Department of Health follow up letters to GPs - feedback on imaging requests for musculoskeletal concerns
Several AMA GP members received a letter at the end of 2019 providing feedback on their imaging requests for musculoskeletal concerns and information regarding supporting resources and tools.
As a follow up, some letter recipients will soon be receiving a letter from the department with updated feedback on their imaging requests for musculoskeletal concerns. Members who receive this letter are not being contacted as part of an audit or practitioner review compliance activity, and are not required to provide information to the department about their imaging requests.
The letters are part of the Department of Health project that aims to promote the clinically relevant use of imaging services, and assists GPs to reduce the potential for unintended harm to patients from cumulative exposure to ionising radiation, and identification of incidental findings that may increase patient anxiety and lead to further unnecessary treatment.
The Department of Health’s Reducing Unnecessary Diagnostic Imaging Project aims to better understand whether different ways of presenting personalised feedback supports GPs to reflect on their practice and reduce requests for diagnostic imaging where it is unlikely to help in the management of a musculoskeletal concern.
A number of resources and tools to support GPs requesting musculoskeletal imaging are available here.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact diagnostic.imaging@health.gov.au.
