Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) Program

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A predominant issue for rural general practices is a lack of medical workforce, and strategies to overcome this issue are urgently required. The introduction of Medicare-funded telehealth in primary care settings during the coronavirus pandemic saw an increase in access to virtual care options for patients. This environment highlighted the opportunity to explore the extension of telehealth to address shortages in primary care workforce and increase access to care for rural patients.

In 2021, the Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN), Health Workforce Queensland (HWQ) and the Centre for Health System Reform and Integration (CHSRI) partnered with three rural general practices to develop the Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) Program, where an urban/regional General Practitioner (GP) joins a rural general practice and provides ongoing care to patients remotely via telehealth. The model of care was designed to address those issues most important to long-term practice sustainability and population health outcomes.

Please contact Jenny Job ( j.job@mater.uq.edu.au) for more information about this Program or to enquire about participating.

Publications

Calleja Z, Job J, Jackson C. Offsite primary care providers using telehealth to support a sustainable workforce in rural and remote general practice: A rapid review of the literature. Aust J Rural Health. 2023 Feb;31(1):5-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12920

Lepre B, Job J, Martin Z, Kerrigan N, Jackson C. The Queensland Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) partnership program pilot study: an Australian-first model of care to support rural general practice. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Oct 31;23(1):1183. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-023-10189-0

How does the VIP Program work?

In brief, the VIP Program provides rural general practices with a skilled workforce otherwise non-accessible. A Vocationally Registered GP based in an urban or regional location is recruited to a rural general practice and becomes part of the practice team, providing ongoing care to rural patients via telehealth. The VIP GP promotes continuity of care, fostering strong therapeutic relationships with patients, and must join a practice for at least 12 months, and work onsite for a short period (3-5 days) 6-monthly . Participating practices offer telehealth appointments with the VIP GP to known patients, and patients are given the option to attend these appointments from the practice or a location convenient to them. The VIP GP is provided with secure, remote access to the practice software/medical records to enable comprehensive, quality primary care.

Expected outcomes and impact

The pilot study represents the first step in understanding the ability of virtual integrated practice support to improve patient access to GP services and continuity of care, improve chronic disease management, and reduce emergency department visits and potentially avoidable hospitalisations. Identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation, the costs of service delivery and a potential funding model will inform broader translation of this Program.

Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) Program

Publications

How does the VIP Program work?

Expected outcomes and impact

PhD project available