Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice

The Australian government’s commitment to health service reform has placed general practice at the centre of its agenda to manage chronic disease. Concerns about the capacity of GPs to meet the growing chronic disease burden has stimulated the implementation and testing of new models of care that be...

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Main Authors: Eley, D., Patterson, E., Young, J., Fahey, P., Del Mar, C., Hegney, Desley, Synnott, R., Mahomed, R., Baker, P., Scuffham, P.
Format: Journal Article
Published: The Australian Journal of Primary Health, La Trobe University 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46354
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author Eley, D.
Patterson, E.
Young, J.
Fahey, P.
Del Mar, C.
Hegney, Desley
Synnott, R.
Mahomed, R.
Baker, P.
Scuffham, P.
author_facet Eley, D.
Patterson, E.
Young, J.
Fahey, P.
Del Mar, C.
Hegney, Desley
Synnott, R.
Mahomed, R.
Baker, P.
Scuffham, P.
author_sort Eley, D.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Australian government’s commitment to health service reform has placed general practice at the centre of its agenda to manage chronic disease. Concerns about the capacity of GPs to meet the growing chronic disease burden has stimulated the implementation and testing of new models of care that better utilise practice nurses (PN). This paper reports on a mixed-methods study nested within a larger study that trialled the feasibility and acceptability of a new model of nurse-led chronic disease management in three general practices. Patients over 18 years of age with type 2 diabetes, hypertension or stable ischaemic heart disease were randomised into PN-led or usual GP-led care. Primary outcomes were self-reported quality of life and perceptions of the model’s feasibility and acceptability from the perspective of patients and GPs. Over the 12-month study quality of life decreased but the trend between groups was not statistically different. Qualitative data indicate that the PN-led model was acceptable and feasible to GPs and patients. It is possible to extend the scope of PN care to lead the routine clinical management of patients’ stable chronic diseases. All GPs identified significant advantages to the model and elected to continue with the PN-led care after our study concluded.
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publishDate 2012
publisher The Australian Journal of Primary Health, La Trobe University
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-463542017-09-13T15:07:14Z Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice Eley, D. Patterson, E. Young, J. Fahey, P. Del Mar, C. Hegney, Desley Synnott, R. Mahomed, R. Baker, P. Scuffham, P. practice nursing quality of life The Australian government’s commitment to health service reform has placed general practice at the centre of its agenda to manage chronic disease. Concerns about the capacity of GPs to meet the growing chronic disease burden has stimulated the implementation and testing of new models of care that better utilise practice nurses (PN). This paper reports on a mixed-methods study nested within a larger study that trialled the feasibility and acceptability of a new model of nurse-led chronic disease management in three general practices. Patients over 18 years of age with type 2 diabetes, hypertension or stable ischaemic heart disease were randomised into PN-led or usual GP-led care. Primary outcomes were self-reported quality of life and perceptions of the model’s feasibility and acceptability from the perspective of patients and GPs. Over the 12-month study quality of life decreased but the trend between groups was not statistically different. Qualitative data indicate that the PN-led model was acceptable and feasible to GPs and patients. It is possible to extend the scope of PN care to lead the routine clinical management of patients’ stable chronic diseases. All GPs identified significant advantages to the model and elected to continue with the PN-led care after our study concluded. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46354 10.1071/PY11164 The Australian Journal of Primary Health, La Trobe University restricted
spellingShingle practice nursing
quality of life
Eley, D.
Patterson, E.
Young, J.
Fahey, P.
Del Mar, C.
Hegney, Desley
Synnott, R.
Mahomed, R.
Baker, P.
Scuffham, P.
Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title_full Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title_fullStr Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title_full_unstemmed Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title_short Outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in Australian general practice
title_sort outcomes and opportunities: a nurse-led model of chronic disease management in australian general practice
topic practice nursing
quality of life
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46354