included. Total numbers of GPs and female GPs were collected from the two disbanded NSW metro divisions (formerly Liverpool Division and Sydney South West GP Network) to get a comprehensive Australia-wide view.
Please note: the number of non-GP members was not available for the two resolved divisions of NSW (formerly Liverpool Division and Sydney South-West GP Network).
GOVERNANCE
Data for the two disbanded NSW divisions (formerly the Liverpool Division and the Sydney South West GP Network) was not available in 2007–08. Funding and reporting arrangements for the Divisions of General Practice Program were streamlined with the introduction of the Multi-Programme Funding Agreement (MPA) in 2005. The MPA and the National Quality and Performance System (NQPS) brought together a number of program requirements. Division under a frame.
Details of the Department's funding for MPA programs such as More Allied Health Services (MAHS) and the Aged Care GP Panels Initiative are not provided here. Excluding the funding provided for the GP Wards Program, the Australian Government's Department of Health and Aging (DoHA) funds half of all additional ward funding (see Figure 4.2 for a breakdown of all additional funding). In terms of overall funding, the amount departments receive from pharmaceutical companies and local governments has decreased over the past 12 months (see Table 4.2).
The figures given here are therefore likely to be somewhat underestimates of the actual amounts. Due to changes in departmental funding, the answer options for this question were changed in 2005-06; data collected in previous years are not directly comparable and are therefore not included. Note that totals do not include responses from two departments that reported some data as "unknown."
Pharmacy Guild funding was not assessed prior to 2004-2005, AGPN funding was not assessed prior to 2005-2006; these may have contributed to the amount reported as 'other source'. Data for NSW's two dissolved divisions (formerly Liverpool Division and Sydney South-West GP Network) was not available in 2007–08.
ACCESS
Note, rounding errors may occur; 'na' indicates where the funding source is not applicable for the AHP type. 1 Prior to 2006-07, Divisions reported on funding through the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative (BOiMHCI) rather than the ATAPS component. Number of Divisions reporting specified FTEs or number of services for AHPs (number of Divisions reporting AHP engagement where amount was 'unknown').
Almost all divisions (95%) carried out at least one activity to improve access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander major health services. Other Recruitment and retention of Indigenous staff Recruitment and retention of staff for Indigenous services Support ATSI Health Services in PIP accreditation related activities Assist with grant applications and project proposals Cultural sensitivity training Introduce Indigenous services to existing clinic/practice Professional development for Indigenous staff Support ATSI Health Services in immunization related activities Assist ATSI Health Services in catchment area to optimally utilize MBS Support development of indigenous clinics Participation in indigenous organizations Participation in community projects Promotion of indigenous health issues. Also new to the ASD in 2007-08 was a question addressing divisional activities to assist GPs to accurately record the Indigenous status of all patients.
The most common activity carried out by Divisions was to include this issue in other briefings (see Figure 5.2).
COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION
Implementation of state/territory programs rolled out through departments and sharing of information was not addressed until 2005-06. Note, data was not available from the two disbanded NSW metro divisions (formerly Liverpool Division and Sydney South-West GP Network). As can be seen from Figure 6.2, admission and/or discharge notification have consistently been the preferred form of cooperation.
For the second consecutive year, in 2007-2008 all departments reported implementing programs or activities to improve collaboration between general practitioners and other primary care providers. For the first time since 2005–2006, addressing access to allied health services was the most common type of activity, closely followed by activities addressing elements of chronic disease management (CDM) or enhanced primary care (EPC), which have dominated more recently (see figure 6.3). Note that programs or activities dealing with CDM or EPC subjects and shared care were not included prior to 2005-2006.
GENERAL PRACTICE SUPPORT
83 divisions (72%) reported delivering programs that use a database of clinical data provided by general practice. In Divisions (81%) reported that they found their SBO's support and services useful in increasing their organization's IM/IT capabilities. For the first time, the 2007-08 ASD addressed the department's IM/IT training and support activities in relation to general practice, both in terms of practice requests and departmental delivery.
As shown in Table 7.2, training was typically provided by a division at the request of a practice, and in quite a few cases training was provided without request. This number includes divisions where practices requested this type of training AND the division provided the training. In combination with the columns 'requested' and 'provided' it can be used as an indication of an unmet or 'oversatisfied' need respectively.
For example in 'use of clinical information systems', 94 departments both requested and received training for this activity; 99 departments requested training in this activity, indicating that there were 5 departments (99 minus 94) with unmet needs. Given that 100 departments reported providing this training, this also suggests that one department (100 minus 99) 'overmet' need.
CONSUMER FOCUS
WORKFORCE
Almost all divisions (98%) reported offering at least one activity to support GP staffing needs and wellbeing in 2007-2008. Please note that GP support and practice support were not addressed in this way before 2005-2006 and the locum support data in 2004-2005 were not comparable. One hundred and fourteen divisions (99%) provided at least one GP practice development and education activity in 2007-2008, compared to 100% of divisions in 2006-2007.
Note, continuing and professional development, accreditation and GP and workforce surveys were not addressed in this way prior to 2005-06. However, this increase is explained, in part, by the reduction in the number of Divisions reporting 'unknown' for the number of medical students receiving support. Divisions reported receiving some funding from the WSRGP Program to carry out one or more activities that support GP workforce needs.
As shown in Figure 9.5, departments most often reported WSRGP funds for general physician support activities. Note, social support, teaching and mentoring and facilitating peer support activities were not addressed in this way until 2005-06. Social or physical activity events Encourage GPs to have their own GP.
Overall, 63 departments reported receiving WSRGP funding for at least one GP development and education activity. The proportion of departments reporting WSRGP funding for recruitment and retention programs increased by almost a third from 2006–07 to 2007–08 (see Figure 9.7).
THE DIVISIONS NETWORK (AND RWA)
How many primary care providers do you estimate were practicing in your division's service area as of June 30, 2008? Did your division contract with allied health professionals (AHPs) to provide services to patients in 2007-2008? How has your division been involved in delivering programs or activities to improve access to key Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander health services?
What programs or activities to improve GP collaboration with other primary care providers was your department involved in implementing in 2007-08. The utility of IM/IT support and services provided to your department by your state-based organization. What IM/IT training did your practices seek from your department and what activities did your department do.
What IM/IT support did your practices seek from your Division and what activities did your Division undertake with practices. What formal mechanisms did your department use to involve Indigenous health organizations or Indigenous consumers in your department in 2007-08. Please indicate why there were no formal mechanisms for indigenous consumer engagement in your division in 2007-08.
How was your department involved in activities aimed at supporting practice nurses in general practice in 2007-2008? How many members of the GP workforce in your division receive support from the Workforce Support for Rural General. How did your department undertake specific activities to support the staffing needs and wellbeing of GPs in 2007-2008?
Referring to the agreed roles of the SBO, please indicate the ways in which you believe your SBO could improve the support of your division.
