Dear Jacek,
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute a guest article to the Spektrumlab.io Blog.
I offer this RACGP report-driven opinion piece to inform your readers of future GP (doctor) health provider shortages and advocate for the integration of accredited Health and Wellness Coaches to both support continuing GPs and increase public access to quality healthcare services.
Disclosure: Dr Darren Webb (Precision Health Coaching) serves as a volunteer advisor to Spektrumlab.io
Elevating Health and Wellness Coaching: A Vital Solution to Australia’s GP Shortage.
In recent years Australia has faced a significant challenge in the sustainable delivery of medical health services to an increasingly in-need population. Factors such as population growth, ageing demographics, and rural healthcare disparities have exacerbated this issue, leading to longer wait times for appointments and overburdened medical services.
Prolonged excessive stress on healthcare systems encompassing primary care (GP) clinics, hospitals, and specialists, creates further challenges for the industry that strives to maintain the physical and mental health of our nation. As doctors are the frontline warriors safeguarding public health, diagnosing ailments, and administering treatments, they need to be given every opportunity to work within an environment that promotes not only the practice of good medicine, but also the capacity for effective practitioner wellbeing.
GPs leaving in record numbers.
Following the release of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner (RACGP)’s Health of the Nation report in November 2023, College President Dr Nicole Higgins called it a “very sober reading.” Key findings indicate that almost a third (29%) of practicing GPs are looking to retire within the next five years, a level that prior to 2022, fluctuated between 14% and 18%. This concerning trend of doctors retiring at a faster rate than new medical officers are being trained poses a real threat to public health. Ultimately, this translates to reduced access to quality care, increased strain on remaining medical professionals and potentially a rise in adverse patient outcomes.
Dr Higgins said the report highlights the urgent need for effective ways to attract and retain GPs well into the future, as doctors find themselves spending more time per patient than ever before, in part due to the growing complexity of patient needs. As anyone within the health system will attest, the role of a doctor is one of considerable educational and personal investment and as such represents a valuable commodity of our health system. Therefore, GPs need to be protected from factors driving them from the industry.
Health and Wellness Coaching as a silver lining.
Amidst this growing healthcare staffing crisis, there does exist a promising solution that could alleviate some of the strain on the traditional healthcare system while promoting holistic wellbeing: Health and wellness coaching.
Health and wellness coaching is a rapidly expanding field that focuses on empowering individuals to take charge of their health through personalised guidance, support, and accountability. Coaches work collaboratively with clients to identify their health goals, develop actionable plans, and navigate obstacles along the way. Unlike traditional healthcare services, which often prioritise treating symptoms rather than addressing root causes, health coaching takes a proactive approach by emphasising preventive care, lifestyle modifications, and sustainable behaviour change.
A global Health and Wellness Coaching standard in Australia.
HCANZA is the leading body for Health & Wellness Coaches (H&W Coaches) in Australia and New Zealand. Its internationally recognised standards ensure quality training, and a scope of practice that is aligned with similar professional bodies in the USA, UK, Ireland, and Canada. Well regarded within these countries, H&W Coaches already work collaboratively with other healthcare providers to ensure a holistic and coordinated care team approach to an individual’s health care.
Conclusion.
With GPs facing overwhelming caseloads and time constraints, they often lack the resources to provide extensive education and support for addressing lifestyle-related issues influenced by nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and sleep hygiene. On the other hand, H&W Coaches specialise in these areas, offering personalised guidance and strategies to optimise health and prevent chronic conditions.
In the intricate web of the Australian healthcare landscape, the role of GPs to facilitate the diagnosis of ailments and administer treatments is indispensable. Therefore, to simultaneously reduce the public health impacts of this decreasing workforce, elevated recognition of accredited H&W Coaches is paramount to protect Australia from a looming healthcare crisis.
Original Blog post link: https://precisionhealthcoaching.au/about/blog/#2024-03_Elevating-Health-and-Wellness-Coaching
Precision Health Coaching pairs accredited health & wellness coaching with epigenetic (personalised) health information. https://precisionhealthcoaching.au/