A program providing general practitioners access to specialists with expertise in managing diabetes is expanding to cover the whole of Western Australia.
Diabetes Connect allows GPs to consult directly with specialist endocrinologists when managing patients with diabetes and it will now be delivered state-wide.
Originally piloted for regional GPs, the service supports more patients to receive care in the community through their trusted primary care provider.
Through the program, GPs can consult endocrinologists, improving timeframes for specialist access and helping connect patients to a broader range of diabetes education, support and management services.
Diabetes WA general manager of innovation Sophie McGough said to design the pilot program Diabetes WA had looked at the pain points GPs were dealing with when assisting patients with diabetes.
“What the GPs were saying to us was that while they could ring a tertiary hospital and maybe speak to a junior staff member about diabetes, it wasn’t timely, it wasn’t really giving them the information they wanted and it wasn’t within a formal process,” she said.
Ms McGough said many patients had also expressed desire for their GPs to know more about diabetes because they felt those doctors knew them better than specialists who they often had to wait in excess of 250 days to see.
“We designed Diabetes Connect with GPs to make it as simple as possible to access. It’s very easy, just go to our website and they can book directly, it’s a five minute process to book in a phone call to have an endocrinologist speak to them, or they can book in a multidisciplinary case conference,” she said.
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Across the pilot in regional WA, 130 GPs utilised the service to support their patients with diabetes.
“We know that GPs who are using the service really love it,” she said.
Two thirds of GPs who had used the service said they were assisted to make changes to medication or insulin therapy and 83% either changed their approach, or had their approach validated by using the program, which had a net promoter score of 92, according to Diabetes WA.
While patient outcomes were yet to be measured, GP reports show 30% of phone calls had resulted in outpatient avoidance.
Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the expansion of the program strengthened the important role of primary care in the community.
“This initiative is part of our commitment to improving support for people living with diabetes while easing pressure on our hospital system.”
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