The NSW General Practice Physical Activity Project (GPPA)

The GPPA project was initiated in 1999 with funding from NSW Health. The project worked with Divisions of General Practice in NSW to assist them to provide general practice with:

• evidence-based information on the amount, type and duration of physical activity required for improvement in cardiovascular health and diabetes
• the knowledge, skills and resources to assess current physical activity levels among patients, and prescribe appropriate amounts and types of physical activity
• information on expected efficacy and benefits of delivering specific physical activity advice to patients in the form of individual prescriptions.

As part of this program six general practice fact sheets were developed.

• Physical activity and depression  
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• Management of overweight and obesity in adults  
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• Physical activity in the prevention of type 2 diabetes  
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• Physical activity and healthy ageing  
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• Getting patients more active: practical information for general practice (2005)  
   Download
• Physical activity and heart disease  
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The NSW Prevention in Practice Project

Implementation of the Heart Foundation Prevention in Practice project commenced in 2007 and is an integrated approach to implementing lifestyle risk factor interventions within general practice.

This project, funded by NSW Health and managed by the Heart Foundation, aims to:

• increase the awareness of the benefits of addressing the lifestyle risk factors of smoking, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and unhealthy bodyweight (SNAPO)
• support effective interventions within general practice.

Key elements of this program include:

• capacity grants for selected NSW Divisions of General Practice
• support and training for Divisions of General Practice to assist general practice to implement lifestyle interventions
• education and training opportunities for general practitioners and practice nurses
• synthesis and distribution of key evidence-based resources and material for general practice teams and patients
• development of supportive information tools for general practice.

One of the key strategies for the Heart Foundation's Prevention in Practice Project is the development of online learning modules for general practitioners, practice nurses and other health professionals using the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner's gplearning program portal.