New General Practice Funding Opportunity: Case finding and referrals to the Life! Program
Funding is available from Diabetes Australia – Vic (DA–Vic) to support practices to identify and refer eligible patients aged 50 and above at high risk of type 2 diabetes to a Life! course.
Terms of this funding agreement are set out below.
The funding offer
DA-Vic offers the following funding:
- 16 hours employment at $35 per hour (+ GST)
- total = $560 (+ GST)
The funding may be used to undertake the following tasks:
- use medical software, or alternative systems, to identify patients aged 50 and above who are at risk of type 2 diabetes
- send a letter and AUSDRISK test to each identified patient
- encourage patients to complete the AUSDRISK test and make an appointment to see the practice nurse or GP if they score 9 or above
- discuss the completed risk test with patient
- organise for a GP to order any pathology required to exclude type 2 diabetes for those who are at high risk
- refer eligible patients to a Life! course
- flag the records of patients who did not respond to the letter so that they can be followed up and encouraged to make an appointment to see the GP or practice nurse.
To assist this process, a template patient letter that can be customised by the practice, search criteria for some practice software and copies of the AUSDRISK test are available at www.diabetesrisk.org.au
Referral requirements
In order to receive the total funding available,
DA-Vic requires a minimum of 15 eligible patient referrals to the Life! program. To be eligible, patients must:
- be aged 50 years and above (or 18 years and above if of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent)
- score 15 or more on the AUSDRISK test
- have Diabetes excluded in the last 12 months
Practices are encouraged to keep a list of patients that have been referred to a Life! course under this funding agreement to assist with invoicing requirements.
Invoicing and payment
To support practices in this work, payment will be made in two instalments.
Instalment one: Practices can invoice DA-Vic for the first eight hours work ($280 + GST) with evidence* of at least five referrals made to the Life! program.
Instalment two: Submit a second invoice for the remaining eight hours work ($280 + GST) with evidence* of at least an additional ten referrals to the Life! program.
DA-Vic does not notify practices when these requirements have been met and invoices should be sent.
DA-Vic will only make payments to the practice named on the funding agreement, and not to the individual staff member who is doing the case finding.
Ongoing support
Practices struggling to meet these requirements are encouraged to contact DA-Vic or their local division of general practice for assistance.
In order to support your work more effectively, DA-Vic may advise your local division of general practice that your practice has signed up to this funding initiative.
For further information on the funding, please contact the Program Coordinator - Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Program on (03) 9341 5200.
* Evidence may be a list of patients referred or number of patients referred and facilitator they have been referred to.
For a copy of the full terms and agreement please click HERE