Health service use in the older person with complex health needs.

Discussion The greater rates of hospitalisation and specialist service use, the absence of a similar finding for GP services and the prominence of the role of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy underscore the importance of careful planning, consultation and inclusiveness in the development and implementation of integrated care policy.What is known about the topic? Older people with complex health needs are significant consumers of primary and secondary health services and benefit from well-planned and coordinated care.What does this paper add? The findings presented here indicate that although hospitals and specialist physicians provide a significantly greater volume of services to people with complex health needs, GPs do not. Within the limitations of the present study, these findings can contribute to integrated care policy and strategy development and implementation.What are the implications for practitioners? Given the prominence of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy and the findings of the present study with regard to the relative level of GP involvement in the management of people with complex needs, careful policy implementation will be required to ensure GPs are able to contribute significantly to coordinated cooperation between health services. PMID: 28954689 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research