Sydney North Health Network are seeking Expressions of Interest from 4 General Practices who would like to participate in a project to support a team-based approach to advance care planning and palliative care with suitable patients and their carers.
General practices are in an ideal position to start early discussions with older or chronically ill patients about advance care planning. Having already developed trusted relationships with patients, open discussions about what their needs and choices might be when they may no longer be able to make these decisions themselves fits perfectly with their primary care team.
Furthermore, general practices provide ongoing care for a large number of patients with chronic, progressive and eventually fatal illnesses and so have an essential role in providing palliative care to patients and their families.
Aims
The Advance ProjectTM is a free, evidence-based toolkit and training package specifically designed to support GP’s, Practice Nurses and Practice Managers to implement a team-based approach to initiating advance care planning and palliative care in every day general practice. The Advance ProjectTM involves the toolkit and a range of resources, eLearning modules, mentoring and support for implementing the resources into clinical practice. The Advance ProjectTM is aimed at better care for people in the Australian community who are either older and/ or chronically ill. The project will provide face-to-face training for participating practice teams and access to free online training and resources for GP’s, practice nurses and practice managers. The project is funded by the Australian government, and delivered by a National consortium led by HammondCare. Participation in the program will help shape local information relevant to ACP and Palliative care. All participants will be invited to join the project stakeholder group.
Benefits
- Enable a systematic and team approach to initiating advance care planning and palliative care.
- Priority access to face-to-face learning on initiating advanced care planning and palliative care.
- Free access to eLearning modules for GP’s, Practice Nurses (PN) and Practice Managers (PM).
- Free tele-mentoring for ongoing support to participating staff.
- A toolkit provided to the practice consisting of resources for providers, patients and carers.
- RACGP accredited and APNA endorsed, CPD points available.
- Incentive payment of $2,500.00 to participating practices.
What is required?
- The practice must have at least 2 GP’s, 1 practice nurse and a practice manager.
- Complete the Advance ProjectTM training both face-to-face and the online modules.
- Use the Advance ProjectTM resources with at least 10 patients and 10 carers.
- Provide clinical audit data for 10 patients.
- Recruit 10 patients and 10 carers to complete surveys of their experience in taking part in the project, to enable ongoing improvement of the resources.
- Practice staff to be interviewed about their experience of Advance ProjectTM resources – including at least 2 GP’s, 1 PN and 1 PM.
- Passionate about ensuring that older and chronically ill patients get an early opportunity to discuss their preferences for future care.
- Passionate about improving palliative and supportive care for your patients and their families.