TY - JOUR KW - Australia KW - Delivery of Health Care/economics/standards KW - Evidence-Based Medicine KW - Health Expenditures KW - Health Services Accessibility/standards KW - Humans KW - Mental Health Services/economics/standards KW - National Health Programs/economics/standards KW - Primary Health Care/economics/standards AU - I. B. Hickie AU - P. D. McGorry A1 - AB - There is clear evidence that coordinated systems of medical and psychological care ("collaborative care") are superior to single-provider-based treatment regimens. Although other general practice-based mental health schemes promoted collaborative care, the new Medicare Benefits Schedule payments revert largely to individual-provider service systems and fee-for-service rebates. Such systems have previously resulted in high out-of-pocket expenses, poor geographical and socioeconomic distribution of specialist services, and proliferation of individual-provider-based treatments rather than collaborative care. The new arrangements for broad access to psychological therapies should provide the financial basis for major structural reform. Unless this reform is closely monitored for equity of access, degree of out-of-pocket expenses, extent of development of evidence-based collaborative care structures, and impact on young people in the early phases of mental illness, we may waste this opportunity. The responsibility for achieving the best outcome does not lie only with governments. To date, the professions have not placed enough emphasis on systematically adopting evidence-based forms of collaborative care. BT - The Medical journal of Australia C5 - Financing & Sustainability; Healthcare Policy CP - 2 CY - Australia IS - 2 JF - The Medical journal of Australia N2 - There is clear evidence that coordinated systems of medical and psychological care ("collaborative care") are superior to single-provider-based treatment regimens. Although other general practice-based mental health schemes promoted collaborative care, the new Medicare Benefits Schedule payments revert largely to individual-provider service systems and fee-for-service rebates. Such systems have previously resulted in high out-of-pocket expenses, poor geographical and socioeconomic distribution of specialist services, and proliferation of individual-provider-based treatments rather than collaborative care. The new arrangements for broad access to psychological therapies should provide the financial basis for major structural reform. Unless this reform is closely monitored for equity of access, degree of out-of-pocket expenses, extent of development of evidence-based collaborative care structures, and impact on young people in the early phases of mental illness, we may waste this opportunity. The responsibility for achieving the best outcome does not lie only with governments. To date, the professions have not placed enough emphasis on systematically adopting evidence-based forms of collaborative care. PP - Australia PY - 2007 SN - 0025-729X; 0025-729X SP - 100 EP - 103 EP - T1 - Increased access to evidence-based primary mental health care: Will the implementation match the rhetoric? T2 - The Medical journal of Australia TI - Increased access to evidence-based primary mental health care: Will the implementation match the rhetoric? U1 - Financing & Sustainability; Healthcare Policy U2 - 17635093 VL - 187 VO - 0025-729X; 0025-729X Y1 - 2007 ER -