AIHW Report Confirms Pivotal GP Role in Preventive Health Care

Dr Haikerwal said the report - Atlas of Avoidable Hospitalisations in Australia; ambulatory care-sensitive conditions - shows that GPs are the key to keeping people out of hospital and that this role can be enhanced with better funding of preventive health care.

"The simple fact of the matter is that the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) does not currently adequately support or promote preventive care programs," Dr Haikerwal said.

"Preventive medicine includes the prevention of illness, the early detection of specific diseases, and the promotion and maintenance of health.

"It includes population health initiatives such as immunisation and screening programs and helping patients quit smoking and be careful about their weight.

"It's more about wellness than illness.

"General practice is best placed to provide preventive care as around 90 per cent of Australians visit their GP every year.

"The preventive care evidence is out there for all to see, with dramatic improvements in screening for cancer, for example, and an increase in immunisation levels.

"But with an ageing population and higher prevalence of conditions like diabetes, there is a need for an even greater focus on preventive care and the right policies to support it.

"The AMA believes the MBS should allow for all Australians to receive regular preventive health assessments that include evidence-based examinations. We have them now for certain subsets of the population, but they should be universal.

"We need to keep GPs working and attract more young doctors to general practice to provide these services.

"Preventive care is best delivered through general practice teams that include general practice nurses and other health professionals working cooperatively with the GP.

"A focus on preventive health will keep more Australians out of hospital and reduce overall health expenditure," Dr Haikerwal said.