COVID-19 – utilising near real-time electronic General Practice data to establish effective care and best-practice policy

Identifying the impact of COVID-19 on the health care system in near real time is an urgent priority for critical decision-making about resource allocation, control measures, decision-making, policy development and community communication. Primary health care has moved into the
frontline as SARS-COV2 testing transitions from hospitals to multiple general practice providers where tracking testing behaviours can be fragmented and delayed. Pooled GP data are a valuable resource which can be used to inform population and individual care decision-making. This Project is based on a collaborative relationship involving, DHCRC, Macquarie University, Outcome Health, Gippsland, Eastern Melbourne, South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Networks and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs. It will use an innovative secure and comprehensive digital health platform (POLAR) to deliver:
1) A near real-time geo-spatial reporting framework at community, state and nation-wide levels to identify emerging trends and monitor the impact
of interventions/policy decisions.
2) Timely evidence about the impact of COVID-19 related to its diagnosis, treatment and medications prescribed and its impact on patients.
3) A predictive geo-spatial analytics dashboard for timely, evidence-based decision-making at community, state and nation-wide levels.
4) An evidence-based suite of general practice outcome measures to monitor the incidence, prevalence, recovery and mortality of responses to
COVID-19.