Putting it into practice: Implementing Healthy Habits in your practice

Part 4 - Practice workflows/fitting Healthy Habits into a consult

Table of contents

Last revised: 04 Oct 2022

Part 4 - Practice workflows/fitting Healthy Habits into a consult

It can be challenging to integrate a new initiative into your practice without disrupting your usual workflows – Healthy Habits has been designed to minimise this impact and compliment the way practices already work. Here are three examples of how Healthy Habits can be worked into common general practice consultations.

Scenario 1: A patient with chronic disease is receiving care under a General Practice Management Plan (GPMP) or Team Care Arrangement (TCA).

As part of the patient’s chronic disease management, it is determined that Healthy Habits would be beneficial to the patient. Below is an example of how Healthy Habits could be worked into this patients’ care.

Patient 1 – Chronic disease client	Recruitment – 30 min	First visit – 1 hour	2, 4, & 8 weeks – 15 min	3-month care planning – 30 min	4.5 months – 15 min	6 months – 30 min
GP	GPMP/TCA prepared for patient Client assessed for suitability and readiness to change Sends patient app information from Healthy Habits website and/ or sends personalised link to patient to download app and connect to Practice.	GP reviews patient progress, identifies redflags, and recommends follow up type. Addresses concerns identified in review and/or escalated by nurse
Primary Health Care Nurse	Connects Patient to Healthy Habits Clinician Dashboard (if not already connected) Onboards patient to Healthy Habits	Draws on Healthy Habits Patient Pathways to reassess readiness for change and provide relevant advice. Refers to condition specific advice in the Healthy Habits Patient Pathways where required. Goals added into the Healthy Habits app Discusses communication preferences i.e., app notification from practice, phone call	Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable OR Send one-way message (no billing)	Chronic disease review Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable OR Telehealth CDM review	Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable OR Send one-way message (no billing)	Chronic disease review Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable OR Telehealth CDM review
Reception/Admin	Books patient’s next appointment and update reminders Answers basic app related enquiries and follow up with the RACGP Healthy Habits team for technical support.

Scenario 2: Health Assessment or Heart Health Check

A patient has undergone a Health Assessment or Heart Health Check and you determine the Healthy Habits initiative would be beneficial to the patient as part of their chronic disease management. Here is an example of how Healthy Habits could be worked into this patients’ care.

Patient 2 – Health Assessment client	Recruitment – 30 min	First visit – 30 min	2 weeks - 15 min	4 weeks - 15 min	8 weeks – 15 min	3 months – 30 min
GP	Patient undergoes Health Assessment/Heart Health Check and Healthy Habits is suggested by GP Client assessed for suitability and readiness to change Sends patient app information from Healthy Habits website and/ or sends personalised link to patient to download app and connect to Practice	GP reviews patient progress, identifies red flags, and recommends follow up type. Addresses concerns identified in review and/or escalated by nurse				GP reviews patient progress GP and patient reflect on experience to date and discuss next steps
Primary Health Care Nurse		Draws on Healthy Habits Patient Pathways to assess readiness for change and apply relevant use. Refers to condition specific advice in the Healthy Habits Patient Pathways where required. Goals added into the Healthy Habits app Discusses communication preferences i.e., app notification from practice, phone call	Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable OR Send one-way message (no billing)
Reception/Admin	Books patient’s next appointment and update reminders Answers basic app related enquiries and follow up with the RACGP Healthy Habits team for technical support.

Scenario 3: Patient asks about Healthy Habits

A patient notices a Healthy Habits poster or brochure in your waiting room and asks the reception staff for more information. This patient is motivated to make lifestyle changes and initiates a conversation about Healthy Habits as part of a routine appointment. Below is an example of how the Healthy Habits initiative can be run when the patient is not being managed under a chronic disease plan.

Patient 3 – Patient initiated enrolment	Enrolment	First visit – one hour	2, 4, & 8 weeks – 15 min	3-month care planning - 30 min	4.5 months – 15 min	6 months – 30 min
GP	Patient discusses Healthy Habits with GP GP refers patient to Nurse/Reception for on-boarding following consultation	GP reviews patient progress, identifies red flags, and recommends follow up type. Addresses concerns identified in review and/or escalated by nurse				GP reviews patient progress GP and patient reflect on experience to date and discuss next steps
Primary Health Care Nurse	Enrols patient On-boards patient if available during patients visit Client assessed for suitability and readiness to change Sends patient app information from Healthy Habits website and/ or sends personalised link to patient to download app and connect to Practice	Assess readiness to change Apply coaching strategies per patient pathways Set goals and add to app Discuss follow up preferences i.e., face to face, telehealth appointment Discuss communication preferences i.e., app notification from practice, phone call	Reviews goals and sets new ones where applicable Provide patient with encouragement and support
Reception/Admin	Book patients next appointment and update reminders Answers basic app related enquiries and follow up with the RACGP Healthy Habits team for technical support.

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