HCN RESEARCH DIVISION

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The GPRN is a national network of Australian GPs and practices taking part in quality assurance and research activities through Medical Director. The GPRN is coordinated by HCN's Research Division.

Find out more about
» Benefits For Gps
» Current Audit Activities
» How Electronic Data Collection Works
» How The Information Is Used
» Who Else Is Involved
» Privacy And Confidentiality
» Contact GPRN
» Publications

BENEFITS FOR GPs

GPRN activities provide GPs with QA & CME points and recognition for the Practice Incentive Program. At the same time they improve their use of Medical Director and the Internet. Like other QA activities, information collected by the GPRN allows GPs to compare their practice against "best practice standards" and those of peers.

Benefits for GPs include

• improved use of Medical Director and the Internet
• RACGP accredited QA & CME activities
• recognition by Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Quality Prescribing Initiative
• Practice Administration Payment
• Quarterly GP Report

CURRENT AUDIT ACTIVITIES

Pilot of National Prescribing Service (NPS) Clinical eAudit: Drug use in type 2 diabetes

The NPS Clinical eAudit: Drug use in type 2 diabetes is now available for pilot release in electronic format for use with Medical Director (MD) Version 2.84. This electronic audit (eAudit) is initially being piloted with GPs in the GPRN Research Network only. The eAudit content has been developed by NPS using its paper-based Clinical audit: Drug use in type 2 diabetes, with software developed by HCN.

The eAudit software automatically identifies patients with diabetes and generates a list of eligible patients for clinicians to select for the audit. As individual patients are reviewed, available clinical data from the patient record (e.g. current drug therapy, blood pressure, age, weight) is automatically transferred to the audit program.

Aims of the NPS diabetes eAudit

• To review the management of patients with type 2 diabetes
• To review antidiabetic drug use to achieve optimal control of blood glucose levels
• To review frequency of monitoring
• To assess and manage co-existing dyslipidaemia and hypertension to minimise cardiovascular risk.

Audit data needs to be submitted to NPS by 7th December 2005.

For further information please contact James Reeve at NPS, phone 02 8217 8700 or email jreeve@nps.org.au

HOW ELECTRONIC DATA COLLECTION WORKS

GPs email de-identified information to the GPRN using an automated extraction tool provided by HCN Research. Minimum data requirements apply.

HOW THE INFORMATION IS USED

E-health, decision support, computerised health records - there's a lot happening in Australian general practice.

Information collected will be used to improve

• Medical Director and other HCN software
• training for MD users
• functionality of future decision support systems
• quality assurance activities
• communication channels.

Research networks like the GPRN have been in operation in other countries for some time. Examples include the General Practice Research Database in the UK, the Computer Research Network in New Zealand and the Rochester Epidemiology Project by the Mayo Clinic in the USA. These networks have allowed researchers to make important contributions to improving health and health care delivery. The GPRN's aim is to make a similar contribution.

WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED

HCN Research has formed links with organisations which have demonstrated interests in clinical audits, decision support systems, computersied health records and their impact on health care and research.

The GPRN database will also be made available to other organisations to support research and development in general practice. For example, we have supplied de-identified data to universities for research purposes.

PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY

The GPRN adheres to the strict legislative requirements of privacy and confidentiality to ensure that all data protects both the interests of the participating GPs and their patients. The program requires that GPs intending to take part give formal consent before they begin. The data extracted from Medical Director will be de-identified and encrypted at the GP's practice prior to transfer to HCN Research. Patients are also given the opportunity to opt out if they are concerned about their privacy or use of their personal health information.

CONTACT GPRN

General practitioners wanting to participate and all other interested parties can find out more by contacting the GPRN:

Phone: 1 800 622 678
Email: gprn@hcn.com.au

Thank you for your interest and support.

PUBLICATIONS

Sayer GP, McGeechan K, Kemp A, Bhasale A, Horn F, Hendrie L et al. The General Practice Research Network: the capabilities of an electronic patient management system for longitudinal patient data. Pharmacoepidmiology and Drug Safety 2003; 12(6):483-489.

Kerr SJ, Mant A, Horn FE, McGeechan K, Sayer GP. Lessons from early large-scale adoption of celecoxib and rofecoxib by Australian general practitioners. Med J Aust 2003; 179(8):403-407.

Stocks NP, McElroy H, Sayer GP, Duszynski K. Acute bronchitis in Australian general practice: a prescription too far. Aust Fam Physician 2004; 33(1/2):91-93.