| Project Objectives / Summary:
The Division has been involved for several years in the development of computerised clinical decision support systems for general practitioners through the Integrated Care Program (ICP). Hornsby Ku-ring-gai worked in the area of depression with the ICP. With this experience behind them they applied for and were successful in obtaining an Innovations grant to develop a decision support and management tool for the diagnosis and management of anxiety. The Division worked in collaboration with the Psychology Department at the Macquarie University and a team of local GPs to develop the functional specifications for a computer module that would be useful and relevant to GPs.
Project Outcomes:
The findings from the literature review, conducted as part of the project, reviewed in the light of current GP practice and a clinical reference guide for the diagnosis and management of anxiety was compiled. This clinical reference guide includes useful tools, resources and printable patient education material as well as best practice guideline information.
Once the clinical reference guide was compiled in a paper-based format, division staff experienced with the ICP consulted with the clinical working group to develop computer screens to contain the information and display it in useful and user friendly format.
The anxiety module has been written in 'html' format suitable for using with a web browser. However, it is not yet on the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai website as more development work is required. In its current form the module allows navigation from screen to screen to access the information, tools and resources etc. and could be viewed as an educational tool. In its current form the anxiety module does not interface to clinical software packages and does not generate patient notes.
A document of functional specifications has been developed which can be used as a basis for developing interactive decision support software.
A variety of printable patient information leaflets were sourced and added to the module together with an extensive local resource directory.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that further funding be sought to integrate this module with the depression module developed for the Integrated Care Program. Anxiety and depression are often co-morbid conditions, both are commonly seen in general practice and there are significant barriers to GPs recognising and managing these illnesses. It is believed that decision support systems for mental illness, while difficult to develop, provide much needed information and support to GPs wishing to provide best practice care for their patients.
Lessons:
In hindsight it would have been better to consider how the information could be displayed on a computer screen from the very beginning rather than first in a paper-based format and then adapting the information to computer screens. It was a labour intensive and time consuming task.
When the module was demonstrated to a small group of uninvolved GPs for comment there was a general positive response.
The educational tool in its current format is available to any GP through their Division. However, local resource directories will need to be added to customise the module to different geographical areas but the main content is transferable.
There will need to be some way of updating the content when necessary particularly in regard to medication advice.
For further information contact: office@hkrdgp.org.au
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