MyMedicare uptake, efficiency and effectiveness
Using an equity-focused approach, this research program will examine the uptake of MyMedicare in different patient cohorts and explore efficiency and effectiveness of this scheme to improve health outcomes.
Project sponsors: Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
About the project
MyMedicare is Australia’s patient enrolment scheme to support health system integration and care coordination nationally. It aims to formalise the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner (GP) and primary care teams. MyMedicare is a voluntary scheme developed in the context of other major primary care reforms and associated with funding models for care provision.
Under MyMedicare, all patients in Australia can register with a preferred GP or practice. Registered patients with chronic conditions, who are frequent healthcare users or patients in residential aged care homes, can access additional Medicare Benefits Schedule funded items. For example, registered patients with complex health needs, children under 16, pensioners and concession card holders can access longer telehealth appointments.
Project goals
The project will address the following research questions across its two phases:
Phase 1: Evaluation of implementation of patient enrolment
- What is the uptake of patient enrolment and its association with patient rurality, age, gender, disability, cultural and ethnic background, health condition/s or practice characteristics?
- Is VPE acceptable to patients, providers and system stakeholders, and what are the enablers and barriers to enrolling patients and practices?
Phase 2: Evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of patient enrolment
- Do registered patients complete a higher number of visits to the same GP or practice compared to prior to enrolment and to unenrolled patients?
- Do enrolled patients experience improved relational, management and informational continuity of care compared to prior to enrolment and to unenrolled patients?
- Do enrolled patients demonstrate improved health service outcomes compared to unenrolled patients in major chronic disease cohorts and are changes in health service outcomes experienced equally across population cohorts?
- Does care for enrolled patients demonstrate greater cost-effectiveness than care for unenrolled patients, and are changes in costs associated with enrolled patients experienced equally?
Project lead: Professor Reema Harrison
- Dr Gaston Arnolda
- Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite
- Dr Ashfaq Chauhan
- Dr Kate Churruca
- Professor Henry Cutler
- Dr Janani Mahadeva
- Professor Rebecca Mitchell
- Dr Bronwyn Newman
- Dr Maha Pervaz-Iqbal
- Associate Professor Magda Raban
- Dr Smriti Raichand
- Sam Ricketts
- Dr Ramya Walsan
- Professor Johanna Westbrook
- Professor Sanjyot Vagholkar
Other members and collaborators
- Professor Elizabeth Manias, Monash University
- Dr Phyllis Lau, Western Sydney University
- Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
- Sydney North PHN
- Northwest Melbourne PHN
- NSW Health: System Monitoring and Insight
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
- National Heart Foundation of Australia
- Arthritis Australia
- World Wellness Group (QLD Multicultural Primary Care Clinics)
- Carers NSW
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Australian College of Primary Care Nursing
- Rural Doctors Association of Australia
- LGBTIQ+ Australia