DRAFT Residential Aged Care Homes Survey Dear DON/Manager, The Department of Health and Ageing have established a GP / Residential Aged Care Subcommittee of the Victorian Advisory Committee on General Practice (VACGP) to examine interface issues. The aim of the Sub-committee is to improve the access and coordination of primary medical care (GP) services for residents of aged care homes. The Sub-committee includes representatives from Residential Aged Care Facilities, General Practice and Commonwealth and State Government, Carers, Pharmacists and Nursing. As part of this initiative this survey has been commissioned to gain an understanding of services provided by GPs to residents of aged care homes and to identify practical strategies that may be used by aged care homes as a basis for developing better practice. The results of the survey, along with information gathered from GPs, locums, ambulance and consumers will inform the government develop and promote better practice. Most questions relate specifically to the relationship between General Practitioners and the Residential Care Homes, although there are some questions about pharmacists and other health organisations to gain information about collaboration and medication management. The survey should only take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Most questions in the survey require a tick box response only and. If you would like to provide answers verbally please feel free to ring Ness O’Brien on 03 9665 8645. Results from the survey will be de-identified and collated. Individual responses will remain confidential, however we may be interested in contacting you for a follow-up interview (to expand details of better practice strategies used). If you would be agreeable to a follow-up interview please provide the contact details of the appropriate person in the box below. Name of Home: Contact Person: Position: Phone: Email: If you have any questions regarding this survey or the work of the Sub-committee do not hesitate to contact either Kristine Faulks on 03 9665 8323 or Ness O’Brien on 03 9665 8645. Please fax completed survey to Kristine Faulks on 03 9665 8237 by To assist collation of information into Local Government Area and Region please indicate: Postcode Number of beds High Care Low Care Flexible 1. What is your best estimate of the number of GPs currently attending the home? Number of GPs 2. How many (All, Most, Few or None) of the GPs would visit the home at the following frequencies (please tick most applicable box)? (NB All = 100%, Most = (99% - 50%), Few = (49% - 1%) and No = 0%) All GPs Most GPs Few GPs No GPs Daily 2 –6 times a week Weekly Fortnightly Monthly 3. Please indicate how many (All, Most, Few or None) of GPs that provide the following services to home residents (Please tick most applicable box): All GPs Most GPs Few GPs Visits during surgery hours on request Visits out of hours on request Regular review of medication Regular medical review of named patients /residents Participate in case conferences regarding residents Participate in care planning for residents Regular surgery held in home 4. How do residents access a GP if their own GP does not provide visits? No GPs Family/carer transport resident to GP Home has a pool of GPs that visit Home has regular visiting GP 5. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “It is difficult to get GPs to see residents” (please tick box) Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree/Disagree Agree Strongly Agree 6. Please list the main issues in attracting GPs to provide services to residents: 7. Please list any useful strategies that the home has found to be successful in attracting GPs to provide services: 8. Does the home have an examination room that is available for the GP to use when visiting residents? YES NO 9. Does the home provide any medical equipment that is available for the GP to use when visiting residents? YES NO If yes, please list equipment available (eg examination light, catheter): 10. Does the resident’s record have a medical summary sheet of history, allergies and recent health issues? YES NO 11. Does the home have a Medical Advisory Committee that has GP members? YES NO 12. Does the home have a Medication Management Committee that has GP members? YES NO 13. How many Division 1 Nurses are at work during each shift? (please indicate number in box) Day Shift Afternoon Shift Overnight Shift Weekends 14. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “GP services to residents could be improved” (please tick box) Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree/Disagree Agree Strongly Agree If agree or strongly agree, please state how the GP services could be improved: 15. Please indicate the current type of involvement / contact that the home has with Divisions of General Practice: (please tick box, more than one if applicable) YES No contact Participate in outside meetings with Divisions eg PCP Occasional contact by phone NO Participate in joint projects with Division eg Fall Prevention Regular meetings with Division eg communication forum 16. Do staff at the home participate in any joint training or education sessions with GPs? (please tick box) YES NO If yes please state what the topics were: 17. How does the home usually communicate with the GP regarding medical matters concerning the resident (eg discharge from hospital, change in medication, change in health status) (tick more than one if appropriate) Changes written on residents record for GP to read Regular meeting with GP Fax sent to GP Phone Call to GP E-mail sent to GP Staff verbally inform when GP visits Letter sent to GP Written in communication book 18. Please list any issues / barriers in communicating with GPs regarding residents medical needs: 19. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Communication with GPs regarding residents health could be improved” (please tick box) Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree/Disagree Agree Strongly Agree 20. What strategies does your home use to improve communication with GPs? 21. From the following list please indicate the IT infrastructure the home uses(please tick box): YES NO PC (Personal Computer) WWW (Web) Access E-mail Electronic Medication Charts Electronic Resident Records Compac Software Medical Director Software 22. Please indicate how many (All, Most, Few or No) GPs that attend the home that would use the following IT infrastructure in the medical care of residents (please tick box): All GPs Most GPs Few GPs No GPs E-mail Electronic Medication Charts Electronic Resident Records 23. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Involvement of GPs in medication management could be improved” (please tick box) Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree/Disagree Agree Strongly Agree If agree or strongly agree please state how it could be improved: 24. Please list any issues / barriers with GPs and pharmacists regarding the medication management of residents: 25. Does the home have an accredited pharmacist doing medication reviews? (please tick box) YES NO 26. Does the home have any strategies in place to improve the GP medical care for residents? (please tick box) YES NO If yes please outline what these strategies are: 27. Time taken to complete survey? (minutes) Thankyou for your participation Please fax back completed form to Kristine Faulks or Ness O’Brien by xxx Fax: 03 9665 8237