DR GEOFF BROOMHALL Clinical Editor, HealthPathways Melbourne, Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
KATHERINE CUMMINGS Facilitator, HealthPathways Melbourne, Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network
HealthPathways guiding oral health management in primary care From 5–11 August 2019, the Australian Dental
waiting-list/10079368) to see a dentist in the
Association will be raising awareness about the
public system, HealthPathways Melbourne (https://
importance of maintaining good oral health during
melbourne.healthpathways.org.au/) has responded
Dental Health Week (www.ada.org.au/Dental-
by providing oral health resources for general
Health-Week).
practitioners (GPs), who are often the first port
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, between 2016 and 2017 there were more than 70,200 hospitalisations for dental conditions that could have been prevented with earlier care. (www.aihw.gov.au/reports/den/231/ oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/ summary) Last year’s World Oral Health Day revealed that Australia had failed its very first Oral Health Check (www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-fails-itsoral-health-check-up) with only one-half of adults brushing their teeth twice a day as recommended. While recent media attention has focused on Australians waiting for between 20 months and 3 years (www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-07/ victorian-dental-patients-facing-excessive-public32
The Health Advocate • AUGUST 2019
of call for dental problems.
Empowering GPs to manage dental health issues HealthPathways is a clinical resource for GPs and other primary care professionals. It was developed by the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) and North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN). The aim of HealthPathways is to lessen variations in treatment by communicating the right information for appropriate clinical assessment, management, treatment or referral. With over 660 pages on topics ranging from Oral Health to Paediatrics, HealthPathways Melbourne works to inform the over 2,000 health professionals
