Systematic practice-based asthma care in the Australian setting [ 2004 - 2005 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Justin Beilby (Principal investigator) ,  E/Pr Richard Ruffin ,  Prof Mark Harris

Brief description Asthma is an illness which increasingly is affecting the health and quality of life of millions of Australians. Much effort has been focused in recent years on ways of improving the management of those people who suffer from moderate and severe asthma. A recent government initiative has been to promote the use of the 3+ Visit Plan, which encourages a more proactive, systematic approach to assessing and treating asthma in general practice. There is currently no evidence about exactly how practices can best be organized to provide this systematic care, in a way which improves the process of care and the health outcomes for patients. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of changing aspects of practice organization and structure, such as setting up registers of asthma patients, providing recalls or reminders to patients to come in for regular review, having the GPs provide education and self-management skills to patients, focusing on the contributions which practice staff can make to the process, and initiating quality assurance measures such as audit and feedback to the GPs about their quality of care. We anticipate that these changes will provide positive benefits for the patients, but will also investigate what it costs the practices, patients and government to bring these changes about, within the perspective of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The evidence generated by this study will provide an excellent base for providing advice to policy makers, as well as contributing to the development of best-practice models of care for asthma patients in general practice.

Funding Amount $AUD 563,625.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant