A partnership between LHDs and PHN Coordinare has delivered multidisciplinary care targeting GPs and improved outcomes for COPD patients.
Coordinare (South Eastern NSW PHN), in partnership with Southern NSW LHD and Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD, has established a new program offering a multidisciplinary approach to enhance COPD management within the community.
The LinkMyCare program, funded by NSW Health, is designed to reduce hospitalisations and improve quality of life for individuals with COPD by providing GPs with targeted resources to assist patients in managing their condition close to home and minimise out-of-pocket costs, according to a statement from Coordinare.
The program is also aimed at facilitating closer integration between primary care providers, allied health and hospitals through initiatives such as the COPD care pathway, developed through a collaborative commissioning program, and the COPD Annual Cycle of Care.
LinkMyCare will initially be rolled out across 16 general practices region-wide over the next eighteen months, with the first patients to be enrolled by late October 2024 and another eight practices set to join the program by January 2026, the announcement confirmed.
Dr Katherine Michelmore, medical director at Coodinare and practicing Illawarra GP, said COPD presented a “serious chronic health issue” for the South Eastern NSW region.
“The LinkMyCare program will encourage active involvement from patients and members of their practice team and will facilitate integration with allied health and hospital services to ensure the right care at the right time,” she said.
