NAPWA

The number of people living with HIV in Australia is increasing and ageing, requiring an expert primary care workforce to provide HIV clinicalPertaining to or founded on observation and treatment of participants, as distinguished from theoretical or basic science. care into the future. Yet the numbers of general practitioners (GPs) training as HIV s100 prescribers in order to provide care may be insufficient to replace those leaving to retire or change jobs.

The National Centre in HIV Social Research at The University of New South Wales is leading a three-year (mid 2009-mid 2012) study to provide critical and timely evidence for why and how GPs pursue or continue careers in HIV in different caseload and geographical settings across Australia.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council(NHMRC), the study aims:

1. To identify the key factors that influence the decision of Australian GPs to pursue or continue careers in HIV clinical care, given the increasing number and age of people living with HIV in Australia;
2. To compare the professional interests and aspirations of GPs who have worked in HIV medicine for various lengths of time;
3. To examine barriers and incentives to providing HIV care in different primary care settings, including in areas of high and low HIV caseloads, and in urban and regional Australia.

In achieving these aims, the study will also produce new knowledge on the role of GPs in maintaining and enhancing the health of people living with HIV in Australia.

Peter Canavan of NAPWA is involved as a Chief InvestigatorA medical researcher in charge of carrying out a clinical trial's protocol. in the research team for this work. As a consumer advocate on the project, Peter will be providing essential expertise on the impact of HIV service delivery and workforce development on the health of HIV positive people.

While the focus is HIV, the study will provide evidence for new ways to support and build the health workforce responsible for ensuring quality in chronic disease management more broadly. It will also have significant implications for understanding whether attachment to an ‘area of specific interest’ influences retention in the health workforce.

Data collection will comprise in-depth interviews conducted around Australia with key informants from policy, advocacy, community and government settings, current and ex- HIV s100 prescriber GPs working in different settings, and GP registrars, health professionals and other members of the general practice team with an interest in HIV. An archive of published materials about HIV medicine and general practice will also be collated and reviewed.

Study coordinator
Dr Christy Newman
Ph: +61 2 9385 4717
Email: c.newman@unsw.edu.au

To go to the project information on the NCHSRNational Centre in HIV Social Research. Located at the University of NSW in Sydney, NCHSR conducts research which describes and analyses the social understandings, meanings and practices of peoples, institutions and communities in relation to HIV, Hepatitis C and other communicable diseases. website click here

A broad and multidisciplinary team of Investigators has been brought together to work on this important topic, including researchers, general practitioners and people living with HIV.

Chief and Associate Investigators

• Professor John de Wit is Director of the National Centre in HIV Social Research at The University of New South Wales
• Professor Michael Kidd AM is a General Practitioner and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Flinders University
• Dr Christy Newman is Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre in HIV Social Research at The University of New South Wales (primary researcher on this study)
• Associate Professor Jonathan Anderson is a General Practitioner and s100 prescriber, Research Director at the Carlton Clinic (Melbourne), Adjunct Associate Professor in the Discipline of General Practice at The University of Sydney and Medical Director for ViiV Healthcare
• Associate Professor Robert Reynolds is the Discipline Head of Modern History in the Department of Modern History, Politics, International Relations and Security at Macquarie University and has a Conjoint appointment at the National Centre in HIV Social Research
• Mr Peter Canavan is the Senior Coordinator of the Health, Treatments and Research Unit at the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS
• Professor Susan Kippax is a Professorial Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre at The University of New South Wales
• Ms Levinia Crooks AM is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine
• Mr David McGuigan is Manager of the HIV/STI Clinical Program at the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine
• Dr Mark Bloch is a General Practitioner at Holdsworth House Medical Practice (Sydney and regional NSW) and Clinical Advisor at the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine
• Mr Ian Watts was the former National Manager of GP Advocacy and Support at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Discipline of General Practice at The University of Sydney
• Dr Ronald McCoy is a General Practitioner and Senior Medical Educator at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Adjunct Lecturer in the Discipline of General Practice at The University of Sydney
• Ms Linda Forbes is a Policy Analyst at the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
• Dr Jeanne Ellard is a Research Fellow at the National Centre in HIV Social Research at The University of New South Wales
• Associate Professor Marilyn McMurchie OAM is a General Practitioner at East Sydney Doctors (Sydney, NSW) and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Discipline of General Practice at The University of Sydney
• Dr Catherine Pell is a Sexual Health Physician in the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (Darwin)
• Dr Dick Quan is a General Practitioner at Holdsworth House Medical Practice (Sydney and regional NSW)
• Dr William Donohue is a General Practitioner at O’Brien Street Practice (Adelaide, SA)
• Dr David Ellis is a General Practitioner in Coffs Harbour (regional NSW)