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New eLearning platform for veterans’ health
A new veterans’ health online tool will provide CPD-accredited training to assist GPs in providing care for patients and their families.
The online tool is designed to help GPs understand more about veteran healthcare.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), in collaboration with Medcast, has launched a healthcare eLearning platform for GPs and health practitioners.
The VETs HeLP service includes interactive learning with facilitators and content experts on veteran healthcare.
The site’s courses, webinars and online case scenarios, among others, is CPD-accredited.
‘VETs HeLP is a dedicated platform providing health professionals with easy access to a range of resources and courses that are crucial for delivering high-quality care to veterans,’ the Medcast statement reads.
‘With user-friendly navigation and interactive features, VETs HeLP aims to bridge the knowledge gap and ensure that health professionals are well-equipped to address the unique health needs of veterans.’
GP supervisor and Medcast Medical Director Associate Professor Stephen Barnett says VETs HeLP ‘supports the [Federal] Government’s vision of integrated long-term support for veterans and their families’.
‘Health professionals play a pivotal role in the veteran’s Transition Ecosystem of support, which is outlined as a priority in the Government’s 2023 Veteran Transition Strategy.’
VETs HeLP is online health education tailored specifically to aid health professionals and includes courses and resources on:
- the veteran experience and transition to civilian life
- mental health
- services for veterans and their families
- and compensation and claims processing.
Medcast, in its statement, said the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s
interim report highlighted the unique needs of patients and practitioner education.
‘Many veterans face significant barriers in accessing appropriate healthcare, often due to a lack of understanding of their specific needs among general health practitioners,’ it says.
‘VETs HeLP directly addresses this gap by offering targeted educational content that will enhance the competencies of health professionals and contribute to better health outcomes for veterans.’
GP Dr Catherine Eltringham, who has a special interest in veterans’ health and directly helped with the development of VETs HeLP, says the platform ‘is exactly we’ve been needing’.
‘The resources and courses available on this platform will undoubtedly enhance our understanding and ability to provide better care to our veteran patients,’ she said.
The first VETs HeLP webinar ‘Understanding our veterans’ healthcare’ is scheduled on 10 July.
For more information about the webinar and to access the VETs HeLP platform, visit the
VETs HeLP site.
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