What practice management topics are recommended for family medicine practitioners pursuing Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP)?

Practice Management Topics for FRACGP Training

Family medicine practitioners pursuing FRACGP should focus on core practice management competencies including patient education systems, quality improvement frameworks, team-based care models, chronic disease management protocols, and practice information systems—all essential for safe independent general practice in Australia.

Patient Education and Communication Systems

• Develop structured patient education protocols that adapt teaching to patients' readiness to learn, cultural background, and comprehension level, incorporating written materials, audiovisual resources, and digital tools appropriate for your patient population 1

• Implement systematic approaches for acute and chronic disease education, including assessment of patient understanding through teach-back methods, documentation of educational efforts in specific terms, and involvement of patients in setting treatment goals over time 1

• Create office systems that facilitate patient education, including organized materials in examination rooms, protocols for staff involvement in education delivery, and utilization of family conferences when appropriate 1

• Establish clear documentation practices for all educational interventions to prevent duplicate or conflicting information from different team members 1

Quality Improvement and Safety Systems

• Implement regular medication reconciliation processes at every patient encounter, creating accurate lists of all prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and herbal remedies to identify discrepancies 2

• Conduct comprehensive medication reviews annually for all patients on multiple medications, evaluating drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, and potentially inappropriate medications using validated tools 2

• Establish monitoring systems during care transitions, including hospital admissions, transfers between wards, and discharge, as these represent high-risk periods for medication errors and adverse events 2

• Develop performance metrics and quality indicators for your practice, tracking clinical outcomes, patient safety measures, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines 1

Team-Based Care and Delegation

• Design clear role definitions for practice team members, including nurses, health educators, dietitians, and administrative staff, with systems for delegation of appropriate tasks 1

• Implement expanded roles for allied health professionals, such as pharmacist-led chronic care management, nurse-led patient training, and health assistant home visits for geriatric assessments 2, 3

• Establish regular multidisciplinary case discussions to review complex patients, discuss system-based problems, and develop strategies for implementing best practice standards 1

• Create communication protocols for hand-offs between team members, using structured approaches to ensure continuity and safety 1

Chronic Disease Management Infrastructure

• Develop care pathways that distinguish between well-controlled patients (managed in general practice) and higher-complexity patients requiring specialist input or shared care arrangements 1

• Implement case management systems that ensure continuity across hospital, home, educational, and therapeutic settings, with designated coordinators for medically complex patients 1

• Create individualized patient-held medication plans with specific information on drugs, instructions for usage, and regular review schedules to recognize changes in needs 4

• Establish structured follow-up protocols to assess medication effectiveness, adverse effects, and treatment adherence, with increased frequency during care transitions 2, 4

Patient-Centered Care Frameworks

• Utilize shared decision-making approaches that elicit patient preferences, values, and priorities regarding treatment options and level of involvement in care 1, 4

• Implement behavioral counseling frameworks such as the 5A model (assess, advise, agree, assist, arrange) to address medication adherence and health behavior change 1

• Develop systems for identifying and addressing barriers to adherence, including patient-related, clinician-related, drug-related, health system, and sociocultural factors 1

• Create culturally appropriate resources that address language barriers, health literacy levels, and ethnic diversity of your patient population 1

Practice Information Systems

• Implement electronic health record systems with clinical decision support capabilities for pediatric dosing, drug interaction checking, and guideline-based care prompts 1, 2

• Establish systems for tracking quality indicators and patient outcomes, using data to drive continuous practice improvement 4

• Develop protocols for accessing community resources, maintaining current lists of available services to supplement practice-based care 1

• Create reminder systems using telephone, mobile text, email, and calendar alerts to improve medication adherence and appointment attendance 1

Caregiver Support and Family Dynamics

• Implement regular psychosocial assessment protocols for patients and caregivers, conducted by social workers or appropriate healthcare workers to minimize caregiver distress 1

• Provide anticipatory guidance about the impact of chronic illness management on family dynamics, activities, schedules, and work-related activities 1

• Facilitate peer support through parent groups or networks, particularly for families managing medically complex conditions 1

• Establish open communication channels between family members and professional care providers to clarify roles, expectations, and facilitate successful adaptation 1

Financial and Access Considerations

• Develop strategies to ensure medication affordability, including provision of information about subsidized medications and special access programs for newer therapies 1

• Create systems to identify patients not receiving guideline-directed therapy and facilitate treatment initiation using multifaceted strategies 1

• Implement enhanced access models that increase clinical encounter frequency, particularly for traditionally challenging rural or underserved populations 3

Professional Development and Training

• Participate in ongoing education about emerging technologies, new treatment modalities, and evolving practice management strategies 1

• Engage in community health education, presenting to community groups and participating in population health initiatives 1

• Conduct regular self-assessment of practice quality and service delivery, implementing iterative improvement strategies based on key performance indicators 1