Fletcher Justine R, Bassilios Bridget, Kohn Fay, Naccarella Lucio, Blashki Grant A, Burgess Philip M, Pirkis Jane E
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Med J Aust. 2008 Jun 16;188(S12):S107-9. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01871.x.
To examine whether there was a reduction in demand for psychological services provided through the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) projects after the introduction of the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access) program, and whether any such reduction was greater in urban than rural areas.
A Division-level correlation analysis examining the relationship between the monthly number of sessions provided by allied health professionals through the ATAPS projects run by Divisions of General Practice, and allied health professional services reimbursed by Medicare Australia under the Better Access program, between 1 November 2006 and 31 March 2007.
Uptake of each program, assessed by the number of sessions provided.
Overall, despite dramatic uptake of the Better Access program in the first 5 months after its introduction, the demand for ATAPS services was not reduced. The correlations between the numbers of sessions provided by both programs overall (r = - 0.078; P = 0.074) and in rural Divisions (r = 0.024; P = 0.703) were not significant. However, there was a significant negative correlation between the numbers of sessions provided by both programs in urban Divisions (r = - 0.142; P = 0.019).
For the first 5 months of the Better Access program, the two programs seemed to operate relatively independently of each other in terms of service provision, but in urban Divisions there was a move towards services provided through the Better Access program. Early indications are that the two programs are providing complementary services and are working together to address a previously unmet need for mental health care.
探讨在通过医疗保险福利计划引入“更便捷获得精神科医生、心理学家和全科医生服务”（简称“更便捷服务”）项目后，通过“获得辅助心理服务”（ATAPS）项目提供的心理服务需求是否有所减少，以及这种减少在城市地区是否比农村地区更显著。
进行部门层面的相关性分析，研究2006年11月1日至2007年3月31日期间，全科医疗部门开展的ATAPS项目中，专职医疗人员每月提供的服务次数与澳大利亚医疗保险机构根据“更便捷服务”项目报销的专职医疗服务之间的关系。
通过提供的服务次数评估每个项目的使用情况。
总体而言，尽管“更便捷服务”项目在推出后的前5个月内得到了显著采用，但ATAPS服务的需求并未减少。两个项目总体提供的服务次数之间的相关性（r = - 0.078；P = 0.074）以及农村地区部门的相关性（r = 0.024；P = 0.703）均不显著。然而，两个项目在城市地区部门提供的服务次数之间存在显著的负相关（r = - 0.142；P = 0.019）。
在“更便捷服务”项目实施的前5个月，这两个项目在服务提供方面似乎相对独立运作，但在城市地区部门，有向通过“更便捷服务”项目提供服务的趋势。早期迹象表明，这两个项目正在提供互补性服务，并共同努力满足以前未得到满足的心理健康护理需求。
