Health Professionals

Emerge Australia provides a range of information, support and professional development options to help healthcare practitioners to accurately diagnose and support patients with ME/CFS and Long COVID.

The importance of early diagnosis and intervention

ME/CFS can be profoundly disabling. Early diagnosis enables appropriate management that may help to reduce further disability. Diagnosis and management is possible in a general practice setting, alongside a multi-disciplinary team.

There are many strategies healthcare professionals can use to support patients, including:

energy management strategies such as pacing and rest
symptom management to reduce symptom burden
providing validation and reassurance that their symptoms are due to an underlying, biological issue
implementing education and work accommodations
accessing support such as Centrelink payments or NDIS.

Emerge Australia’s Education Team

Our education team is dedicated to supporting health professionals to provide the best possible care for people who live with ME/CFS and its associated conditions, including Long COVID.

Please get in touch to talk with us about continuing professional development options for you and your team.

Contact the Education team

Management and Support

Although there are no TGA approved treatments for ME/CFS or Long COVID, healthcare practitioners can do a lot to support patients. This includes supporting patients with: Energy management strategies such as pacing and rest. Read more

Diagnosing ME/CFS

An accurate diagnosis of ME/CFS is possible in general practice using accepted diagnostic criteria. Patients with Long COVID who present with post-exertional malaise (PEM) should have ME/CFS included in the differential diagnosis as the presence of PEM may change activity and exercise advice. Read more

Continuing Professional Development

The field of ME/CFS has changed since the last Australian Clinical Guidelines were published in 2002. Here you will find two CPD education modules based on the latest ME/CFS evidence and further resources. Read more

Latest

Our GPs need to know what to do: We have the plan, we need the funds

Emerge Australia has written a 5 years plan for GP Education about ME/CFS, Long COVID and post-viral diseases, accessible to all of Australia’s GPs.
What will it take for Australia to get new clinical guidelines for ME/CFS?

$1,200,000 is required over 2 years for the development of national clinical guidelines for ME/CFS It is a matter of urgency for Australia to update its clinical guidelines for ME/CFS, to ensure Australian ME/CFS patients have access to the best possible care, based on current understanding of the condition and latest evidence.
Australians with ME/CFS need Optimal Care Pathways

$1,100,000 is required over 5 years for an Optimal Care Pathway for ME/CFS. Optimal Care Pathways (OCP) support integrated shared care across the entire health system. Such innovative approaches to the coordination of non-clinical service delivery have achieved improved outcomes for patients in other settings.
Changes to the Support and Services programs

With the completion of our Patient Pathways telehealth pilot program on June 30, 2022 we will be making some changes to how the service works and the programs it delivers.