News
The RACGP’s Green Book: Putting prevention into practice
The new third edition of the RACGP’s Putting prevention into practice: Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting is now available, providing GPs and practice teams with a framework for implementing preventive medicine.
The newly updated third edition of the Green Book includes contributions across all members of the general practice team.
A companion resource to the RACGP’s
Guideline for preventive activities in general practice (Red Book), the Green Book is designed to offer a range of practical and effective strategies to improve prevention activities for all people in the general practice setting.
‘We really made an effort to involve all team general practice team members [in the third edition update] and get their contributions to produce an implementable approach to prevention,’ Professor Danielle Mazza, Chair of the Green Book Editorial Committee and member of the RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care (REC–QC), told
newsGP.
‘It includes evidence about how to put prevention in to practice, with step-by-step guidance, case studies and examples.’
The first edition of the Green Book was published in 1998, with the second edition coming in 2006. The updated third edition helps to ensure currency and accuracy of information and recommendations.
Professor Mazza highlights the importance of these guidelines as a practical resource for an entire practice.
‘The Green Book is a comprehensive approach and pathway of resources designed to help the whole practice team – receptionists, practice nurses, general practice registrars,’ she said.
‘In order for prevention to be successful, they all work together with the common aim of implementing prevention.’
Associate Professor John Litt, member of the Green Book Editorial Committee and Deputy Chair of the REC–QC, said the Green Book was originally produced to help improve existing guidelines.
‘It was clear that, over 20 years ago, a lot of guidelines were being produced but a lot of people weren’t necessarily following those,’ he told
newsGP.
‘So work had gone into these guidelines to give practitioners a better idea of what best practise is, and if people aren’t doing that, then the care is not up to scratch.’
Associate Professor Litt believes the resource can be used as a tool to monitor improvement and continuing professional development.
‘By putting together a set of guidelines around implementation, it allows us to be more optimistic that GPs will get there,’ he said.
The Green Book remains a widely-used resource in general practice, according to Associate Professor Litt.
‘It has been reassuring that although there has been little publicity about the Green Book since the last edition, the amount of downloads every year has remained fairly consistent,’ he said.
‘This tells us it is a very useful resource for practitioners.’
The third edition of the Green Book is
available on the RACGP website. Email
qualitycare@racgp.org.au for more information.
Green-Book implementation preventive-medicine Red-Book
newsGP weekly poll
Would you feel confident diagnosing ADHD and initiating treatments if laws allowed you to do so?