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