Connecting patients to the right mental health support with the IAR decision support tool

The Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) assists GPs in finding appropriate care at a local level for patients who present with mental health concerns.

Since November last year, Brisbane North PHN has trained over 100 GPs to adopt IAR into their practice.

The training supports GPs to confidently respond to and manage the care of patients in mental health distress by providing a practical case study, resources about mental health referral pathways and connection to the GP Psychiatry Support Line.

The PHN offers tailored training sessions to all practices in our region at a time that suits them, allowing for practical activities to be completed with colleagues – adding a layer of teambuilding to the workshop. GPs have given good feedback about these practical elementals and the localised approach of our training.

90 per cent of GPs who have attended the training have reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome – with many reporting that the IAR tool has added structure to their mental health consultations.

Find out more about improving patient outcomes with the IAR tool and register for training.