Filters can be easily added, or removed by clicking on the charts and tables across multiple tabs. For example, practices can identify at-risk patients on a range of clinical indicators, audit appropriate medications and immunisations, track patient and practitioner outcomes, improve data quality and pinpoint business development opportunities.
If you have POLAR GP installed in your clinic it can be accessed via the POLAR website. Please contact us at polar@gphn.org.au if you are unsure if your clinic has POLAR GP installed.
POLAR GP is suitable for use by all general practice staff:
Gippsland PHN, in collaboration with Outcome Health, are pleased to announce the release of the Hospitalisation Risk Report.
The HARP report extension provides general practice with an overview for each patient in the POLAR risk report and allows practices to drill down to specific risk category filters under the HARP risk classification to assist with managing patient care.
The new filters include:
* Available MBS services
The report can be accessed via polarexplorer.org.au
If you would like further information regarding this report check out the POLAR June Q&A Webinar https://edu.polarexplorer.org.au/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=51511314. Or contact us at polar@gphn.org.au for further training.
The sharing of data forms part of Gippsland PHN’s commitment to working closely with general practice, improving our understanding of general practice needs across the region, allowing us to respond accordingly and improve patient outcomes.
Gippsland PHN provides the POLAR GP data analysis to support quality improvement, maximise MBS items and improve data quality in general practice.
There is no direct cost to the practice. POLAR GP is fully subsidised by Gippsland PHN and there are no ongoing product costs.
The provision of POLAR GP to general practices will require an agreement for the practice to send de-identified patient data to Gippsland PHN for population health planning, advocacy initiatives, other quality improvement and evaluation activities by Gippsland PHN. It may also be used for ethics approved research purposes to benefit Australian’s health the health care system in conjunction with third parties such as universities and other research centres.
If you are interested in getting POLAR GP installed in your practice and would like a demonstration, please do not hesitate to contact our POLAR team: email polar@gphn.org.au
Promotional materials available:
There are several training resources available for POLAR GP on the recently updated POLAR GP Support web page. Which has had all resources updated to reflect the new look and feel of POLAR GP browser reports.
This page includes education resources such as:
Bernie Heaton-Harris
Coordinator Regional Services, Bass Coast/South Gippsland
bernadette.heaton-harris@gphn.org.au
Cassie Mayman
Coordinator Latrobe/Baw Baw
cassie.mayman@gphn.org.au
Cassandra Morrell
Coordinator Wellington/East Gippsland is
Cassandra.morrell@gphn.org.au
When asked by our team, click the button below to download the TeamViewer Remote Support application.
We provide software support for issues, updates, requests, training and advice, and documentation.
POLAR GP enables you to allow or restrict access to specific reports. For example, as a Clinic Administrator you may prefer all staff to have access to the Summary report but restrict access to the Summary Business report to yourself and the business owner.
You nominate a POLAR GP Clinic Administrator when you sign up. There can also be multiple Clinic Administrators for your clinic.
The process for setting up accounts, managing access, and resetting passwords are covered in the POLAR Education Portal. Please contact us at polar@gphn.org.au if you need help with this process.
POLAR Practice Report Data Quality reports are available to all POLAR GP Practices. These reports provide practices with a quick snapshot of patient demographics and missing data within your practice. Including suggested areas that can be addressed in your practice that can prompt future project and initiatives. They will be provided via email to your practice manager every month. If you have any questions on the contact of these reports please contact polar@gphn.org.au
Some of the key questions these reports hope to answer are:
POLAR GP is useful for insight and planning across clinical and business and accreditation for general practices of all sizes.
POLAR GP allows your general practice to:
POLAR GP is suitable for use by all general practice staff, including practice principals, general practitioners, registrars, nurses, practice managers, business managers and receptionists.
There is no direct cost to the practice. POLAR GP is fully subsided by Gippsland PHN, and there will be no ongoing product costs. An agreement to provide de-identified practice data to Gippsland PHN is required for the use of the tool, for the purposes of population health planning as well as ethics approved research purposes to benefit Australian’s health the health care system in conjunction with third parties such as universities and other research centres.
The POLAR data extraction tool automatically extracts patient data from the general practice clinical information software and practice management software. The identified and de-identified practice data is encrypted using industry endorsed algorithms similar as those used in the banking sector. The encrypted identified data is stored locally with the POLAR software. The encrypted de-identified data is uploaded directly to the POLAR data warehouse (located in Australia).
When POLAR is opened at the practice the locally stored identified data and the de-identified data drawn from the POLAR Data Warehouse are unencrypted locally and matched, enabling reports to be viewed and analysed.
POLAR GP will support internal operations including patient-centred care and quality improvement activities. For example, on POLAR GP, your practice can identify at-risk patients on a range of clinical indicators, audit appropriate medications and immunisations, track patient and practitioner outcomes and improve data quality. This in turn will aid identification of service needs, education requirements and provision of care to your patient population.
General practices must sign the POLAR Data Sharing & Licensing to allow us to have a copy of their de-identified patient data.
Once the agreement is received, we supply and install into each general practice the necessary tools to enable the on-premises collection and storage of patient data, and uploading of de-identified patient data to the POLAR Data Warehouse. Data is extracted within the practice, de-identified and securely sent to the POLAR Data Warehouse.
We strongly encourage general practices to notify patients that their data could be used for a secondary purpose such as population health planning. We recommend general practices display a poster in their patient waiting room. The poster should also state that patients can request that their data be excluded. Please see the below links:
After we receive the POLAR GP licensing agreement the installation process will be carried out by Gippsland PHN staff member and will be followed up with face to face training and support with a nominated practice champion/s.
The installation is carried out in two parts – Installation of the data extraction tool, with support from practice IT support. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Two days later we will then confirm the first extract loads correctly and provide training to the clinic. Remote installation can also be conducted in many cases.
Support for POLAR GP is provided free by the Gippsland Primary Health Networks (PHNs). For support contact polar@gphn.org.au
Main office
11 Seymour Street, Traralgon, Gunaikurnai Country
13 McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi, Bunurong Country
119 Main Street, Bairnsdale, Gunaikurnai Country
Gippsland PHN is committed to providing inclusive services and work environments where people of all backgrounds, sexualities, genders, cultures, spiritual beliefs, age, bodies and abilities are valued, supported and celebrated.
Gippsland PHN acknowledges the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people/s as the traditional Custodians of Country across the Gippsland region.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people/s continuing connection to Land, Water and Community.
We pay our respects to the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People/s, Cultures, and their Elders past and present.
We also recognise, respect and affirm the central role played in our work by people with lived experience, their families and/or carers.
Gippsland PHN acknowledges Alfie Hudson for the healing circles artwork. Alfie is a Gunai Kurnai man and created this artwork which represents health professionals being committed to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members for the best health outcomes.
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