Will promoting general practitioners with special interests threaten access to primary care?

5 Gauld R, Mays N. Are New Zealand’s new primary health organisations fit for purpose? BMJ 2006; 333: 1216-1218. 6 Georgiou A, Burns J, McKenzie S, et al. Monitoring change in diabetes care using diabetes registers: experience from Divisions of General Practice. Aust Fam Physician 2006, 35: 77-80. 7 Zwar NA, Hermiz O, Comino EJ, et al. Do multidisciplinary care plans result in better care for type 2 diabetes? Aust Fam Physician 2007; 36: 8589. 8 O’Halloran J, Ng A, Britt H, Charles J. EPC encounters in Australian general practice. Aust Fam Physician 2006; 35: 8-10. 9 Georgeff M. E-health and the transformation of health care. Melbourne: Australian Centre for Health Research, 2007. http://www.achr.com.au/ pdfs/ehealth%20and%20the%20transofrmation%20of%20healthcare.pdf (accessed May 2007). 10 Hickie IB, McGorry PD. Increased access to evidence-based primary mental health care: will the implementation match the rhetoric? Med J Aust 2007; 187: 100-103. 11 Byles J, Young A, Wheway V. Annual health assessments for older Australia women: uptake and equity. Aust N Z J Public Health 2007; 31: 170-173. 12 Wilkinson D, McElroy H, Beilby J, et al. Characteristics of general practitioners that provided health assessments, care plans or case conferences, as part of the Enhanced Primary Care program. Aust Health Rev 2002; 25 (6): 137-144. 13 Beilby J, Holton C. Chronic disease management in Australia: evidence and policy mismatch, with asthma as an example. Chronic Illn 2005; 1: 7380. 14 Medicare Australia. Statistics. http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/providers/health_statistics/statistical_reporting/medicare.shtml (accessed May 2007). 15 Burgess T, Beilby J, Zwar N, et al. Evaluation of the Asthma 3+ Visit Plan. Final report. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2004. 16 Harris MF, Zwar NA. Care of patients with chronic disease: the challenge for general practice. Med J Aust 2007; 187: 104-107. 17 Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K. Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness. JAMA 2002; 288: 1775-1779. 18 United Kingdom Department of Health. Investing in general practice. The new medical services contract. London: DH, 2003. http:// www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4071966 (accessed Jun 2007). 19 Freeman GK, Horder JP, Howie JGR, et al Evolving general practice consultation in Britain: issues of length and context. BMJ 2002; 324: 880882. 20 Ofman J, Badamgarav E, Henning J, et al. Does disease management improve clinical and economic outcomes in patients with chronic disease? A systematic review. Am J Med 2004; 117: 182-192. ❏