In October 2020, the new Australian Framework for Doctors Mental Health was launched by national stakeholders including Everymind, the Australian Medical Association and Health Minister Greg Hunt. It offers an evidence-informed framework with 66 priority actions aimed at all organisational levels. 

What’s the Problem?

Aligned to MedApps vision, improving the wellbeing of doctors and medical students is a key enabler of quality patient care and healthier communities. This National Framework is based on available evidence and advice from doctors, doctors-in-training, medical students, mental health and suicide prevention experts and other key stakeholders.

The wellbeing of the medical profession is a national priority, requiring a coordinated and resourced approach. Targeting the structural and environmental risk factors impacting on the medical profession is an immediate priority. 

All jurisdictions, settings, services and stakeholders must be involved to ensure immediate, sustained and coordinated action in the following identified areas including:

1. Recognise and respond to those needing support.
2. Improve response to doctors and medical students impacted.
3. Improve the culture of the medical profession to enable wellbeing.
4. Improve coordinated action and accountability.
5. Improve training and work environments.

What’s The Goal

Coordinated action to prevent mental ill-health and suicidal behaviour and support good mental health for all doctors and medical students.

How Can Med App Help?

We have filtered out the 48 relevant priority recommendations and actions specified for health services and created a mapping tool to help your organisation action this framework. Of the 48 review areas, 39 actions can be supported by Med App. 

Next Steps

1. Sign up to the framework vision, guiding principles and pillars for coordinated action – Click here to sign up 

2. Set up an organisational leadership team that is accountable for the development, reporting, and sustainability of the final action plan

3. Download our gap analysis tool to map current organisational activity and use data to inform the action plan – building on strengths and working to address gaps. 

4. Involve different levels of the medical profession in the process including prioritisation and risk analysis of actions

5. Of the 48 recommendations and actions for health services, it has been identified that Med App can support 39 actions and facilitate change management by populating the app with relevant resources, facilitating education and training events, and communicating to the medical workforce. 

6. Allocate resources for implementation and evaluation.

7. Report yearly on progress, using a traffic light report outlining actions that are progressed, planned or inactive.

8. Set up mechanisms to monitor and review the plan.

9. Check in with us about your progress as we work together toward safe clinician and patient care. 

Read more about the framework, research, and resources here: https://lifeinmind.org.au/every-doctor-every-setting

---

Med App is an offline-accessible, mobile-first tool. It is ideal for the hospital environment where there is a high need for clinicians to access clinical and hospital guidelines easily, including wellbeing resources. Med App has been designed by clinicians for clinicians, and continues to innovate and improve the experience of frontline health workers and the patients to whom they deliver care. For more information about how MedApps can help implement the Australian Framework for Doctors Mental Health, reach out by connecting with Dr Sonia Chanchlani via email at [email protected], or uncover the possibilities when you book a complimentary Med App demonstration for your hospital.