Workshop Outline

To register for a Mind the Gap face to face workshop please contact your local General Practice Network or Medicare Local office.

Introduction

The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) received funding from the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs to develop and implement a physical and mental health comorbidity education and training package, to improve the quality of care available to Australian veterans with co-morbid mental and physical health conditions.

This six-hour education workshop has been developed to foster collaboration and communication between General Practitioners (GPs), Practice Nurses (PNs) and other primary health care professionals involved in managing patients with mental and physical health comorbidities. Background information about the prevalence of physical and mental health comorbidities will be presented, along with mental health skills training, and information regarding the multi-disciplinary team and local referral pathways.

This workshop aims to:

1.  Provide relevant information on mental and physical health comorbiditiesfor GPs, practice nurses, and allied health professionals
2.  Increase knowledge of the relevance of team-based care and self-management
3.  Highlight local referral pathways and useful resources
4.  Provide an opportunity for inter-professional networking

At the end of this workshop, participants will have:

1.  Greater understanding of the aetiology, epidemiology, range, and interrelationships of mental health issues, chronic health conditions and comorbidities, as well as their relationships with lifestyle factors.
2.  Increased knowledge of patient self-management issues and consumer/carer perspectives and experiences of mental health issues, chronic health conditions, and comorbidities, plus greater confidence in the provision of psychoeducation to consumers/carers.
3.  Increased knowledge regarding assessment of comorbid mental and physical health conditions (including use of assessment tools), management planning (including relevant MBS item numbers and relapse prevention strategies), chronic disease management care plans, and use of practice systems to enhance continuity of care.
4.  Greater understanding of the roles and skills of mental health and allied health practitioners involved in treatment of comorbid mental and physical conditions, as well as increased awareness of appropriate referral pathways.
5.  Have a basic understanding of and confidence to use a variety of strategies and treatments suitable for use with comorbid mental and physical health issues (psychotherapeutic strategies and the integration of medications with these) in general practice populations.

Recommended pre-reading:

1.  Clarke, D.M., & Currie, K.C. (2009). Depression, anxiety, and their relationship with chronic diseases: a review of the epidemiology, risk, and treatment evidence. MJA, 190(Supp.), S54-S60.
2.  Pond, D. (2004). Diagnosis and management of dementia in general practice. Australian Family Physician, 33(10), 789-793.
3.  Howell, C., Marshall, C., & Opolski, M. (2008). Management of recurrent depression. Australian Family Physician, 37 (9), 704-708.

Workshop expectations and guidelines

Participants will be asked to outline both their expectations of the workshop and their personal learning objectives. Group guidelines (e.g. equal airspace, confidentiality) will also be brainstormed.

Mental illness refers to a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional, or social abilities. The diagnosis of mental illness is generally made according to the classification systems of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (Australian Department of Health and Ageing, 2008). This includes the high prevalence disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as adjustment disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The cases in this workshop focus primarily on depression and anxiety with comorbid physical illness, and will use the term “mental health issue” to address both sub-clinically and clinically diagnosed mental health issues.

Workshop outline

Content

Duration

Set-up, including:

·         Overhead projector and laptop for PowerPoint

·         Copies of participant manual and evaluation forms for each participant

·         Ideally, each table should have a range of health professionals

 

Arrival and registration of workshop participants

15 minutes

Part 1: Background and introductory information, including:

·         Introductions

·         Learning objectives (including participant objectives)

·         Group guidelines

90 minutes

Part 2: Understanding and recognising mental and physical health conditions

Part 3: Consumer and carer experiences

Break: Morning tea

15 minutes

Part 4: Assessment and treatment planning

90 minutes

Part 5: The multidisciplinary team

Break: Lunch

30 minutes

Part 6: Management of mental and physical health co-morbidities

90 minutes

Break: Afternoon tea

15 minutes

Part 6: Management of mental and physical health co-morbidities cont.

90 minutes

Part 7: Referral pathways

Part 8: Summary, questions, reflections, and evaluation

Finish

Total = 360 (6.0 hours)

To register for a Mind the Gap face to face workshop please contact your local General Practice Network or Medicare Local office.