A $250,000 grant to support research into digital health in primary care has been announced by Medibank and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The award will support up to two programs with one of the following themes from the Medibank Better Health Foundation and RACGP Foundation.
General practice patients' experiences with digital health
Australian integration of digital health
High-quality digital tools for clinical decision-making
According to Dr. Jessica Choong, Medical Director for Research, Policy, and Innovation at Medibank, health and the healthcare system in Australia are undergoing significant transformation as a result of technology. Patients and those who provide care for them will have a better experience the more GPs can all understand the possible opportunities and barriers.
According to Dr. Nicole Higgins, the health system's heart was general practice, and research in this field was crucial. Thus, in order to improve primary care and guarantee that all Australians receive high-quality care, the RACGP Foundation Grants and Awards program supports general practice research.
Moreover, Dr. Higgins urges her GP colleagues to think about requesting a grant. For the sake of patients in Australia and around the world, general practitioners must conduct research in order to advance and improve general practice. For submission of interest, please click here.
RACGP: Alcohol and Other Drugs GP Education Program
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has praised the effectiveness of its Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) GP Education program, noting that three times as many GPs as the government had anticipated completing the training have successfully completed it.
The initiative included in-person workshops, online webinars, and opportunities for continued professional development in order to improve GPs' ability to address harm and addiction caused by alcohol and other drugs in their community. With participants regarded as "extremely engaged," the final report indicated that 86–99% of GPs across the various training tracks believed the program satisfied their needs.
According to Dr. Paul Grinzi, GPs who knew the difficulties in obtaining high-quality professional development, particularly in relation to alcohol and other substances, were in charge of the content and design. The program was created to satisfy the educational needs of all general practitioners (GPs) in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, from the most basic "essential skills" to specialised "advanced skills" chances.
Around 200 alcohol and other drug resources, whole-of-practice materials, online training modules still available from the program, as well as the program's final report, are all accessible through the RACGP's education resource collection. To access them, please click here.
Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) Welcomed
The Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MISR) in North Richmond will now be permanent, as decided by the Victorian Government, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
It follows the government's introduction of legislation to make the health service an ongoing service. Also, quick action will be taken to improve local sector safety and amenities, as well as to provide assistance for facility users. The RACGP has previously advocated for abandoning the fruitless "war on drugs" and treating alcohol and other drug policy from a health-based perspective.
According to Dr. Nicole Higgins, RACGP President, and Dr. Anita Munoz, RACGP Victoria Chair, this move can save lives.
RACGP and NACCHO Collaboration for Better Preventive Healthcare
A roundtable discussion on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was held last March 03, 2023, by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
The roundtable gave attendees a unique forum to discuss how to support health services nationally so that they are prevention-focused, culturally safe and responsive, equitable, and free from racism. It was held over two days and attended by people from all over Australia with experience in primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
According to Dr. Nicole Higgins, this move is a great step to improve the healthcare system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
According to Dr. Karen Nicholls, RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Faculty Chair, the forum would address some of the major issues preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from receiving adequate medical treatment. She believes that the long-term health outcomes for patients who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander can be considerably improved by expanding primary healthcare, including access to effective and culturally safe general practice care.
General Practice: A Solution for Poverty
The government has been urged to support GPs in their work of providing care for those who are facing poverty, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
According to Dr. Nicole Higgins, general practice can be one of the solutions to poverty in Australia. She also stated that It is more difficult for people to work, take care of themselves, and provide for their families when they are not feeling well. Everybody must be able to get general medical care, thus, GPs must ensure. Australia shouldn't be a place where those who are poor are abandoned.
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