GP, Integrated GP and Interdisciplinary GP is there a difference?

Are these just fancy names for the same thing? That is a great question and one that we wish to answer for you today.

ATUNE Health Centres Warners Bay / Lake Macquarie have developed what we call an interdisciplinary team of health professionals.  This team includes GP’s, Physiotherapist, Osteopaths, Massage Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians, Naturopaths, Breathing Therapists, Psychologists, Exercise Physiologists, Social Workers, Psychiatrists and more, all working together under the one roof that is ATUNE Health Centres. This team is a fully integrated or interdisciplinary team of health professionals that focus on you and your individual needs. Our GP’s work in an interdisciplinary manner providing referrals to other healthcare professionals if or when this is required.  Thus, our GP’s provide a central point of coordination for your health support team, no matter what kind of treatments you require or wish to use. All of our GPs are open to a discussion on the non-conventional evidence-based measures you may be using to support your health including supplements and complementary practitioners. 

So we believe that these words aren’t just fancy names but a fundamental shift in the focus and application of medical practice throughout Australia.

By definition – a GP is primarily focused on the diagnosis and wellbeing of the client, however, an interdisciplinary or integrated GP not only understands the client’s condition but the importance of a team approach to treatment and management of their condition.

So Interdisciplinary GP’s – are medical doctors who work with a diverse range of health professionals in a coordinated fashion towards a common goal for the patient.  They appreciate and understand that there is a wide scope of care available, and will work together with providers of lifestyle medicine, allied health and specialist care for the benefit of you.

An Integrated GP - Integrative Medicine describes a style of clinical practice and is best defined as 'the practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing'. (Ref: https://curriculum.racgp.org.au/statements/integrative-medicine/#references)

No matter what you call it today, there is a significant push to integrate or develop interdisciplinary care pathways for some client suffering chronic or complex conditions. It is definitely worth investigating the benefits of such services for your health and well-being.