Stroke is one of the most complex and costly of chronic diseases, costing Australia about $5 billion annually. Since 1999 the government has invested substantial funds (~$1 billion per year) for enhanced models of primary care that are characterised by multidisciplinary care and self-management support. We are using national linked data to conduct a comparative effectiveness study of these Medicare funded models of care. We have linked clinical and recovery data from patients with stroke registered in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) (n~30,000) to routinely collected State and Commonwealth held data will be used. Hospital contacts, survival and quality of life will be determined and a full economic evaluation undertaken. The comprehensiveness of these data will, allow robust testing of the effectiveness of these enhanced models of primary care within the context of “real world” healthcare provision. Results will provide information important for improving uptake of the most appropriate models of care and guiding health policy reform at the primary care level to optimise outcomes for those with chronic disease, and maximise the use of limited resources available within healthcare. This project has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

For further Information please contact Nadine Andrew – nadine.andrew@monash.edu