Macleod Village Medical Advisory Committee
Some aged care homes are faced with the difficulty of attracting and retaining the services of general practitioners to provide regular consultations for residents with complex medical needs. Southern Cross Care Macleod Village in Victoria, incorporating Terry Barker Nursing Home and Macleod Hostel, has established a Medical Advisory Committee which has successfully addressed this problem.
The Macleod Village Medical Advisory Committee is responsible for the integration of medical care; development of operational policies, provision of advice; quality improvement and education; and communication between all primary care givers. The home attributes many positive outcomes for residents, staff, visiting medical practitioners and stakeholders, to the successful implementation of this initiative.
The Medical Advisory Committee has resulted in positive outcomes including:
- developed a process of peer credentialling for GPs. Once at risk of losing GP membership, the home's GP base now totals 16 credentialled members
- introduction of computer software, leading to improved GP satisfaction, increased consultation and clinical care time with residents, reduced calls from pharmacy to facility and increased staff satisfaction
- regular presentations at the Committee by a geriatrician provides contemporary clinical information and trends in the management of disease in aged care
- development of correspondence for residents to take along with their drug chart to external appointments. The letter requests any medication changes be made to the drug chart. Any changes are immediately forwarded to the pharmacy and medications changed accordingly. This systtem has also negated the need for visits to the home by GPs to update the medication charts
- reduced number of locum visits - the Committee has endorsed an on-call support system for any resident being palliated or who requires complex pain management
- a 69.6% decrease in the number of admissions to hospital between 1999 and 2005
- 100% attendance at all meetings by general practitioners since commencement.
Manager Diana Cooper said: "Our GPs have told us that the Medical Advisory Committee works because of GP commitment, the frequency of meetings, and that the meetingsa re professional, structured and organised.
