The Hon. Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Health, has today announced $2.55 million funding for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to support GPs confidently engage with the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR).
Addressing hundreds of Australia’s general practitioners (GPs) at the RACGP’s annual conference ‘GP12’ currently being held on the Gold Coast, Minister Plibersek outlined three key roles the College will undertake to help prepare general practice for e-readiness and PCEHR compliance.
Security of the PCEHR
Upon reviewing recently passed legislation to support the national e-heath records system and the National e-Health Security and Access Framework, the RACGP will develop and release a second edition of its Computer and Information Security Standards and workbook. A number of supporting tools and templates will also be developed to assist GPs implement processes to help them in achieving best practice in computer and information security.
e-Health curriculum
The College will also develop an e-health syllabus and education modules for use by the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program, and for GPs undertaking continuing professional development (CPD). Online learning modules will be available via RACGP gplearning, with content also available via the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine’s (ACRRM) Rural and Remote Medical Education Online (RRMEO) platform.
PCEHR Clinical Peer Advocacy Program
To promote GP participation in, and effective use of, the PCEHR, the RACGP will train 30 GP advocates to provide clinical peer advocacy and education via seminars to GPs in up to 200 locations around Australia. The Program will support the current Australian Medicare Local Alliance (AMLA) e-health program. The RACGP will engage the ACRRM in the design of the project and ACRRM will support RACGP with delivery in remote and rural Australia.
Taking the reins as RACGP President, Dr Liz Marles acknowledged the significance of the announced funding, allowing the College to continue providing support for GPs getting started or progressing efforts in the e-health space.
“With over 83 per cent of the population in Australia visiting a GP at least once a year, coupled with the fact that 96 per cent of practices use computers for some clinical purposes, GPs are ideally placed to ensure the success of the PCEHR and other e-health initiatives in Australia,” Dr Marles said.
“The RACGP has remained a firm supporter of the benefits to be found in an e-health environment that has the support of the general practice profession.
“The new resources and support activities the College is now enabled to develop will equip GPs and their practice teams with the skills, knowledge and confidence required to effectively embrace e-health,” Dr Marles said.
The RACGP thanks the Minister for Health and the Department for its continued recognition of the vital role GPs will play in leading Australia to a world class e-health environment, ultimately improving patient health outcomes and experiences of the health system.