Premium
Does Enhanced Primary Care enhance primary care? Policy‐induced dilemmas for allied health professionals
Author(s) -
Foster Michele M,
Mitchell Geoffrey,
Haines Terry,
Tweedy Sean,
Cornwell Petrea,
Fleming Jennifer
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01501.x
Subject(s) - multidisciplinary approach , medicine , family medicine , primary care , intervention (counseling) , nursing , health care , socioeconomic status , clinical practice , health professionals , primary health care , environmental health , population , political science , law
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.