The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) says better supported rural general practices could play a “substantial frontline role” in significantly boosting access to preventive healthcare … and help keep more rural Aussies out of hospital.
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RDAA says recent reports show rural Australians are suffering poorer health outcomes from difficulties and delays in accessing healthcare and preventive healthcare as a whole is falling well short of the mark.
The Second Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation shows people in rural and remote areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those at most socio-economic disadvantage have higher rates of potentially preventable hospitalisations for a range of chronic diseases, it said.
RDAA vice president Dr John Hall said difficulties accessing healthcare and consequent delays, particularly in the treatment of chronic conditions, are leading to these higher rates.
“When you look at this data alongside the information in another recently released report — Preventive health: How much does Australia spend and is it enough? — there is a very concerning correlation between the chronic diseases affecting rural Australians and a lack of funding support for preventive healthcare as a key focus area to help mitigate and manage these conditions early,’ he said.
The report showed treating chronic disease costs around $27 billion a year, but only just over $2 billion (or around $89 per person) is spent on preventive healthcare a year.
“General Practice should be our front-line defence when it comes to managing patients’ health outcomes proactively and helping them to avoid or better manage preventable chronic diseases.
“Investing in general practice to widen the reach of preventive healthcare could significantly improve the health and wellbeing of patients, and markedly reduce healthcare costs for Australia further down the track. Rural medical practices need to be better supported so they can provide high quality care to their vulnerable communities and ensure that adequate access to medical care is available to all Australians in order to achieve equitable health outcomes across the country.”