Co-design of the Spinal Cord Injury Health Maintenance Tool to Support Self-Management: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Background: There is a lack of consumer-friendly tools to empower and support people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) to self-manage complex health needs in community. This article describes the co-design process of the new SCI Health Maintenance Tool (SCI-HMT).

Methods: Co-design of the SCI-HMT using a mixed-methods approach included a rapid review, e-Delphi surveys with range of multidisciplinary health care professionals ( = 62), interviews of participants with SCI ( = 18) and general practitioners ( = 4), focus groups ( = 3 with 7, 4, and 4 participants with SCI, respectively), design workshops with stakeholders ( = 11, 8), and end-user testing ( = 41).

Ten tips for becoming a Time Lord.

Background: There is evidence that extended waiting is the most important cause of patient dissatisfaction with a visit to their general practice. While waiting is sometimes unavoidable in primary care, sometimes its causes are systemic and modifiable. Our experience is that some doctors rarely run late and yet seem to meet their patients' needs.

The eCollaborative: using a quality improvement collaborative to implement the National eHealth Record System in Australian primary care practices.

Quality Problem: The new national patient-controlled electronic health record is an important quality improvement, and there was a pressing need to pilot its use in Australian primary care practices. Implementation of electronic health records in other countries has met with mixed success.

Initial Assessment: New work was required in general practices participating in the national electronic health record.

Appointment zen - shaping demand and matching capacity.

Background: Ten years of experience with hundreds of general practices in the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives program has provided many lessons for improving practice appointment systems.

Objective: In this article, we describe how general practitioners can, by actively managing our appointment systems, reduce waiting times and delays, improve patient care, improve our quality of life and improve practice financial viability.

Discussion: Demand is finite and predictable.

Appointments 101--how to shape a more effective appointment system.

Background: Maximising the effectiveness of your appointment system in general practice has the potential to connect patients and clinicians for timely care and create a sustainable working environment.

Objective: This article shares lessons from the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives program that can help individual practices to shape their appointment system to their needs in order to improve both access and patient care.

Discussion: Five common appointment strategies have emerged through the work of the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives: open access, book on the day, supersaturate, carve out and advanced access systems.

Appointments - getting it right.

Background: Only 36% of sick Australians report being able to get an appointment on the day they need it, which is poor by international standards. This delay in care may impact on practice team morale, practice profitability and patient care. The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program aims to find better ways to provide primary healthcare services to patients through shared learning, peer support, training, education and support systems.