Paediatricians and GPs have worked together with patients to develop an Australian-first collaborative care model for children with ADHD to be implemented across Brisbane’s six public paediatric hospitals.
Following initial assessment and treatment by a Metro South Health, Metro North Health, or Children’s Health Queensland paediatrician, many children with ADHD can receive ongoing care from their GP to manage repeat prescriptions and follow-up monitoring.
Paediatricians will be available to provide advice within five days to GPs treating children with ADHD on the Collaborative Care Pathway via GP Smart Referrals’ ‘Request for Advice’ function.
Led by Metro South Health, this exciting new initiative exemplifies what can be achieved through cross-agency collaboration, evidence-informed practice, and system-level redesign.
Metro South Health Chief Operating Officer Paula Foley said the model is the first of its kind because of legislation for GPs that is unique to Queensland.
“Queensland is uniquely positioned to lead in this space,” Ms Foley said.
“We are the only Australian jurisdiction where GPs are legislatively authorised to initiate stimulant prescribing for children and oversee ongoing care. However, this capacity had not been fully leveraged within our service models."
“GPs can feel confident in managing their young patient’s care upon receiving a comprehensive clinical handover, use of HealthPathways and the opportunity to submit a Request for Advice for timely paediatrician support.”
The pathway was officially launched with an event in May bringing together representatives from Metro South Health, Metro North Health, Children’s Health Queensland, Brisbane South PHN, and Brisbane North PHN as well as 86 local GPs to celebrate the cross-agency collaboration.
“At the launch, we heard from families the impact this is likely to have, as they often face long delays for diagnosis and support,” said Martine Waters, Metro South Health’s Strategic Partnerships Manager.
“The Collaborative Care Pathway equips and empowers general practitioners to take a more active role in ADHD care, supported with the on-demand resources and escalation options needed to provide safe, high-quality care closer to home.
“This shift also creates capacity for paediatricians to focus on new and complex cases.”
Children’s Health Queensland GP Liaison Officer Dr Aaron Chambers said: “Our hope is that GPs will feel just as confident managing ADHD as they do other common conditions like asthma, anxiety, or diabetes.”
For more information on the pathway, contact Metro South Health Strategic Partnerships.