North Queensland general practices are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to successfully increase voluntary patient registrations into MyMedicare. 

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has partnered with Healthily, the creators of GoShare Voice, to offer general practices in North Queensland the AI technology to help them prepare for changes to Chronic Conditions Management Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) item numbers from November 2024. 

It is being funded under the NQPHN’s MyMedicare Mini Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activity. 

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Sean Rooney said the technology was working effectively to identify and contact eligible patients for MyMedicare registration.  

“This AI technology is helping practices to easily reach out to patients who are eligible to register for MyMedicare,” Mr Rooney said. 

“It is an effective solution that is enhancing efficiency in workflows, while also helping to reduce the administrative burden that healthcare staff face.” 

GoShare Voice is an innovative AI technology that enables automated outbound phone calls with patients to provide relevant health information and support. 

Practice Manager Emma Pullen, from Sydney Street Medical in Mackay, said using the AI technology had a positive impact on the practice and their patients. 

“Using the GoShare Voice AI technology has increased the effectiveness of GoShare overall for our practice and has taken some of the pressure off our administration staff when registering eligible patients for MyMedicare,” Ms Pullen said. 

“The GoShare technology in health campaigns has also helped patients to take more responsibility for their own health, and we are seeing a positive impact on patient health literacy and self-management.” 

Eligible patients are sent a personalised SMS that includes contact details of the practice, a direct link to information about MyMedicare, and a link to the MyGov registration page. 

Patients who do not respond to the text message will receive a follow-up phone call through GoShare Voice taking patients through registration options and allowing them to ask questions. 

MyMedicare is a voluntary patient registration model by the Department of Health and Aged Care that aims to improve health outcomes and continuity of care for patients by formalising the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner, and primary care teams. 

With our goal to lift child immunisation rates and coverage across our region, we are seeking to better understand the barriers, enablers and opportunities to accessing child immunisation services for families and communities. 

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has engaged Beacon Strategies to facilitate a range of engagement activities, including local and online community consultation workshops, stakeholder interviews, and an online survey, so there’s a wide range of ways for people to engage and have their say. 

We’re currently undertaking consultation with parents and caregivers of children aged 0 to 4 years, as well as with child immunisation providers and other health and support services that work with young children and families. 

We invite you to participate in this consultation to share your perspective, and also ask you to share this information and flyer with the families who are part of your network. 

The consultation will help to inform strategies to increase accessibility to child immunisation services in our region which forms part of our commitment to implementing the NQ First 1,000 Days Framework. 

Participating pharmacies already engaged in the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) COVID-19 vaccination program received funding support from NQPHN to conduct the in-reach vaccination services at RACHs.

Through the program, NQPHN facilitated 20 separate visits to RACHs between July and November 2023, enabling the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to residents in need.

In collaboration with pharmacy partners, access to vaccines was provided to 16 RACHs, resulting in the administration of 788 doses to aged care residents.

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Sean Rooney expressed his satisfaction with the program's outcomes.

"The Pharmacy RACH Vaccination Program reflects our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of elderly individuals residing in RACHs,” he said.

“By collaborating with pharmacies, we have successfully expanded vaccine access and contributed significantly to reducing infection rates among vulnerable residents in our communities.

“The success of this initiative reaffirms NQPHN's commitment to promoting public health and underscores the importance of collaborative endeavours in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Aged care provider Bolton Clarke received vaccination visits from three separate pharmacy groups across its homes in Cairns, Bowen, and Townsville, supporting strong vaccination rates.

Bolton Clarke Director of Operations FNQ Myreen Bevan emphasised the program's significance in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

"Our partnership with NQPHN has enabled us to achieve commendable vaccination rates across our RACHs,” she said.

“This initiative underscores the collective efforts to protect our aged care residents against COVID-19.”

Ramsay Pharmacy played a key role in the program’s roll-out of vaccinations in RACHs.

“At Ramsay Pharmacy, we are proud to have played an integral part of this important vaccination program, working to ensure elderly residents received the protection they needed against COVID-19,” said Ramsay Cairns Pharmacy Manager Dianne Allenet.

“Our team is dedicated to serving our local communities, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all residents."

More than 70 North Queensland family carers, from as far north as New Mapoon in Cape York and west to Charters Towers, have upskilled so they can assist those with dementia at their end of life. 

The training was delivered through the Last Days Dementia Program workshops, which are funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) through the Greater Choice for At Home Palliative Care program, and presented in collaboration with HammondCare. 

Held recently across Cairns, Townsville, and Mackay, the workshops created a space to talk openly about dying, while also sharing practical knowledge and tools. 

Participants said they offered open discussion, personal experience stories, and excellent information. 

One carer said, “the topic of death and dying is usually a feared one, but it was very refreshing to have a normal conversation about it, and our society needs many more of them. I learned a lot of practical information.”  

“I only wish the workshops could happen more often as there are a lot of people who do not know the depth of the care they can give to a loved one,” said one carer from Cairns. 

While another participant said, “we need to normalise death and dying as a standard part of life.” 

NQPHN CEO Sean Rooney said consultations with compassionate communities in North Queensland revealed that families and carers needed help. 

“The NQPHN Older Persons Health and Palliative Care Manager Maria has advised us that it's essential to help families and carers of people living with dementia to understand what’s ahead when their loved one is at the end of their life,” Mr Rooney said. 

“These workshops give carers practical knowledge to help them plan and prepare to have open conversations about people's dying wishes and preferences. 

“That's why we partnered with HammondCare to bring the Last Days Dementia Program to North Queensland and upskill family carers of those living with dementia.” 

According to the Northern Queensland PHN Heath Needs Assessment (HNA) 2022-24 most people receiving palliative care do not access specialist palliative care services.  

About 70 per cent of palliative care is delivered outside the specialist, hospital settings and is delivered by primary care providers such as GPs, health and community services, aged care services, and community and volunteer organisations and groups. 

It's for this reason that family carers are an integral part of Australia’s health system and palliative care and provide the foundation of our aged, disability, palliative, and community care systems.