Long covid pathways keep GPs close in SA

The Tea Room

South Australia’s long covid clinic loves GPs and keeps them close.

Dr Angela Molga is a clinical pharmacologist and geriatrician at the long covid clinic at Royal Adelaide Hospital.

“We engage the GPs very early on, from the moment we receive the referrals. The patients are kept updated on the length of the waitlist and we also send them out resources specifically around self-rehabilitation,” she says.

Dr Molga says the average age of the patients who were seen in the South Australian clinic last year was 47 years old.

“These were previously healthy people. Little contact with the healthcare system, but now have multiple chronic issues. They have to change their lifestyle significantly, and then this also impacts their mental health,” she says.

Also on The Tea Room medical reporter Cate Swannell shares the nitty gritty details of the long covid parliamentary inquiry report.

Although long covid fails to get a mention in the federal budget Cate says the long covid parliamentary inquiry is pushing for $50 million. She says the RACGP has welcomed the recognition of GPs in the report.

“They also have pointed out that many recommendations reflect what the RACGP has been calling for, for a long time. Particularly around data collection and research,” Cate says.

Cate says the report seemed to hinge on the establishment of a national Centre for Disease Control which we saw confirmed in this week’s federal budget.

“They're also talking about expanding the list of eligibility for antivirals and there is a call for the establishment of a multidisciplinary advisory body to oversee the impact of poor air quality and ventilation on the economy,” Cate says.

Join The Medical Republic at an interactive live webinar that will equip you with the knowledge and tools to treat long covid patients.

Ask questions about including diagnostics and assessment, guidelines, billing and item numbers, and how to create a long covid clinic in a community practice.

The expert panel include doctors treating long covid in family practices, leaders of tertiary care teams, clinical researchers and public health specialists.

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