GP clinic and community health centre approach to after hours and the role of Medicare Locals in educating and raising awareness

Abstract

This article reviews a Quality Improvement Project concerning how GP clinics approach after hours (AH) primary care information for themselves and their patients. Medicare Locals have been given the responsibility of coordinating AH services in their catchments and supporting health systems and patients in accessing care appropriate to their needs. The AH project conducted by Inner North West Melbourne Medicare Local (INWMML) sought to explore how a range of GP clinics approached AH information before an educational forum, evaluation of its developed resources for increasing awareness of AH options and how clinics would choose to change their approach to AH following this process. The findings suggested that 46 participating clinic staff had a strong focus on hospitals and locum services as the main AH options despite telephone advice line options being available. Additionally, there was a lack of awareness for some clinic staff concerning services for mental health, dental health and residential aged care. The educational forum and the AH resources developed (i.e. brochures, posters and service directory) by INWMML were rated as valuable and would be used and shared with other health care providers and patients. Confidence that patients would be able to find appropriate care in the AH period after clinics had finished implementing planned changes, rose significantly in key areas after participating in the AH project.