Designing the Smooth Patient Journey — From Primary Care to Specialist
Pelvic pain care too often starts late, fragments early, and escalates unnecessarily. This session focuses on what can be done earlier, better, and more efficiently — before specialist referral to improve outcomes and reduce burden for patients and clinicians alike.
Through expert presentations and lived-experience insight, we will explore:
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How pelvic pain care can be started well in primary care
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What to actively promote to support smoother, safer pathways
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What should be stopped because it delays recovery or escalates care unnecessarily
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How to integrate allied health, pain services, and specialist input effectively
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Making the most of specialist referrals when they are required
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This event is designed for GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, allied health professionals, and medical trainees who want clearer, kinder, and more efficient pelvic pain pathways.
Speakers
Mel Cohen, Pain Nurse Practitioner
Early pain management strategies that reduce escalation and improve coordination; understanding and optimising public and private settings.
Dr Sarah McDonnell, General Practitioner & Pelvic Pain Clinic Director
What primary care can realistically do and do well before the need for referral.
Dr Katie Christensen, Gynaecologist & AGES advanced laparoscopic surgeon
Making specialist referrals count: timing, preparation, and expectations.
Caroline Morton, Pain Physiotherapist
When pelvic health or pain physiotherapy should be part of the pathway; don’t leave it to the end!
Panel Discussion
A lived-experience perspective on how care could have been smoother and what would have helped earlier.
Venues
Cairns
JCU City Campus, Bada-Jali Campus
36 Shields Street, Cairns
Townsville
North Queensland Persistent Pain Management Service (NQPPMS)
Level 2 Medilink Building, Townsville University Hospital