New research from the University of Sydney’s Family Medicine Research Centre has revealed Australia’s GPs managed 67 million more health problems at patient encounters in 2015–16 than they did in 2006–07.
The research reinforces how a rapidly changing health demography, especially in terms of an ageing population, is creating greater demand for GP services.
In the last 10 years GP/patient encounters have become more complex with the volume and multiplicity of clinical issues dealt with in a time-constrained health delivery system increasingly problematic and inefficient.
"We're seeing patients with more problems – the number of patients presenting with three or more has increased by 10% and those with four or more has increased by a staggering 30%," Dr Jones said.
“The burden of disease is now higher and more is being crammed into the average consultation of around 15 minutes. All this with a background of an on-going MBS freeze on rebates: the implications for continuing quality patient care and improving overall health indices are profound,” Dr Jones said.
“We know that investment in general practice and primary healthcare produces overall improved health outcomes with cost-efficiencies to the system. General practice is ready to embrace the change but needs appropriate recognition and funding -a seismic shift in health investment is required.
“All patients should have access to high-quality GP-led primary healthcare services provided by a multi-disciplinary general practice led team.” Dr Jones said.
As a direct consequence of the RACGP Vision paper [2015], the Health Care Homes government initiative proposes targeting people with two or more diagnosed chronic conditions to improve the coordination of healthcare: the RACGP has always proposed enrolment with a GP/practice for all patients, because the health impact would be greater.
Funding of this innovative trial and processes will be critical and the RACGP has serious reservations around the actual dollar input calculating an individual practice would require $100,000 on average per annum for an appropriately funded trial – as opposed to the ‘cost neutral’ funding allocated to the trials.
“For a 200–practice trial, we expect to see an additional $20 million in funding, and any HCH trial will only succeed if it is adequately funded,’ Dr Jones said.