General practice and the management of chronic conditions. Where to now?
Jan Newland, BA, MMedSc (ClinEpid) is Division Support and Training Manager, Alliance of NSW Divisions, New South Wales. Nicholas Zwar, MBBS, MPH, PhD, FRACGP, is Professor of General Practice, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, and Director, General Practice Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Service, New South Wales. BACKGROUND As of 1 July 2005, the Medicare Benefits Schedule includes additional chronic disease management (CDM) item numbers offering general practitioners more options for managing patients with chronic conditions, including those requiring multidisciplinary care. The new item numbers are not a substitute for normal medical care but expand the possibilities for GPs and their patients. OBJECTIVE This article provides a practical overview of the use of the CDM item numbers. DISCUSSION A GP management plan (GPMP) if undertaken with team care arrangements (TCA) largely equates to the previous Enhanced Primary Care plan. The rol
