More than 130 primary care service providers, including 47 general practitioners (GPs), turned out recently for the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) First Nations Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) education event focusing on Chronic Disease and Care Planning held in Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay.

And by all accounts, they were a huge success.

In his address to the groups, First Nations CQI GP champion and guest speaker Dr Jason King provided practical hints, case studies, and resources for attendees.

The NQPHN workshop series forms part of the 12-month First Nations CQI Program, which includes four events on relevant topics of discussion.

Previous topics include chronic kidney disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and 715 Health Assessments.

Attendees have commended the events as informative and enjoyable with relevant speakers and take-home knowledge.

NQPHN and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health (ACCHO) Integrated Team Care (ITC) personnel also presented at the Chronic Disease and Care Planning event and dinner, providing information about the ITC program including referral pathways and contact details.

Currently, 75 primary care service providers are participating in the CQI program until September 2023, including 48 general practices, six ACCHOs and Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), and 21 Hospital and Health Service (HHS) Primary Care Clinics.

Attendance to the First Nations CQI Chronic Disease and Care Planning Events covered Townsville (46 attendees, including 14 GPs), Cairns (45 attendees, including 15 GPs), and Mackay (42 attendees, including 18 GPs).

The latest Chronic Disease and Care Planning Workshop was the third event of the series, with the final workshop’s details on mental health to be announced.