Primary care management of PTSD

In this webinar, Dr Joe Kosterich provides an introduction to the management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in primary care and gives an overview of HealthCert's new online certificate courses in Mental Health.

Learn more in the HealthCert certificate courses in Mental Health. Enrol by 30 Sep 2023 with special code PCMHE500 to save $500!

Watch the full webinar recording now:

In the webinar, Dr Kosterich explores why having the knowledge to manage mental health concerns in general practice is so essential, with recent data.

He then deep-dives into the primary care management of PTSD, including:

• Criteria to identify symptoms of PTSD.
• Managing treatment for PTSD in general practice.
• Other health conditions that may contribute to PTSD.
• Developing GP mental health treatment plans for PTSD.
• Providing ongoing mental healthcare.
• Identifying services and resources to safeguard patient safety.

Dr Kosterich also explores HealthCert's newly released online CPD courses in Mental Health, which will allow you to confidently and competently screen, diagnose, treat, and manage common mental health conditions, including PTSD, and provide a high-demand service to your patients. Completion of the courses will also enable you to meet requirements for mental health MBS recognition and increase your Medicare billings.

1 in 5 Australians reported that they had a mental or behavioural condition during August 2020 to June 2021, and the National Health Priority Areas lists mental health as the fifth priority. Medical practitioners are the conduit between the patients, their community and access to physical and online mental health facilities and resources. As they are usually the first point of contact for patients with mental health issues, it is critical for medical practitioners to be adequately trained.

General practice plays a central role in the provision of mental health care in Australia. Easily accessed without referral, people in distress frequently turn to a general practice team for help. People talk to their GP about mental health more than any other issue and the majority of mental health services in Australia are delivered by GPs.

As such, the online certificate courses in Mental Health provide tailored general practitioner training to equip GPs with the skills to provide evidence-based, patient-centred care to people living with a mental illness. The online medical courses introduce skills and techniques to detect, assess and review patients with mental health issues, including PTSD, enabling practitioners to improve patient outcomes, identify and treat mental health issues and to work collaboratively with other professionals in the field. The course is delivered by GPs with a special interest in mental health and reviewed by mental health professionals.

By completing the Professional Certificate or both the Core Module and Clinical Enhancement Module in Mental Health, participants qualify for MBS items 2715 and 2717 (or equivalent item numbers for non-VR GPs). The Professional Certificate of Mental Health is recognised as professional development for practitioners who have completed their mental health training.

Learn more in the HealthCert certificate courses in Mental Health. Enrol by 30 Sep 2023 with special code PCMHE500 to save $500.