None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Patients referred to orthopaedics (ortho) commonly face long wait times for outpatient appointments and surgery. After study participants are offered assessments by hospital funded advanced physios -to referred chronic musculoskeletal patients – they will be offered community-based allied health services at different subsidy rates. This study aims to determine the most acceptable cost of community-based allied health services to meet consumer needs.
Interventions
This activity aims to test the market for what patients are willing to pay for existing allied health services, and to determine if cost is a barrier to access. General Practice Medical Centres will be randomised to one of four subsidy schemes. folowing on from an advanced physiotherapy assessment, participating patients can then access existing allied health services, as per the subsidy arm allocated to their General Practice Medical Centre.
Subsidy A- Control arm- Allied Health Market rate
This activity aims to test the market for what patients are willing to pay for existing allied health services, and to determine if cost is a barrier to access. General Practice Medical Centres will be randomised to one of four subsidy schemes. folowing on from an advanced physiotherapy assessment, participating patients can then access existing allied health services, as per the subsidy arm allocated to their General Practice Medical Centre. Subsidy A- Control arm- Allied Health Market rate (standard) fees + (MBS- GPMP/TCA- 5 subsidised visits) Participant to fund additional costs at market rate Subsidy B- Participants to receive additional 5 subsidised sessions (equivalent of 10 GPMP/TCA sessions) Participant to fund additional costs at market rate Subsidy C- As per subsidy B- Participants receive equivalent of 10 GPMP/TCA sessions Participants contribute $10-20 per session toward market rate Subsidy D - Participants receive equivalent of 10 GPMP/TCA sessions Participants to receive full gap payment (no out of pocket expenses) services will only be subsidsed for a 2 year period. it is advised that participants commence their individual treatment plan ASAP, but certainly within the 2 year period of the subsidy.
Sponsors
The University of Queensland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
GPs: within the Cairns area (from the 16- 20 practices with the most orthopaedic referrals submitted in previous 12 months), will be recruited to manage and treat referred patients who have chronic musculoskeletal conditions; entry to the program via physio assessment patients need to be 18-75 years Eligibility Criteria Participants must be: direct GP referral to physio assessment via Cairns Hospital for a chronic orthopaedic or musculoskeletal condition, live and attend a GP (consented to be included in study) within the geographical catchment (Cairns area), patients must be adults (aged 18 years) to 75 years.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion Criteria: patients with acute orthopaedic conditions, such as fractures, patients older than 75 years, residents of Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF), patients with congenital musculoskeletal conditions or permanent physical disabilities (paraplegia, cerebral palsy, spina bifida), patients with extremely complex orthopaedic conditions, such as previous Motor Vehicle Accident with multiple fractures, patients who are immuno-compromised, or currently receiving oncology specialist treatment, patients with intellectual disability &/or extensive psychiatric histories, impacting their ability to consent or comply with physiotherapy assessment and treatment.
Outcome results
None listed