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Prescribing Data in General Practice Demonstration (PDGPD) project Prescribing Data in General Practice Demonstration (PDGPD) project

The Prescribing Data in General Practice Demonstration (PDGPD) project is a quality improvement activity for GPs.

The aim of the PDGPD project is to determine whether a multifaceted intervention leads to improved prescribing practice and short term clinical outcomes for patients with hypertension or chronic heart failure. The project also will assess whether the intervention is acceptable and sustainable in general practice. The intervention is being implemented by the Pharmaceutical Decision Support and Health Professional teams from the NPS in co-operation with the AGPN. The evaluation is being conducted by the Research & Development team at NPS with the support and advice of the PDGPD study guidance group: Professor Jane Gunn (Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Melbourne), Professor Nigel Stocks (Head, Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide), and Professor Jon Emery (Head of School and Chair, Department of General Practice, University of Western Australia).

The intervention gathers feedback on GPs’ prescribing for hypertension and chronic heart failure and uses this feedback as a basis for discussion with practice peers and a trained facilitator in order to improve management of people with these conditions. The feedback is in the form of clinical indicator results (such as the percentage of chronic heart failure patients managed by a GP being prescribed a certain treatment) and is generated by a data extraction software tool already widely used by general practices. The impact of the intervention will be formally evaluated to determine whether it promotes good prescribing practice, improves short term patient outcomes and is acceptable and sustainable within general practices.

A pilot of the project is currently being conducted in two general practices. Ethics approval for the pilot has been granted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The main study will commence in August 2009 and will involve approximately 180 practices throughout Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Who is running the PDGPD project?

The project is being run by the National Prescribing Service (NPS) in conjunction with the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN). The NPS is an independent non-profit organisation funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging that works to promote the Quality Use of Medicines in Australia. We achieve this through providing education and information support for health professionals, such as doctors and pharmacists, as well as consumers. In order to ensure that the information we provide is up to date, accurate and appropriate we consult a range of experts and consumers and conduct our own research into medicines use in Australia.

AGPN is a peak national non-profit body representing 111 divisions of general practice and their state-based organisations across Australia. The Network is involved in a wide range of activities including health promotion, early intervention and prevention strategies, chronic disease management, medical education and workforce support. By delivering local health solutions through general practice, AGPN aims to ensure all Australians can access a high quality health system.

Why is my medical practice taking part in the PDGPD project?

GPs in your practice are interested in and committed to providing the best possible treatment for their patients. Therefore they have taken this opportunity to participate in a quality improvement activity that will not only help them with improving patient management, but also provide valuable information about this and similar quality improvement activities to guide future programs. Doctors will not be paid for participating in the PDGPD project and will only receive nominal reimbursement for the extra staff time needed for updating clinical records.

How do I know if my GP is participating in the PDGPD project?

Practices taking part in the project will display a poster stating that they are participating in the PDGPD project in the waiting room of their practice. However, not all GPs within a participating practice may be taking part. To find out if your own GP is part of the project, simply ask your GP.

Will you be collecting any information about patients?

Patient information is very important for measuring the benefits of such quality improvement activities to people’s health. To evaluate the impact of the PDGPD project quality improvement activity, non-identifiable data will be drawn from patients’ medical records and analysed. This information can also identify factors that may support or prevent improvement in patients’ health in a practice (for example smoking, older patient population) so we can target future activities where it will result in most benefit.

Which patients’ health information will you be using?

Non-identifiable patient data will only be collected on patients diagnosed with hypertension and chronic heart failure who are currently or have recently been treated at your practice. Data on patients’ basic characteristics (for example age, sex), risk factors (smoking), relevant diagnoses (for example chronic heart failure, hypertension, diabetes) and medications will be collected for the evaluation.

Will my health information be kept confidential?

Any of your health information collected from GPs’ records for the evaluation will be non-identifiable – that is the researchers will not know who the information belongs to because no names, addresses or Medicare numbers are collected. The data will be securely stored at NPS and no one will have access to it except the researchers. The data will be destroyed five years after the final report is published.<

How will you collect patient health information?

A data extraction software tool already widely used by practices will be used to draw patients’ information for the evaluation of the PDGPD project from GPs’ patient management records on their computers. You will not be asked to fill out any forms or answer any extra questions for the evaluation.

What if I don’t want my health information to be used?

If you do not want your health information to be included in the evaluation of the intervention, simply let your GP know and he or she will prevent your information from leaving the practice. Your medical care will not be affected by whether or not you agree to have your anonymous information included in the evaluation. You will always receive the best care your doctor can provide.

Can I see the results of the study?

Yes. The results of the PDGPD project evaluation will be made publically available on the NPS website (www.nps.org.au) following the conclusion of the study. The report will contain only aggregate data and no patient, GP or practice will be able to be indentified from the report.

Can I get further details?

If you have any further questions, please call Dr Shantala Mohan 02 8217 8782.

Date published: 2011-01-01 00:00:00

Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.

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