title: Primary options for acute care: general practitioners using their skills to manage "avoidable admission" patients in the community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To enroll 600 primary care "avoidable admission" patients in a programme that utilised general practitioners to manage those patients in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Primary Options for Acute Care (POAC) programme ran from 26 February to 31 December 2001. Using networks already established, primary care teams were invited to manage patients using any resources they required, up to a cost of approximately $266 per patient. If needed, a Service Coordinator was available to arrange investigations, care, or treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 26 February to 31 December 2001, 707 patients were enrolled in POAC by 100 GPs. 104 patients (15%) were eventually admitted to hospital. An average of $200.73 per patient per episode was spent (not including administrative costs). A wide variety of patients and diseases were managed. Patients and general practitioners reported high levels of satisfaction with the programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POAC demonstrated the ability and willingness of primary care providers to successfully manage patients who traditionally would be sent to hospital, within a defined budget
authors.affiliation: Primary Options for Acute Care, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Harley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aish
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Didsbury
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cressey
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grigor
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gribben
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002017:Budgets; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration