Palliative Care Project. Division of General Practice, Northern Tasmania

The Division has conducted a palliative care program for over 6 years. This program seeks to enhance the role of GPs in the provision of effective palliative care by raising GP knowledge, understanding, confidence and competence in the cooperative management of terminally ill patients with the broad range of health professionals working in palliative care.

The program aims to improve the:

• interface between acute care hospital and the GP;

• interface between the primary nurse, the palliative care team and the GP;
• GPs knowledge base in palliative care;

• support and training provided for GP involvement in the region's hospice.

Specific strategies include:

• primary care consultant attachment at the regional hospital;
• attendance at case conference at the region's hospice;
• multidisciplinary educational / CME activities;
• and use of The Palliative Care Modules in conjunction with Professor Maddocks.

The project has resulted in improvements in relation to each objective. In particular, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients cared for at home and in the hospice by GPs with very good outcomes.

This program's strategies have been very successful and represent a sound a proven model for consideration by the RACGP and ANZSPM for the certification of GPs in palliative medicine.