Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age
TERTIARY CONSULTANCY CLINICS
The Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age has established several SVAPS Specialist Consultancy Clinics using the model of public-private partnerships (PPP) for the mutual benefit of patients, their carers and families, and to support GPs and other health service providers. These clinics provide specialist services and shared care to the SVAPS catchment area patients (44,000), as well as for specialist assessment and management of patients referred by general practitioners from other parts of Melbourne, Victoria and interstate. There are currently five SVAPS Specialist Ambulatory Clinics operated by the Academic Unit: the Memory and Related Disorders Clinic (MRDC), the Psychotherapy Clinic, the Speech and Communication Clinic, the Huntington’s Disease (HD) Clinic, and the Research Clinic. Patients are consulted by Academic Unit staff who also hold St Vincent’s honorary positions.
The Public Private Partnership (PPP) Information System was designed and implemented in 2002 as a tangible outcome of SVAPS’ participation in the Commonwealth Demonstration Project “Public Private Partnerships in Mental Health.” The development of the Information System was based on the Academic Unit’s many years of research experience. This PPP Information System contains data on more than 1000 patients seen in specialists ambulatory clinics, as well as data on shared care arrangements provided by SVAPS staff, private psychiatrists and general practitioners. It is available to all clinical staff, especially APATT staff of SVAPS to enhance their assessment of patients in the community.
There have been significant mutual benefits from the establishment of these clinics, including the development of a close collaboration of staff not only with GPs and Health professionals but also with mental health, aged care, community residential and social support services and community health centres. Successful training and clinical placement of GPs has helped them to become more confident, capable and resourceful health service providers, which has resulted in a decrease of referrals of patients with depression and anxiety to the MRDC and improved community access to quality health services. These initiatives have also had great social and cultural benefits in that they have promoted community awareness and social inclusion of the elderly. The Academic Unit has benefited by becoming a recognised leader in upskilling and professional capacity building by conducting various upskilling programs and having the opportunity to further its relationship with health professionals. Another benefit was to have clinic patients as potential participants for industry sponsored clinical Research Projects, and a postgraduate “Associated Aged Psychiatry Research Sites Program” was initiated, designed and conducted for GPs from IEMDGP (15 sites). Participants presented results on local, national and international forums.
Academic Unit leadership in these clinics resulted in the development of a research working environment at St Vincent’s Aged Psychiatry Service. One of the Academic Unit’s most innovative knowledge transfer programmes has been the Research Meeting Program for St Vincent’s clinicians which proved to be extremely beneficial for everyday clinical practice. It resulted in the integration of the research focus into a work culture. This has lead to clinicians’ presentations on numerous National and International Forums and publications which extended the impact of clinical “grass roots” research to the wider community. Program evaluation revealed participants’ satisfaction with supportive environment, inclusiveness, demystification of research, as well as being informed on latest international research developments. 79% gave an overall rating as “Good”, “Very Good” or “Excellent”. This clinical research culture resulted in the translation of research into clinical practice, improvement of service delivery and dissemination of best clinical practice.
Memory and Related Disorders Clinic
The Elders Mood Disorder Clinic was established in 1995 as a valuable upskilling resource, which allowed all parties (public health professionals, GPs and private psychiatrists) to pool their knowledge and skills to ensure better community service. The Clinic was established in response to the limited knowledge of health professionals about the correct diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders and depression in the elderly. The Impaired Cognition Clinic (ICC) commenced operation in 1997 with the aim of providing similar services for dementia and cognitive impairment. A number of Master and PhD research projects were conducted through the Mood and Related Disorders Clinic and the ICC, in addition to trials of new medications. Because Department of Human Services (DHS) funding was not available for chronically ill psychiatric patients after their discharge from the Acute Psychogeriatric Assessment and Treatment Unit, the Psychiatric Extended Care Clinic (PECC) was established in 1999 to fill this gap in service delivery, and operated until 2004.
In 2000 the Elders Mood Disorder Clinic and the Impaired Cognition Clinic merged to become the Memory and Related Disorders Clinic (MRDC). The MRDC provides not only a tertiary consultancy service for the SVAPS catchment area, but also continued education and support for GPs, other health professionals and community service providers. As a University Clinic it conducts clinical research and psychopharmacological studies of novel medications, meaning that clinic patients have evidence-based access to new medications. The MRDC provides diagnostic and advisory services, close monitoring and follow-up, education and support for patients, their families and their carers.
The Memory and Related Disorders Clinics operates on Mondays and Thursdays. To make an appointment, please call our Clinics Secretary on 9816 0508.
Consultants:
Professor Nicola Lautenschlager, Professor David Ames, Professor Edmond Chiu, Dr. Cassandra Szoeke, Patrick O’Brien
MRDC Brochure
Psychotherapy Clinic
With growing evidence that psychotherapy can play an important role in treating depression, anxiety and other common disorders affecting the elderly, the Psychotherapy Clinic was established in 2002, offering a variety of psychological treatments including cognitive-behavioural therapy, grief counselling, grief therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy. The Psychotherapy Clinic operates on Thursdays. To make an appointment, please call our Clinics Secretary on 9816 0508.
Consultant:
Dr. Vahid Payman
Psychotherapy Clinic Brochure
Speech and Communication Clinic
The Speech and Communication Clinic was established as a joint initiative of the Academic Unit and Inner Eastern Community Health Service (IECHS) to improve our understanding of communication and swallowing disorders through clinical research and to manage these impairments in patients with cognitive impairments and dementias. The Speech and Communication Clinic operates on Thursdays in conjunction with the MRDC.
Consultant:
Dr. Ian Thompson
Speech and Communication Clinic Brochure
Huntington’s Disease Clinic
Professor Edmond Chiu, the founding chair of Huntington’s Research Group Victoria (HRGV) commenced the Huntington’s disease clinic in 1972 at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. With his appointment as professor/Director of the Aged Psychiatry Service at St George’s Hospital in 1995, the HD clinic moved to its current site. The HD Clinic has been providing services for people with Huntington’s disease, their family members and carers, general practitioners and the wider HD Community. The HD clinic has developed a strong reputation for excellence among the HD community, and the Academic Unit has been able to use these links to become the most internationally successful recruiting site for prospective Huntington’s research projects (PREDICT-HD and RESPOND-HD).
The SVAPS Huntington’s Clinic not only provides services for individuals in its catchment area but also for other metropolitan and rural Victorians, as well as interstate patients and their families and/or carers.
The HD Clinic operates on Thursdays and Monday mornings. To make an appointment, please call our Clinics Secretary on 9816 0508.
Consultants:
Professor Edmond Chiu, Dr Phyllis Chua, Dr Andrew Churchyard
Huntington’s Disease Clinic Brochure
Research Clinic
This outpatient clinic records assessments of SVAPS clinics patients/participants in St Vincent’s research projects conducted by the Academic Unit, namely psychopharmacological research – trials of new medications for the elderly suffering from dementia, depression and other disorders, prospective dementia research projects, and international Huntington’s disease research.
The Research Clinic operates on weekdays.
Consultants:
Academic Unit Investigators and Researchers
Click here to view the Research Clinic Brochure