Written by Osteopath, Dr. Annabel Silver (Ranford)
When was the last time you had a room full of medical professionals discussing your case?
You might think this only happens in the emergency room but allied health can be this holistic too. Today, Annabel attended an online conference of medical professionals for one of her patients. This was organised by the lead physiotherapist and included a nurse from the Royal Children's Hospital, speech pathologist, occupational therapist and dietician. Together they are planning the best path in managing the complex needs of this young patient. Collaborative care at its best!
Collaborative care is the communication and cooperation of several health care providers to work together to achieve the best outcomes for you and your condition. There are many examples of collaborative care in our clinic. When you see a health professional at Inspire Health they may refer you to another practitioner to enhance your care. This may be within our fabulous team in-house or perhaps to another practitioner in the community. Ideally there is communication between care team members, with you in the centre and in control of your health. We see the bigger picture and the need for a holistic approach to your health.
Many of our patients are referred to us by the GP under an Enhanced Primary Care plan. For some conditions (considered chronic, usually lasting for more than 3 months) you can attend for up to 5 visits per calendar year with Medicare rebates of $53.80 per session. You will need to pay a gap fee when attending as we cannot bulk bill for these sessions. These 5 sessions can be shared among allied health professions that you and the GP have decided are important for your collaborative care, for example osteopathy, podiatry and physiotherapy. Your practitioner reports back to the GP with a summary of your care and further recommendations if needed.
What does this mean for you? Better communication between the people looking after you and individuals using their strengths to best benefit you, the patient.
