Living with chronic conditions

Chronic conditions are diseases that are long-lasting and have persistent effects.

Our commissioned activity

Primary Health Tasmania has commissioned services for:

  • people with chronic conditions in rural areas
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic conditions.

Read more about them below or visit Our Services Portal.

Rural health

We’ve funded four organisations to deliver primary healthcare services to people with chronic conditions across 21 rural communities.

Find out more through our dedicated rural health page, or by searching Our Services Portal.

Exercise Treatment Program

Primary Health Tasmania has received Australian Government funding to deliver the Exercise Treatment Program in north west Tasmania.

It aims to improve the activity levels and quality of life of older people who have – or are at risk of – chronic health conditions.

The free 14-week, strength-based group exercise and lifestyle education program is evidence-based and individualised to meet the specific needs of participants.

It also includes advice about healthy living.

Find out more by searching Our Services Portal.

“If you take a piece of elastic, and you pull it and it stretches, you then become more confident that if you pull it harder, you can stretch it further. That’s basically what I’m doing with my body – it’s giving me a lot more control and ability, and trust in myself.” 

  • Fiona Cardwell, Corumbene Care client

Integrated team care

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience a higher incidence of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and renal disease than the rest of the Australian population.

To help turn this around, we’ve commissioned organisations across Tasmania to provide Integrated Team Care – that is, care coordination, outreach workers and supplementary services.

For more details, go to Our Services Portal.

One in four Australians have at least two chronic health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

Moving on Up: Transitioning from child to adult care

Research suggests chronic conditions affect the everyday lives of almost 64,000 young Tasmanians.

For those who have become used to engaging with the health system in their childhood years, the transition to adult services can be a challenge.

Primary Health Tasmania has worked with the Tasmanian Health Service and other experts to develop Moving on Up – a practical framework to support the transition of young Tasmanians with chronic conditions to adult care. Supporting resources include checklists for young people and their families.

Access the resources.

Health Care Homes

Health Care Homes is a way of caring for people with chronic conditions which puts the patient first. A health care home is a general practice or Aboriginal Community-controlled health service with one team coordinating a patient’s care.

Primary Health Tasmania is supporting the local practices and their more than 400 patients already involved in stage one of the Health Care Homes trial, which will run until June 2021.

You can enrol as a Health Care Home patient if you:

  • have a Medicare card
  • have a My Health Record or are willing to get one
  • would benefit from the Health Care Home model of care
  • are a patient with a participating Health Care Home, and are assessed as eligible by that practice.

My Health Record

My Health Record is a secure online summary of a person’s significant health information. Every Australian will be given a My Health Record by mid-2018, unless they choose to opt out.

You can read more about My Health Record on our dedicated My Health Record page.

Helpful links