Pirkis Jane E, Headey Alan N, Burgess Philip M, Whiteford Harvey A, White Josh P, Francis Catherine
School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Aust New Zealand Health Policy. 2005 Dec 18;2:33. doi: 10.1186/1743-8462-2-33.
On 1 November 2000, a series of new item numbers was added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, which allowed for case conferences between physicians (including psychiatrists) and other multidisciplinary providers. On 1 November 2002, an additional set of numbers was added, designed especially for use by psychiatrists. This paper reports the findings of an evaluation of these item numbers.
The uptake of the item numbers in the three years post their introduction was low to moderate at best. Eighty nine psychiatrists rendered 479 case conferences at a cost to the Health Insurance Commission of $70,584. Psychiatrists who have used the item numbers are generally positive about them, as are consumers. Psychiatrists who have not used them have generally not done so because of a lack of knowledge, rather than direct opposition. The use of the item numbers is increasing over time, perhaps as psychiatrists become more aware of their existence and of their utility in maximising quality of care.
The case conferencing item numbers have potential, but as yet this potential is not being realised. Some small changes to the conditions associated with the use of the item numbers could assist their uptake.
2000年11月1日，一系列新的项目编号被添加到医疗保险福利计划中，这使得医生（包括精神科医生）与其他多学科医疗服务提供者之间能够进行病例讨论会。2002年11月1日，又增加了一组编号，专门供精神科医生使用。本文报告了对这些项目编号评估的结果。
这些项目编号在引入后的三年中，其使用率充其量只能说是低到中等。八十九位精神科医生进行了479次病例讨论会，医疗保险委员会为此花费了70584美元。使用了这些项目编号的精神科医生以及患者总体上对它们持肯定态度。没有使用这些编号的精神科医生通常是因为缺乏了解，而非直接反对。随着时间的推移，这些项目编号的使用在增加，这可能是因为精神科医生越来越意识到它们的存在以及它们在提高护理质量方面的作用。
病例讨论会项目编号具有潜力，但目前这种潜力尚未得到实现。对与使用这些项目编号相关的条件进行一些小的改变可能有助于提高其使用率。
