A first-of-its-kind rural palliative care curriculum will empower GPs to take a leading role in providing and coordinating end of life care.
The new Advanced Rural Skills Training (ARST) - Curriculum for Palliative Care will be offered as part of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP).
RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones said the role and responsibilities of a GP in providing and coordinating quality end of life care in rural and remote communities was vital, with demand only set to increase as the population aged.
‘The new ARST Curriculum for Palliative Care will arm GPs and registrars with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence they need to work in this challenging setting,’ Dr Jones said.
RACGP Rural Chair Dr Ayman Shenouda said the innovative curriculum meant GPs would have access to specialised training and support, which was necessary to meet patient need.
‘Palliative care is particularly challenging in rural communities where stage of illness, care setting and patient preferences are set against a reduced service setting.
‘In rural areas, we know that patients’ choices are impacted by service deficits. Therefore more emphasis on generalist skills and essential service links, to see a patient through their end-of-life experience at home in their community, have become increasingly important.
Dr Shenouda said RACGP Rural research undertaken in 2014 had indicated a strong demand for palliative care advanced skills for GPs in rural and remote communities.
‘Our research revealed the top five priority areas for RACGP Rural members are emergency medicine, palliative care, paediatrics, mental health and aged care,’ he said.
‘We have listened to members and taken action to address these priority areas through RACGP Rural-led training, rural curriculum renewal, and accessible training modules for GPs.’
A further, targeted survey of RACGP Rural members, undertaken in 2015, indicated significant unmet patient need and growing demand for palliative care services in rural and remote Australia. This survey was the driver for the development of the palliative care curriculum and the RACGP’s broader advocacy in this area.
The RACGP has also released a position statement on GP-led palliative care in rural Australia to support advocacy reach and policy influence in affecting long-term change for rural patients.
‘It is clear the current health system is struggling to meet need in this area, and will face significant challenges in the future as demand for these services continues to grow,’ Dr Shenouda said.
‘Without the development and implementation of more efficient, comprehensive primary healthcare service models, palliative care will become increasingly problematic for our profession and our communities.’
‘The RACGP will continue to advocate to ensure that future government reforms and programs are responsive to the unique challenges faced by GPs in supporting rural and remote communities.’
Further information is available on the RACGP website.