Linking the RACGP curriculum to vocational education.

Regional training providers face many challenges in delivering vocational training to general practice registrars across Australia. They need to be able to respond to new learning theories and the ever expanding volume of medical knowledge, as well as the changing medical workforce. In 2008, the Victorian Metropolitan Alliance (VMA) embarked on a project to map the new Royal Australian College of General Practitioners curriculum to the VMA program.

Managing depression in a changing primary mental healthcare system: comparison of two snapshots of Australian GPs' treatment and referral patterns.

Background Significant government spending has resulted in substantial changes to the Australian primary mental healthcare system. Initially producing the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) initiative, this has been replaced by the Better Access to Mental Health Care programme, which allows all general practitioners (GPs) to refer patients for allied psychological health care under Medicare. Aim To examine changes in patient management and referral for care following the BOiMHC initiative.

How do Victorian GPs manage patients with depression?

Background: Depression is common, yet management in general practice is poorly described, especially the relationship between medication use and focussed psychological strategies. Government initiatives are targeting general practitioners' provision of mental health care.

Methods: Postal survey of a random sample of 350 Victorian GPs between November 2001 and April 2002.