About 15 or so years from now, sensors and so-called “implantables” will send information to your general practitioner.

You’ll arrive at an appointment to find your GP informed and able to start addressing your concerns. 

Monitoring devices will track cellular changes that might indicate recurrent cancer, and alert your doctor.

“These things are actually possible – they’re not fanciful dreams,” CSIRO health and biosecurity director Robert Grenfell told a Bendigo crowd. 

He was the guest speaker at the launch of Murray HealthPathways, a web-based tool for GPs and health professionals in central and northern Victoria. 

During his 20 minute address, Dr Grenfell shared some of the developments underway at the CSIRO - from nutritious meals, to tackle malnutrition, to sensors to help people living with dementia.

He also pointed out flaws in the health system, and ways they could be improved.

Dr Grenfell identified “spiraling costs and inequity” and cautioned that the way the primary care sector was being funded was not viable. 

“If we think about it, our health system is really an illness management system,” he said.

He said patients were struggling to get the help they needed, particularly if they were of low socio-economic demographic, from a rural area, Indigenous or from a non-English speaking background. 

“The care is not going to the person, the care is actually focused on the care system,” Dr Grenfell said. 

“Hospitals are set up for doctors and nurses. General practices are set up for GPs. 

“One of my passions has been the disjuncture that occurs between health care and community service… the bit that’s actually broken.

“The fact, if you’ve got a disability, that your linkage into the health care system is a major problem.”

He advised general practices to keep data, to identify how they could improve; to instill a sense of teamwork in their workforce; to have access to tools enabling a whole system approach; and to engage patients.

Dr Grenfell said Murray HealthPathways, which outlines best practice care and specialist and hospital referral pathways, was one such tool.

“Think of this as an important component to connected care right across the care systems,” he said.

Of the $155 billion spent on the Australian health system in the 2013-14 financial year, $55 billion went to primary health care.