Full course description
n 2017 ACC, Mercy Radiology, and ProCare (PHO) co-designed new pathways that give patients direct access to MRI referral for certain knee, shoulder and back (cervical and lumbar spine) injuries via their GP, instead of requiring referral to a specialist before an MRI can be ordered.
The new pathways significantly streamline the patient journey and reduce wait times from referral to final MRI report – from an average of three weeks to five days (as indicated in the trial). ACC is now wanting to expand access to the pathways to GPs enrolled with other PHOs in the Auckland area who wish to complete the training and become accredited.
The new pathways allow GPs to triage patients and ensure referrals to orthopaedic specialists are more informed and appropriate. This can free up specialist time to focus on those patients who are most in need. It strengthens relationships between primary care and specialists, integrating health providers to deliver the best outcome for patients. If A patient fits the guidelines, then MRI request 2.6-4.4x more likely to lead to an appropriate specialist intervention (surgery or injectable therapies) and conversely if the patient does not fit the guidelines then odds of patients being managed by active rehabilitation alone were significantly higher between 2.7 – 3.3x with good patient outcomes.