GP perspectives on a psychiatry phone line in Western Australia’s Great Southern region: implications for addressing rural GP workload

Beatriz Cuesta-Briand; Daniel Rock; Layale Tayba; James Hoimes; Hanh Ngo; Michael Taran; Mathew Coleman

doi:10.1071/PY23039

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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GP perspectives on a psychiatry phone line in Western Australia’s Great Southern region: implications for addressing rural GP workload

Beatriz Cuesta-Briand

^A ^* , Daniel Rock ^B ^C ^D , Layale Tayba ^E , James Hoimes ^F , Hanh Ngo ^A , Michael Taran ^E and Mathew Coleman ^A ^E ^F ^G

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Rural Clinical School of WA, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

^B WA Primary Health Alliance, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia.

^C Discipline of Psychiatry, UWA Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

^D Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia.

^E Great Southern Mental Health Service, WA Country Health Service, Albany, WA 6330, Australia.

^F Midwest Mental Health Service, WA Country Health Service, Geraldton, WA 6530, Australia.

^G Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: beatriz.cuestabriand@rcswa.edu.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 30, PY23039 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY23039

Submitted: 28 February 2023 Accepted: 1 September 2023 Published: 25 September 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

Mental illness is a public health challenge disproportionately affecting rural Australians. GPs provide most of the mental health care, and they report increasing levels of burnout and unsustainable workload in the context of increased patient complexity. This may be more salient in rural settings characterised by resource constraints. In this paper, we use evaluation data from a GP psychiatry phone line established in Western Australia’s Great Southern region in 2021 to describe GPs’ perspectives on the service and reflect on how it may help alleviate rural GP workload.

Methods

The sample was recruited among GPs practicing in the region. Data were collected through an online survey and semistructured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the survey data. Interview data were subjected to thematic analysis; qualitative survey data were used for triangulation.

Results

A total of 45 GPs completed the survey and 14 were interviewed. Interview data yielded three themes: the criticality of timeliness; the building blocks of confidence; and trust. GPs were highly satisfied with the service, and timeliness and trust were the characteristics underpinning its effectiveness. The service built GPs’ confidence in managing mental health and alcohol and other drug use issues through strengthening knowledge and providing reassurance.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a telephone line operated by trusted, local psychiatrists with knowledge of the local mental health ecosystem of support can reduce rural GP workload through building confidence and strengthening personal agency, helping GPs navigate the ethical and clinical labyrinth of managing patient complexity in rural settings.

Keywords: evaluation, GP workload, patient complexity, primary care, psychiatry advice service, psychiatry phone line, rural adversity, rural mental health.

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