Summary
Date: 18 March 2022
The RACGP has provided a response to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) ‘Exploring future data and information needs for aged care issues paper - Issues Paper’.
In the response, the RACGP calls the development of innovative data domains that capture the significant work of GPs in aged care settings, such as how GPs lead multidisciplinary care teams and provide palliative care, along with ensuring GPs have a central role in data interpretation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted critical issues across the aged care sector and the urgent need for better data to support evaluation and improve quality, safety, and outcomes. Data collected by general practice has a key role to play in improving health in Australia by informing policy, public health initiatives, research, and service delivery.