Australian Journal of Primary Health
Volume 26 Number 3 2020
PYv26n3_EDCelebrating 25 volumes of the Australian Journal of Primary Health
PY19181From participation to diagnostic assessment: a systematic scoping review of the role of the primary healthcare sector in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
PY19181 Abstract | PY19181 Full Text | PY19181PDF (481 KB) Open Access Article
COVID-19 transformed primary care in Australia. There was a rapid introduction of new telehealth items and practice innovation, and health professionals adapted to a new way of working. This should not be all dumped in a post-pandemic world, and the lessons from the pandemic should be used to create a new normal.
PY20095 Abstract | PY20095 Full Text | PY20095PDF (143 KB) Open Access Article
PY19205Primary Sense: a new population health management tool for general practice
General practices do not have highly analytical population health management tools to enable them to care for patients attending regularly, as well as those that do not. Primary Sense can risk stratify the entire attending population into complexity bands, case find patients at risk, identify gaps in care and predict increasing needs and risk of hospitalisation. Practices can identify those at risk of poor outcomes and pro-actively manage their patient populations.
PY19205 Abstract | PY19205 Full Text | PY19205PDF (126 KB) Open Access Article
PY18177Factors affecting the embedding of integrated primary–secondary care into a health district
PY19180Postpartum maternal distress: a multidimensional illness requiring a multilevel, multidiscipline response
PY19229Patients’ cultural and spiritual explanatory models in health encounters: a focus on the efficacy of cancer prevention strategies in women from South Sudan
This qualitative study examined non-clinical factors that affect health, namely the cultural and spiritual beliefs of the patient. The study focused on women from South Sudan. The findings point to a need for enhanced clinical education around communication and have implications for patient education strategies.
PY20017General practitioner identification and retention for people with spinal cord damage: establishing factors to inform a general practitioner satisfaction measure
A dearth of research investigates GP satisfaction among people who have experienced neurotrauma, with specific measures of GP satisfaction being non-existent. This study identifies the factors contributing to GP retention for people with spinal cord damage and establishes domains for a GP satisfaction measure, and model of GP satisfaction. The findings clarify that knowledge of condition and trust are factors important to include in a future measure and model.
Dementia is a global health priority, demanding a dementia risk reduction (DRR) approach. To implement new DRR guidelines in Australian general practice, we need to better understand the barriers and facilitators to promoting DRR and the implementation strategies to match. This paper presents a practitioner-informed conceptual model in which educational materials and meetings, consensus discussions, champions and knowledge sharing could help overcome 12 identified barriers and capitalise on five identified facilitators.
Low back pain (LBP) is the most burdensome condition globally and experts have recently advocated for clinicians to deliver high-value care based on clinical guidelines. However, the current practices and perspectives of primary care practitioners delivering care for acute LBP in Australia are unknown. This study found that when managing acute back pain, most GPs and physiotherapists included key components of guideline-based care, although a person-centred approach often required alternative management strategies.
Alcohol use in people with chronic disease is a challenging issue for primary care. This qualitative study interviewed health practitioners to better understand these challenges and found a lack of training, difficulty referring and role confusion in multidisciplinary care complicate the management of these complex patients. This study identifies areas where improved support and services could ease the challenges and potentially improve patient care.