Direct Access Colonoscopy will soon be available in the Hastings Macleay Clinical Network.
The service is part of the Leading Better Value Care Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) project, which seeks to address challenges created by the demand for colonoscopy.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia. Current estimates indicate one in 13 people in NSW will develop bowel cancer by the age of 85. Most bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if detected in the early stages. Early intervention reduces mortality and associated costs related to managing the condition.
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) supplies free biennial screening using an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) for people aged 50-74 years. A positive result following a bowel screen test requires further assessment, which involves having a colonoscopy.
The DAC project focuses on increasing swift, direct access to colonoscopy services after a positive iFOBT.
An evaluation of the project conducted by the Cancer Institute NSW found improved satisfaction and experience for patients and GPs involved in the DAC model of care, as well as a reduction in wait times for patients requiring colonoscopy.
Healthy North Coast and the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) invite GPs to take advantage of this new model of care, which will be ‘live’ from 3 July 2023.
Healthy North Coast will host two webinars in June with Director of Surgery at Kempsey District Hospital, Dr Bruce Hodge. Dr Hodge and the DAC team will provide further information and answer GPs’ questions.
In the lead-up to going ‘live’, key pieces of work completed in a collaborative effort between the MNCLHD and Healthy North Coast include:
- review of the DAC inclusion and exclusion criteria
- review of the patient information sheet
- development of the DAC HealthPathways
- creation of the ‘DAC pack’, which incorporates a Request For Admission (RFA) form, which can be downloaded from HealthPathways and auto-filled using clinical information software.
For more information about DAC, contact your Primary Health Coordinator.