Manage your health better - with your family doctor

The AMA is encouraging all Australians in Family Doctor Week 2016 to talk to their family doctor about how to live more healthily to prevent and treat problems.

AMA Family Doctor Week is a celebration of the central role played by local GPs in delivering high quality primary health care across Australia.

The theme of Family Doctor Week, 24-30 July 2016, is ‘Your Family Doctor: Invaluable to your health’.

AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, said that with chronic conditions accounting for approximately 85 per cent of the total burden of disease in Australasia and 83 per cent of premature deaths in Australia, it is vital that Australians turn to their family doctor for advice.

“General practitioners are the only medical professionals specifically trained for and skilled in comprehensive first contact and continuing care for people with any undiagnosed sign, symptom, or health concern,” Dr Gannon said.

“The family doctor can provide advice on issues across the full spectrum of health care, from the start of life to its end.

“GPs manage 90 per cent of the problems they encounter, providing immense value to both patients and the health care system.”

Data collected by the recently de-funded BEACH program shows that 85 per cent of Australians visit a GP at least once a year, and on average 5.8 times a year, with 93 per cent of patients returning to the same practice, and 66 per cent to the same GP.

“This trusted relationship is the foundation of quality health care, facilitating open and honest exchanges about health care concerns, risk factors, preventive measures, diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, ongoing management, and end of life care,” Dr Gannon said.

“This allows the doctor and patient to work together to prevent a problem, or identify a concern, treat it, and manage it.

“Governments must recognise the importance of investing in general practice and support affordable access to frontline care.

“Health played a major part in the recent Federal election, and the Government must now demonstrate it has heard people’s concerns about the ongoing affordability of their health care.

“The freeze on indexation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule patient rebate must be reversed, and future indexation of patient rebates must be lifted to levels that cover the true cost of providing high quality health services.”

As part of Family Doctor Week, the AMA has released a video showcasing the important relationship family doctors have with their patients. To view the video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVsy1lbplNA&feature=youtu.be

Follow all the action on Twitter: #amafdw16, #nomedicarefreeze

30 July 2016

CONTACT:        Kirsty Waterford                02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753

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