Collaborative care: Primary health workforce and service delivery in Western New South Wales-A case study.
Robyn Ramsden, Sarah Davies, Richard Colbran and 8 others
PMID 34586698WHAT IT FOUND
A rural health service co-designed new primary care models with four small towns.
Community input shaped a shared GP role across towns, nurse-led integrated care, and telehealth backup. This describes one local implementation process, not evidence that these changes improve patient outcomes.
Key findings
01Four towns that could not each sustain a full-time GP agreed to a joint model with three part-time GP roles shared across the communities after community consultation.
02The service created non-standard integrated primary care nurse roles designed to work across general practice and the multipurpose service to reduce duplication.
03The project used telehealth support when doctors were not on site and obtained exemptions to allow billing under the Medicare Benefits Scheme.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is an illustrative case study of a single project in one region, so the findings are not generalisable to other communities. The project was still in progress at the time of writing, so long-term outcomes, sustainability, and patient satisfaction are unknown. The study did not evaluate the impact of the new model on clinical care or health outcomes. Tools for monitoring and evaluating impact beyond process measures were still in development.
Declared interests
There is no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this paper as evidence that the new workforce model improves patient health or safety. The study explicitly states it did not seek to identify impact or outcomes, and sustainability is not yet guaranteed.