Hub Research
ACT SESSIONAL GP PROJECT
Douglas K, Dwan K and Forrest L (research is in progress)
The ACT is significantly affected by the shortage of general practitioners that exists throughout Australia. It appears the number of retirees, an increased demand for services and the reduction in hours worked by general practitioners continues to outstrip the number of new general practitioners being trained in Australia or imported from overseas. Associate Professor Kirsty Douglas, Dr Kathryn Dwan and Dr Laura Forrest seek to build knowledge about doctors who work part-time in clinical general practice. If sessional/part-time general practitioners are going to be encouraged to increase their clinical hours, it is necessary to understand the current barriers and facilitators to their existing work.
CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT PLANS: WHO RECEIVES THEM AND DO THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO USE OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND HEALTH OUTCOMES?
Yen L, Douglas K, Kljakovic M and Korda R (research is in progress)
This study is part of a larger project, the Serious and Continuing Illness Policy and Practice Study (SCIPPS). SCIPPS is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded project which aims to develop interventions and policy options to improve outcomes for people with chronic illness such as chronic heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Laurann Yen, Associate Professor Kirsty Douglas, Professor Marjan Kljakovic and Rosemary Korda will conduct the project in two parts. In the first phase, data from the SCIPPS 45+ study will be used to develop a profile of people with chronic illness which will be linked to the use of the chronic illness management items (721-729) in the Medicare Benefits Schedule. In the second phase, the study will examine the relationship between the use of these items and service utilisation, particularly hospital admission and emergency department attendance by people with chronic illness.
POTENTIAL COSTS OF UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION
Yen L and McRae I (research is in progress)
Improvements to the efficiency of the health system might release additional time for both patients and health care professionals to spend in more effective activity. Laurann Yen and Dr Ian McRae seek to estimate the change in time and money costs if unnecessary duplication within primary care and between primary care and secondary care could be reduced. The project will also assess possible efficiency benefits of different models of service level utilisation by patients. It is intended to lead to a second project which will test the impact of automated systems on efficiency, cost and outcome within primary care and between primary and secondary care.
WHAT IS THE LIKELY IMPACT ON HEALTH, DEMAND FOR HEALTH SERVICES AND PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS IN AUSTRALIA?
McRae I (research is in progress)
It is clear that the global financial crisis has already begun to increase unemployment rates in Australia and has had other direct effects on individual incomes. In the longer term, there is a need to assess the impact of a major downturn on health outcomes and activities.
In the short term, however, the downturn provides an opportunity to:
- consider the existing research and Australian history on the impact of economic change on the health system;
- predict what will happen; and
- observe whether it is likely changes in the demand for health services will be such as to require any policy change.
Dr Ian McRae will examine the existing literature on the effect of business cycles on health care market and attempt to estimate the likely effects of the current financial downturn.
THE EFFECTIVENESS AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF NURSE-LED CLINICS – IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ACT PROPOSAL
Parker R, McRae I and Forrest L (research is in progress)
Associate Professor Rhian Parker, Dr Ian McRae and Dr Laura Forrest are undertaking a literature review on nurse-led clinics to ascertain their impact on health outcomes and cost effectiveness. This work will help inform any strategy to develop nurse-led clinics in areas of workforce shortages.
THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR SHARING INFORMATION IN PRIMARY HEATH CARE
Douglas K (research is in progress)
There is an impetus to increase the use of clinical information technologies in the Australian health system. The National e-Health Strategic Plan includes a commitment to the development of electronic systems to manage care better and to improve health outcomes. Nothing is known about whether using clinical information technologies in primary care reduces medical errors, affects duplication of service or contributes to improved patient outcomes. Associate Professor Kirsty Douglas will investigate the use of information services in primary care by staff to inform patients or to transfer information to other providers.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS INFLUENCING THE INDIVIDUAL’S CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN SELF CARE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS
McRae I and Yen L (research is in progress)
Dr Ian McRae and Laurann Yen aim to establish the relationships between the socioeconomic factors, support mechanisms and the individual’s capacity for successful chronic disease management within the primary health care setting. APCHRI proposes to conduct a survey of older Australians to address questions around the financial impact of chronic disease. A sample of 10,000 National Seniors Australia members will be selected with representation across age and State categories. The sample will be selected by National Seniors Australia, who will dispatch the questionnaires by mail. The information gained through this study will contribute to the development of policy options that meet the socioeconomic needs of people affected by chronic illness.
THE IMPACT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ON TEAMS WORKING IN THE CONTEXT OF PRIMARY CARE
Douglas K, Yen L and Phillips C (research is in progress)
Multidisciplinary or inter-professional teams are increasingly promoted as being essential to Australia’s capacity to delivering comprehensive effective and accessible primary health care. Whilst there is increasing evidence that a multidisciplinary team-approach is effective, there is less evidence on how to maximise, improve or support teamwork in a primary health care setting. Associate Professor Kirsty Douglas, Laurann Yen and Dr Christine Phillips seek to gain a better understanding about the impact of the built environment on teamwork in the context of primary care.
THE MANAGEMENT OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY BY PRACTICE NURSES: A PILOT APHCRI HUB PROJECT
Parker R and Forrest L (research is in progress)
The percentage of individuals who are overweight or obese in Australia has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Practice nurses working in primary health care potentially have an important role in managing overweight and obese adult patients and in working with patients to live more healthy lifestyles. Associate Professor Rhian Parker and Dr Laura Forrest will systematically review the available literature to collect information about practice nurses’ beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and understanding of obesity, and examine their clinical utility in the management of obesity. This review will provide a basis for the development of an appropriate and relevant project design to explore practice nurses’ management of overweight and obesity in Australia.
VIOLENCE IN GENERAL PRACTICE
Parker R, Ceramidas D and Forrest L (research is in progress)
The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has engaged APHCRI to conduct a national study examining the incidence and prevalence of violence and aggression perpetrated by patients, patients’ family members or friends towards general practice staff in Australia. Associate Professor Rhian Parker, Dr Dagmar Ceramidas and Dr Laura Forrest will undertake a comprehensive literature review, stakeholder consultations, a qualitative exploration of general practice staffs’ experiences of violence and aggression in their workplace and a national survey of general practices to determine the prevalence and incidence of violence and aggression. The research outcomes will be reported to DoHA in December.
OPTIMISING RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE WORKFORCE: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT**
Jeon YH (2009)
Australia’s ageing population together with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity are placing the aged care sector under increasing pressure and impacts directly on those working in residential aged care settings. Strategies targeted at those in leadership and management positions in the residential aged care workforce will contribute to optimising the effectiveness of this workforce in the face of these pressures. This review systematically explores leadership and management development in aged care.
**Note: This report is available on the APHCRI Article Management System only. Users must request a password to access the material. By requesting a password, the user agrees not to disseminate or quote the material without the written consent of the author.
SUBMISSION TO THE NATIONAL HEALTH & HOSPITALS REFORM COMMISSION: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE 
Douglas K (2008)
This paper describes the outcomes of the APHCRI Primary Health Care Workforce roundtable which was held to synthesise current Australian evidence around primary health care workforce and, further, to provide policy options on how best to move primary health care workforce forward to meet these challenges. The paper also provides a brief synopsis of the evidence from APHCRI commissioned research on primary health care workforce completed in 2007.
READINESS FOR SCHOOL
Gardner K (2007)
This project led by Ms Karen Gardner from APHCRI, aimed to understand what organised primary health care approaches can contribute to childhood developmental health and well being outcomes related to readiness for school in children aged zero-to-five years.
The project had two components that were conducted in two stages. These are:
- A systematic review and synthesis of the black and grey literatures relating to the major developmental health issues that underpin readiness for school in children zero-to-five years, known to be amenable to primary health care intervention.
- A systematic review and synthesis of the black and grey literatures relating to best-practice approaches in organised primary health care for addressing these major developmental health issues.
IMPACT OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Gardner K andSibthorpe B (2006)
National Performance Indicators (NPIs) are a key component of the National Quality and Performance System (NQPS) for Australian
Divisions of General Practice, introduced by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA)
in March 2005 under the auspices of the Review Implementation Committee.
The Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI) undertook a study to investigate the early impacts of the
introduction of NPIs on the planning processes of Divisions.
Further information on the development of Performance Indicators can be found here.
SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS DIVISION OF GENERAL PRACTICE DIABETES PROGRAM: REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION
Gardner K, Sibthorpe B, McRae I, Rubiano D (2006)
A number of Divisions of General Practice, including the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice (SHDGP), have implemented diabetes programs, but
there is little evidence concerning their effectiveness and efficiency. We undertook
an exploratory study of the implementation and costs and benefits of the SHDGP
program. The results of the cost effectiveness component of the study are being
published separately. This is the Report on Implementation.
Home
About APHCRI
Hub Research
