Better management of kidney disease in the community is the aim of a pilot programme involving general practitioners in Otago and Southland, and Dunedin Hospital specialists.
The pilot, involving South Link Health and Dunedin Hospital nephrologists, will use an electronic referral system which will also help GPs plan suitable treatment for their patients.
The pilot programme was one of four around the country that were announced by Health Minister Tony Ryall yesterday.
The programmes are designed to improve the treatment of kidney disease.
South Link Health's executive director, Prof Murray Tilyard, said using the specially developed software, a GP would be required to enter information on a computer about a patient's condition.
Through the programme, the GP would receive prompts about missing information.
The severity of the illness would be estimated and appropriate treatment outlined.
Referrals would still go to the nephrologists, but because they could see all the action taken and the test results on the electronic record, in many instances they might just endorse what had been done or suggest some action not requiring a hospital visit.
It was thought the programme would not only reduce the number of patients the nephrologists needed to see, but improve patient care.
Nephrologist Dr Rob Walker has been working closely with South Link Health on the proposal, which will be tested soon in several practices and then introduced throughout Otago and Southland.
He said the system would not take away the need for specialists to see patients, and that it was not about cost-cutting, but about making the normal referral process more effective for the GP, specialist and patient.
The electronic record would make it easier to see changes in a patient's condition over time.
Dr Walker said when people thought about kidney disease they thought of patients needing dialysis or transplants, but about one in 11 people had some evidence of a kidney problem, often very mild.
By early diagnosis and management, people's conditions could be kept more stable and hopefully not progress to the stage where acute intervention was needed.
