Strengthening interprofessional practice

Ideally, health service provision is focused on the needs of the patient (or client) and their family. Effective health promotion, illness and injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliation depend on the right services being available at the right time. Consequently, providing high-quality, sustainable and reasonably accessible health services for rural and remote Australians has become a national priority. New models of health service delivery are being introduced to address issues such as the ageing population, increased specialisation and service access inequities, as well as the future workforce shortfall (Productivity Commission 2005). In 2003 and 2004, for example, the More Allied Health Services (MAHS) program funded more than 200 full-time equivalent rural allied health positions through the Australian Divisions of General Practice (DOHA 2004). This program aims to encourage linkages between allied health service providers and general practitioners. Under the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program, case conferences between a GP and at least two other health care providers have been allocated item numbers on the Medical Benefits Schedule. The EPC program focuses on clients with chronic medical conditions and complex care needs requiring the services of a range of health professionals. This chapter introduces the model of interprofessional and intersectoral team-based care. Interprofessional practice (IPP) is when practitioners from different professional backgrounds work together to improve the quality of patient care. Instead of working independently within a loosely constituted 'group', health professionals work together as interdependent members of a 'team' to provide more holistic health care. IPP focuses on the importance of health professionals working collaboratively, often beyond the boundaries of traditional practice roles, to provide care to rural Australians. Intersectoral approaches involve working with other sectors (such as education, housing, industrial, legal and communication sectors) to produce the best outcome for improvements in individual and population health. The case studies and exercises included in the chapter aim to develop awareness of the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for effective, team-based health care.