Programmed shared medical appointments: A novel procedure for chronic disease management

Background: In 2013, the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) introduced shared medical appointments (SMAs) for managing chronic disease in clinical practice. The popularity of SMAs has increased with the shift towards a Health Care Homes model. Programmed shared medical appointments (PSMAs) are an extension of the standard SMA model, designed to help manage more complex and specific chronic disease issues. Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the process of PSMAs and consider their use in primary care. Discussion: PSMAs combine sequential medical consultations with peer support and interaction in a semi-structured group education arrangement. SMAs and PSMAs are ideally suited to the Health Care Homes model of clinical care currently proposed by the federal Department of Health. Proof of concept is currently being tested for PSMAs. Conditions suitable for future trials include overweight and obesity, diabetes (including pre-diabetes), cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, chronic pain or arthritis, mild anxiety or depression, perisurgical management and cancer survival.