Education GPDV




INDEX

EPC - Introduction | National Perspective | EPC MBS Items
 EPC Discharge Items | Victorian Divisions | Statistics | Network Workshops | Updates
GPDV Victorian Plan | Links | Stakeholder Information


ENHANCED PRIMARY CARE - NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
In the 1999 Federal Government budget the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Package was launched. The goal of the Package is to improve the health and quality of life of older Australians and people with chronic conditions, who have multi-disciplinary care needs. This will be achieved through enhancing the quality of primary health care provided to these population groups.

Enhanced Primary Care Budget
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 1999-2000 Budget website details the range of Commonwealth initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of older Australians.

  1. Elements of the Enhanced Primary Care Package include:
  2. New Medicare Benefits Schedule Item Numbers
  3. GP Education, Support and Community Linkages
  4. Additional Coordinated Care Trials
  5. Chronic Disease Self Management
  6. Falls Prevention in Older people
  7. Care Link
  8. Integration of Health Information Systems

Enhanced Primary Care Newsletter
Information regarding the developments and progress of the Enhanced Primary Care Package can be found in the Commonwealth's EPC Newsletter, which is issued bi-monthly.
May 2001 Newsletter Summary

Commonwealth EPC Publications Order Form
Please print off the form and fax it in to Nada Pavlak on 02 6289 7690.

EPC TASK FORCE - 2002 UPDATE
The task force has stopped operation. EPC will be overseen through the Primary Health Care Standing committee. Leonie Hull is the contact person and can be contacted on (02) 6289 3625 or at leonie.hull@health.gov.au

GP Education, Support and Community Linkages
The GP Education, Support and Community Linkages Program is the component of the Enhanced Primary Care package which the divisions have been funded to implement. This program directly relates to the introduction of the EPC MBS items.

It is important for divisions to know what's happening in the other components of EPC as they have a relationship with the introduction of the items.

National Evaluation Framework
The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing has tendered an evaluation for the GP Education, Support and Community Linkages and EPC MBS items components of the Enhanced Primary Care package. The closing date for submission is 28 February 2001. The Request for Tender can be downloaded from the Department's Health and Ageing website or requested directly from Michelle Roffey at Michelle.Roffey@health.gov.au . If you or any prospective tenderers have any questions, they should contact Michelle Roffey, Population Health Section, GP Branch on (02) 6289 6891.

National Evaluation Information Sheet
The National Evaluation of the EPC GP Education, Support and Community L inkages Program and the MBS Items has been contracted to a consortium headed by the South Australian Centre for Rural and Remote Health. Kathy Mott is the key project manager. In Victoria, GPDV has also allocated funding for state evaluation, which will look at:

The three primary evaluation questions are:
1. What have been the effects of the train the trainer model? How has the training been implemented by Divisions with what effects?
2. In what ways are divisions working with other agencies and providers to use the items in addressing specific clinical and service delivery problems?
3. Are there any groups of GPs (perhaps based on division, culture, SES, rurality etc.) where uptake has been low? Are there individuals within these groups who have had high uptake from whom lessons can be learnt on behalf of the whole group?

For more information see the National Evaluation Information Sheet.

ADGP
The Australian Divisions of General Practice has a national coordinating role in the roll out of the GP Education Support and Community Linkages Program. One of the key initiatives currently being undertaken by ADGP is the coordination of the development of EPC software.

The EPC National Coordinator at ADGP is responsible for:

www.adgp.com.au/epc/wiepc/index.htm

ADGP EPC Divisions Database
ADGP have undertaken a mapping exercise of EPC programs in divisions. The results of this work has been collated onto a database.
ADGP EPC Mapping Exercise

2002 Update
Maxine Clarke, the EPC National Coordinator has resigned from her position. This position will not be replaced as the GP Education and Community Linkages Program, to support the rollout of the EPC Item numbers is now in its final phase.