Opinion
An article in Annals of Internal Medicine in December 2016 has confirmed what all of us in general practice have quietly suspected for years: for every hour of direct patient contact a doctor has in ambulatory care, they generate two hours of typing, data entry and paper work. (1)
In the Australian context, that work generates no income.
So, when the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was announced, many GPs perhaps feared a scheme that would be overwhelming and add to already overly busy administrative obligations.
The sticking point, however, is that the NDIS provides individualised care for those most vulnerable amongst us: people with permanent or severe disability. The most vulnerable patients we treat need the most help in accessing the services they need. GPs are, as we know, the centre of care for those patients.
So how do GPs navigate a new system, which we may be wary of, but requires our input to ensure the best outcomes for patients?
The answer: use HealthPathways, a free online resource that has extracted the vital information and developed a short, succinct and readily available tool that tells you not only how, but where to get the best care for your patient.
Participate once, twice with the right help, and like everything else we do, the third time around, you’ll be familiar enough to approach the scheme with confidence.
See HealthPathways Melbourne:
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for patients aged 7 years and above
Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) for children aged 0 to 6 years
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network.
About the author:
Dr Anita Munoz is a local GP and clinical editor for HealthPathways Melbourne.
