Full bibliography

Study topic
A controlled, before–after intervention study evaluating the impact of embedding evidence-based non-drug interventions (HANDI) into the Mackay HealthPathways platform to increase uptake by general practitioners.

Study type
Controlled, before–after intervention study with a matched control site (Townsville PHN) and national comparator.

Key findings

• The study aims to assess whether integrating RACGP’s Handbook of Non-Drug Interventions (HANDI) into HealthPathways increases GP use of non-drug treatments.
• Five target conditions were selected: osteoarthritis, back pain, COPD, depression, and metabolic syndrome.
• Intervention includes pathway redesign, education forums, printed materials, practice visits, and digital reminders.
• Primary outcome: usage of HealthPathways and HANDI resources (measured via Google Analytics).
• Secondary outcomes: changes in health service utilisation and prescribing patterns, using de-identified GP and hospital data.
• The study also evaluates the effectiveness of local engagement and education strategies.
• Results will inform broader HealthPathways Community adoption and contribute to evidence on non-drug intervention uptake.