Does Enhanced Primary Care enhance primary care? Policy-induced dilemmas for allied health professionals

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Author(s)
Foster, Michele
Mitchell, Geoffrey
Haines, Terry
Tweedy, Sean
Cornwell, Petrea
Fleming, Jennifer
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
Metadata
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*One aim of Medicare's Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) initiative is to encourage multidisciplinary care of patients with chronic disease by funding five allied health treatment sessions per patient per year. * In many cases, the number of funded treatments is far less than standard clinical practice indicates, particularly when the five visits are shared between service providers. * We believe clinical outcomes may be compromised by adhering to the funded hours, and inequity of outcome may arise based on socioeconomic status and the ability of patients to pay. *Research that determines how patients and allied ...
View more >*One aim of Medicare's Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) initiative is to encourage multidisciplinary care of patients with chronic disease by funding five allied health treatment sessions per patient per year. * In many cases, the number of funded treatments is far less than standard clinical practice indicates, particularly when the five visits are shared between service providers. * We believe clinical outcomes may be compromised by adhering to the funded hours, and inequity of outcome may arise based on socioeconomic status and the ability of patients to pay. *Research that determines how patients and allied health practitioners are responding to this initiative is required. *Research is also required to evaluate whether EPC enhances clinical outcomes compared with no allied health intervention and standard allied health practice.
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View more >*One aim of Medicare's Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) initiative is to encourage multidisciplinary care of patients with chronic disease by funding five allied health treatment sessions per patient per year. * In many cases, the number of funded treatments is far less than standard clinical practice indicates, particularly when the five visits are shared between service providers. * We believe clinical outcomes may be compromised by adhering to the funded hours, and inequity of outcome may arise based on socioeconomic status and the ability of patients to pay. *Research that determines how patients and allied health practitioners are responding to this initiative is required. *Research is also required to evaluate whether EPC enhances clinical outcomes compared with no allied health intervention and standard allied health practice.
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Journal Title
Medical Journal of Australia
Volume
188
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
Foster MM, Mitchell G, Haines T, et al. Does Enhanced Primary Care enhance primary care? Policy-induced dilemmas for allied health professionals. Med J Aust 2008; 188 (1): 29-32. © Copyright 2008 The Medical Journal of Australia – reproduced with permission.
Subject
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Psychology