Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) invites general practitioners to register for this practical, skills-based program. Primary healthcare has a unique role in reducing the harms associated with substance use. 

Participants will gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills to ask about and assess substance use (yes all of them!….tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, including vaping!). Gaining that confidence and knowledge will help you quantify the level of harm associated with your patients’ use, talk with them about it, and provide advice on practical ways they can manage it.   

Alcohol and other drug use is common. It’s a leading cause of preventable burden of disease in Australia. Screening, and brief intervention, is one of the most time and cost-effective, evidence-based approaches to helping your medium risk patients cut-down or stop on their own.  

For higher risk patients with more complex needs, the program outlines referral pathways for specialist care. Bringing it out into the open is a first step towards the patient getting help.  

Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) - Education program 

“People who use drugs are probably addicted and need a specialist service”   – Not true. Most people who use drugs are not addicted. 

“I can’t treat them with the resources I have available”   – You can. For the majority, responding is easy and time-efficient. 

“We don’t see those kinds of patients in our practice anyway”   – A significant proportion of people attending GPs either smoke, drink, or use illicit substances at least sometimes. 

This program comprises of three activities, but each component is a standalone activity accredited for CPD through RACGP. The sessions are outlined below. 

For the first time, patients with a chronic health issue are being asked to share their experiences so healthcare providers can better understand their needs.

The PaRIS Health Survey will strengthen the measurement of outcomes and experiences of primary care services for people living with chronic conditions.

Nearly half of all Australians (46.6%) have one or more chronic conditions, and almost one in five (18.6%) have two or more chronic conditions.

In Australia, the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care is working with ORIMA Research to implement the PaRIS Survey, on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Why participate in the PaRIS Survey?

By taking part in the PaRIS Health Survey, general practices will better understand their patient experiences and identify opportunities to improve the care they provide. Survey participation can also count towards CPD requirements.

The PaRIS Survey aims to fill a critical gap in primary health care by gaining insights on access to health care and waiting times, quality of life, pain, physical functioning, and psychological wellbeing.

Each participating practice will gain access to a dashboard showing their results, as well as the de-identified results of other participating practices according to size, location, and FTE. This national data will give practices a rich data set to inform their quality improvement activities.

Who can participate?

Accredited general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in Australia that use electronic patient records are eligible to participate. General practices register to take part and then invite eligible patients to do the survey. The survey closes on the 30 November 2023.

Register to participate here.

For more information visit www.safetyandquality.gov.au/paris-survey