One Year On, Link-me+ EMPHN Now Live Across 20 General Practice Sites
Link-me+ EMPHN is a translation and implementation project that supports general practices to embed evidence-based, stepped mental health care into routine practice. Link-me+ builds on the success of the original Link-me randomised controlled trial and is led by A/Prof Caroline Johnson and A/Prof Cath Kaylor-Hughes from the Department of General Practice and Primary Care . This project is continuously shaped by a broad team of stakeholders, including patients, GPs, practice managers, psychologists, researchers, and primary health network staff, whose contributions have supported the program’s growth and implementation.
This month marks almost one year since the first general practice went live with Link-me+. The program is now active across 20 sites in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) catchment, with a further 12 months of funding recently awarded.
How does Link-me+ work?
Patients receive an SMS from their clinic inviting them to complete a brief online questionnaire before their GP appointment. The Link-me+ prognostic tool assesses likely mental health status, alongside questions to determine psychosocial needs and goal setting, helping GPs identify patients who may benefit from additional support. Since going live, more than 10,000 SMS messages have been sent to patients.
Patients identified with higher-intensity care needs can be referred by their GP for up to eight sessions of Care Navigation in the practice.
Care navigators are health professionals who work alongside GPs to help patients stay motivated, set goals, and connect them with support services.
As one GP noted, “Involving the Care Navigator has been amazing for patients who take it up. It gives them a practical touch point, especially for those who are lonely, and helps them feel they have more people on their team who care about them.”
The Link-me+ EMPHN model of care also includes a local service directory for GPs, a community of practice, and training opportunities for GPs to upskill in particular areas of mental health.