Lifescripts for a healthier life

Tintenbar GP Lynne Davies discusses some lifestyle issues with Lennox Head patient Elaine Sulkowicz.

Lennox Head resident Elaine Sulkowicz is the first patient in the Tintenbar Medical Centre to be introduced to the Lifescripts concept. Mrs Sulkowicz is receptive to Lifescripts and happy to fill out the questionnaire as it relates to her health.

Lifescripts is a national initiative promoting risk factor management in general practice. It is being implemented through the divisions’ network, and this division’s practice liaison team is promoting Lifescripts on its practice visits.

The Lifescripts concept is a tool for GPs to use when providing lifestyle advice to patients. Advice may be about quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, eating a healthier diet, maintaining healthy weight, reducing alcohol consumption, or a combination of these.

“We want to try and get the GPs to use Lifescripts, but make it easy for them to use,” Dr Lynne Davies, who is the GP advisor on the project, said.

“One way of doing that is getting the practice nurse involved and the division’s practice liaison team can help practices with orientation.

“It also helps to concentrate on a single issue. Pick the one that is most relevant to the patient and most important for their health problems. Otherwise, there is just too much to go through and that is a little depressing!”
Lifescripts also hopes to remind GPs just how effective brief GP intervention is.
“Many GPs think brief lifestyle interventions are a waste of time, but there is a lot of evidence to show that they are effective. Think of the success that doctors have had advising patients about their smoking,” Dr Davies said.
The division has received no funding to promote Lifescripts, with this important aspect having to be absorbed into the function of the practice liaison team, and also through articles and case studies in the pages of GPSpeak.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but lifestyle issues are so important. This is where I think we can make big changes to patients overall health – with small lifestyle changes and this is a useful resource pack to help us focus on that.”