Australia is experiencing increasing rates of chronic and complex diseases which challenge our primary care system.
Thirty-five percent of Australians, (over 7 million people) have a chronic condition, and an increasing number have multiple conditions, making care more complex and requiring input from a number of different practitioners and agencies. The burden on General Practitioners (GPs) is high, as the care is complicated. It takes GPs significant time to develop individual care plans and conduct reviews that involve multiple providers and are patient-centred.
READ THE PROJECT OVERVIEW AND ACHIEVEMENTS HERE
Purpose
This project will establish local interdisciplinary practitioner networks and hold an online professional development webinar to a national audience for primary care practitioners who are managing patients living with multimorbid conditions.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Attendance and participation in network and webinar activities will meet the self-reporting requirements for CPD recognition across the key participating professional bodies.
Outcomes for practitioners
- Practitioners have the opportunity to access interactive, interdisciplinary professional development which addresses long-term, proactive management of multiple long-term conditions.
- Participating practitioners increase their awareness of other health professional/disciplines fields of expertise.
- Increased interdisciplinary correspondence, consultation and client referrals between participating practitioners.
- Increased interdisciplinary networking between participating practitioners.
Contributing partners
- Primary Health Networks (PHNs)
- Allied Health Professions of Australia (AHPA)
- The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
- The Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN)
Participating partners
The project is a collaboration between the following partners:
- Adelaide PHN
- Brisbane South PHN
- Eastern Melbourne PHN
- Murray PHN
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)
- Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA)
- Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)
- Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)
- Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)
- Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA)
- Optometry Australia (OA)
- Speech Pathology Australia (SPA)
- The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (The Guild)
Download the IHPN Project Overview factsheet