Bridge to Better Health: general practices urged to join Mater Research project aimed at improving health outcomes for patients with intellectual disability
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has funded Mater Research to partner with general practices in the Brisbane South PHN area as part of the Bridge to Better Health project.
The project aims to build the capacity of practice nurses to implement annual health assessments for people with intellectual disability in primary healthcare settings.
Several practices are already participating in this transformative project—now is your chance to join them.
Enhancing preventative healthcare for patients with intellectual disability
People with intellectual disability in Australia face significant health disparities. Their mortality rate can be up to 26 years earlier than the general population, often due to preventable illness.
Despite the availability of Medicare-funded annual health assessments, data indicates that time constraints in general practice can mean:
health assessments, such as the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP), are often underutilised
patients with intellectual disability can miss out on receiving an annual health check.
The Bridge to Better Health project aims to build the capacity of practice nurses to take a more active role in the care of patients with intellectual disability, helping reduce avoidable hospital admissions and improve overall health outcomes.
What’s involved in this Mater Research study?
The project will provide practice nurses with the support and training to be able to confidently complete annual health assessments for people with intellectual disability.
Participating practices will be randomly assigned to the ‘intervention group’ and the ‘usual care group’ for the study. Practices in the intervention group will for one year gain access to:
a specialist intellectual disability nurse who can offer tailored advice and support
online training and educational resources to build skills and confidence in providing health assessments.
Practice nurses will be trained to complete more of the annual health assessment, easing pressure on GPs while enhancing care for your patients with intellectual disability.
Practices in the usual care group will operate like normal for one year and then be offered the intervention as part of the study.
Benefits to your practice
Your participation in the project will:
provide more specialised and individualised support for your patients with intellectual disability
improve health outcomes for patients with intellectual disability
contribute to research that informs national health policy and practice.
Data gathered from this project will be used to help address the unmet healthcare needs of people with intellectual disabilities. General practices are encouraged to join this effort in creating a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system for all.
Is your practice eligible?
General practices with a practice nurse and at least 3 patients with intellectual disability will be eligible to participate.
Ready to get involved? Join other general practices already making a difference
If your general practice employs a practice nurse and is located in the Brisbane South PHN region, we invite you to be part of this project.
For more information or to participate, please contact the Bridge to Better Health research team at the Queensland Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability and Autism Health via 07 3163 2412 or [email protected].
Or visit the website: qceidah.com.au/bridge-to-better-health/
Further resources for clinicians
For primary care assessment and management advice, please visit the Brisbane South HealthPathways intellectual disability page.
Visit our People with Disability page.