ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement L-Z 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 10
WONCA 2023 Supplement 2: WONCA 2023 abstracts (L–Z)
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Connecting general practice (GP) with virtual hospitals:
An evaluation of existing GP advice lines in Sydney
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Dr Liliana Laranjo
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The University of Sydney
While there is evidence that coordination between general practice (GP) and hospitals is vital to
support the care of acute patients in the community, there is a lack of evidence regarding how
support and communication services should be structured and provided. The present project aimed
to address this gap by analysing data on existing GP advice lines in Sydney and by exploring the
perspectives of stakeholders involved in those advice lines.
The presentation will cover preliminary results from this mixed-methods translational research
study covering three major regions in Sydney: Western Sydney; Northern Sydney; and Central and
Eastern Sydney. All three regions had GP advice lines implemented to support general practitioners
in managing acute patients. In two regions, these communication channels with the hospital were
specifically set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to help primary care clinicians safely
manage COVID-19 patients in the community through specific advice on aspects like symptom
management and antiviral therapy. There are now plans to expand the scope of these lines to support
chronic disease patients in need of acute care for their conditions.
Quantitative analyses of metrics surrounding use of advice lines and other digital communication
channels from the three regions will be presented, as well a qualitative evaluation through thematic
analysis of interviews with members of hospital virtual care and primary care services (including clinical
and managerial staff), as well as consumers.
From analyses of data gathered, key findings and recommendations will be presented as to how
support services can be optimised to enhance coordination between primary and secondary care in
the remote management of acute patients in the community.
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