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Government trying to do primary health reform on the cheap

In this week’s issue of Australian Medicine, Chair of the AMA Council of General Practice, Dr Richard Kidd, writes about the unfolding realities of the Health Care Home initiative. He urges practices that are thinking of signing up to become a Health Care Home to carefully consider what it will mean for the practice and its patients before deciding to participate.

Dr Kidd says that in principle, Health Care Homes should bring opportunities to maximise the use of multidisciplinary health care teams and develop innovative health care solutions for patients, but under the current trial general practices are expected to do more with no additional support and to take on more financial risk when caring for patients.