Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) - Primary Care Integration Program (PCIP)
In July 2006, Australian Health Ministers approved the ABHI implementation plan, including approximately $28 million in Australian Government funding to be used to improve the ‘integration of primary health care service’ – what the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has called the Primary Care Integration Program.
State and territory governments have also contributed funding to this component of ABHI and are progressing their own integration initiatives.
The overarching national aim of the ABHI Primary Care Integration Program is 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.
The objective of this Program is to encourage more integrated patient centred care by supporting general practice across South Australia to:
- Engage with the work of local GP Plus Health Care Initiatives, and other state funded primary care initiatives that seek, to improve service co-ordination and integrated chronic disease prevention and management;
- Communicate and link better with other primary care providers;
- Make better use of existing primary and community care services including commonwealth, state and non-government organisation funded services with a focus on patients with chronic disease;
- Utilise tools/strategies that will assist in better managing patients with chronic disease (e.g. disease registers, referral, recall & reminder systems, care planning); and
- Contribute to work around developing local chronic disease care pathways (generic or specific) or other priority activities with a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) focus.
ABHI IM Strategies for the AHDGP include promotion, installation and support with use of the PEN Clinical Audit Tool in General Practice
PEN Clinical Audit Tool
The Pen Clinical Audit Tool (PENCAT) allows you to:
- Provide high quality patient care
- Identify patients in high risk patient groups
- Improve practice revenue
- Meet accreditation requirements
- Plus much more!
More information can be found at: www.clinicalaudit.com.au or contact Janeen Lallard, AHDGP
Lifestyle Modification
Reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
The Australian Institiute of Health and Welfare's report, Diabetes: Australian Facts 2008 reports that the incidence of diabetes has more than doubled in the last 15 years.
Diabetes is now one of the largest contributors to the disease burden in Australia, and type 2 diabetes accounts for 92 per cent of diabetes cases in Australia. Diabetes is associated with a number of complications, including an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, eye and kidney disease.
However, Type 2 Diabetes is also largely preventable by controlling associated lifestyle risk factors such as overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet.
A number of studies have also shown that intensive lifestyle interventions can reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in people at high risk. (http://www.agpn.com.au/programs/chronic-disease-prevention-and-management2)
Evidence of reduced incidence
Landmark intervention studies in China, the US, and Finland have shown that sustainable lifestyle interventions in people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, led to significant reductions in the incidence of diabetes, by up to 58%.
About Lifestyle Modification Programs
A key component of the Commonwealth Government's Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Program, is the ability for a GP to refer eligible patients to accredited, subsidised Lifestyle Modification Program (LMPs) to prevent, or delay, the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Patients who are at high risk of type 2 diabetes based on the AUSDRISK tool and who have had diabetes excluded, can be referred to LMPs under:
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Item 713
Type 2 diabetes risk review |
Item 717
45-49 year old health check |
Item 710 Indigenous Adult
15-54 year old Health Check |
RESET YOUR LIFE - Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program
The Reset Your Life – Lifestyle Modification Program consists of a series of 7 group education and motivation sessions over 6 months, supporting lifestyle change, including:
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the risks of diabetes and their relationship to lifestyle risk factors;
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the importance of regular diabetes screening;
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nutrition advice and education;
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physical activity advice;
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behavioural strategies to support the adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle changes;
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smoking cessation and alcohol reduction advice if required; and
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information about community resources to provide support in maintaining lifestyle change.
Visit: www.agpn.com.au for information & resources