The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says a new report on heart attacks – the number one killer in Australia – highlights the need for government support for patients after an unplanned hospital visit.
New analysis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released yesterday revealed that 110 Australians have a heart attack every day, and many do not receive the recommended medications afterwards.
The study examined 67,800 people admitted to hospital with coronary heart disease between July 1st 2016 and June 30th 2017. About half had acute coronary syndrome, which includes heart attacks and unstable angina.
However, only 61% of people with acute coronary syndrome had been dispensed three or more of the guideline-recommended preventive medicines within 40 days of leaving hospital.
RACGP President Adj. Professor Karen Price said these findings are just one example of why government support for patients after an unplanned hospital visit is so important.
"The RACGP has been calling for the federal Government to provide support for patients to receive appropriate follow up care with their GP after an unplanned hospital admission, and this new report shows why it's so important," she said.
"The statistics show people who've been admitted to hospital for acute coronary syndrome are more likely to have another incident in future. So, it would make a big difference if these people were supported to receive coordinated follow-up care with their GP after hospital.
"Because there are steps people can take to reduce their risk of another cardiac event, including taking cardiovascular medicines, and nobody should be missing out on this care – particularly those who are more vulnerable and at-risk.
"The AIHW analysis found contact with community-based health care services, such as GPs, was associated with people using the recommended cardiovascular medicines. And people who regularly saw their GP were more likely to be still taking the recommended medicines one year after leaving hospital.
"We are continuing to call for the government to provide funding for patients to see their GP within seven days of an unplanned hospital admission or emergency department presentation – this will reduce re-admissions and help ensure patients have the best possible outcomes, including those with coronary heart disease.
"And it will save the overall health budget in the long run by reducing expensive hospital re-admissions."
The RACGP President said better support for patients after an unplanned hospital visit will help ease pressure on Australia's hospital system and ambulance network.
"It is alarming to see the ongoing pressure on Australia's hospitals, emergency departments and ambulances, which is resulting in significant and dangerous delays for patients who need urgent care," she said.
"We have a significant opportunity to reduce pressure on these vital health services by addressing the hospitalisations which could have been prevented if the patient had received appropriate care from a GP in the community.
"Local and international evidence shows that better support for, and use of, general practice is associated with reduced emergency department visits and hospital use, and decreased hospital readmission rates. So, there is a very simple solution here that will make a big difference for patients, as well as being supremely cost effective.
Adj. Professor Price said it was high time for the government to re-think healthcare funding.
"Successive governments have stripped funding from general practice patients for decades, and it's impacting the health and wellbeing of people across the nation who are missing out on the care they need," she said.
"We urgently need to pivot healthcare funding to preventing illness and keeping people well in the community.
"General practice is the most frequented health service in our entire health system – around nine in 10 Australians visit a GP every year. But funding for general practice patients is less than 8% of total government health spending.
"If we invest more in preventative care for Australians, and measures to keep people well in the community supported by their GP, we will have a healthier population, higher productivity, and we can reduce expensive hospital case. It just makes sense."
The RACGP's Vision for general practice and a sustainable healthcare system (Vision) outlines the urgent need to restructure the healthcare system into one that prevents illness, and provides the right care for patients when and where they need it, and is sustainably funded into the future.
PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting found that implementing The Vision would create substantial economic benefits by reducing the need for more expensive secondary care and improving the nation's productivity through a healthier workforce.
The RACGP's guidelines for preventative healthcare provides guidance on evidence-based preventative activities in primary care.
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