No 1135: October 27, 2011
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter
sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the NEV catchment. The
aim is to provide up to date information relevant to GPs and to disseminate the
latest activities and resources from the division. All feedback and enquiries
welcome and should be addressed to Patty Marshall.
You can also visit our website at: http://www.nevdgp.org.au/.
To subscribe to eNews click on subscribe.
To be removed from the eNews
distribution list click on Unsubscribe
Aged Care Aged
Care Interest Group
Professional Development CPD
events
Information Management Medical Director Tips
Items of interest The University of Melbourne’s
General Practice based medical education information forum, Brain Tumours - What’s
Going On..., Everything Hearing
Mental Health Changes
to the Mental Health Item Numbers
News for Practice Staff Assisting Women to Conceive survey
NPS NPS Audits
Paediatrics RCH Patient Move Day - Wednesday 30 November
Women’s Health Perinatal
and Infant Mental Health Specialist Skills Position 2012,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support and education in geriatrics for GPs who visit or are interested in visiting Aged Care Facilities.
Managing Advanced Parkinson’s Disease. Speaker: Dr Andrew Hughes – Neurologist, Movement Disorder Service, Austin Health
Monday November 14th 1-2 pm (Light lunch 12.30pm) at Vasey House, 5 Tower Ave, Bundoora (near BECC)
Please RSVP to Lorraine on 9466 9615.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 8th November 7-9pm (Dinner & Registration from 6:30 pm) at John Scott Meeting House, La Trobe University Presented by: Mr Peter Larter for GPs, Practice Nurses & Managers Application Form
A free interactive workshop,
presented by Mitcham Private Hospital, designed to provide GPs with the latest
information and practical advice from clinicians who specialise in sleep
disorders. Presentations:
1.
Things that go bump in the night – Restless Leg Syndrome & other Parasomnias with Dr Murad
Ibrahim –Sleep Physician and Director of Mitcham Sleep Centre
2. Down
but not out: Insomnia, Drugs and Depression with Dr Vivek Malipatil, Sleep Physician
3. Obstructive
Sleep Apnoea Gizmos & Gadgets: Exploring the Snoring with Dr
James Ward, Sleep Physician
Tuesday 15th November 6.30 – 9.30pm (dinner provided) at The Sebel Heritage, Yarra Valley, Heritage Avenue, Chirnside Park (early reply encouraged).
For
enquiries, please email moutsosa@ramsayhealth.com.au or call 0420 895 910.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rather than using mouse
clicks and scrolling through a list of templates you can open a template quite
quickly from within the patient screen.
1. Press <F8> to open LetterWriter.
2. Press Control + N (if you have a blanks screen. No need for this step if the list of templates is already on the screen).
3. Quickly type the first 3 letters of the template name. For example, typing STA will immediately highlight the STANDARD LETTER template.
4. Press Enter to open the template.
5. If prompted to enter the surname of an address book entry, type in the first few letters of the surname, then select the desired addressee.
Question: Can I use MD to get a list of patients with a specific chronic disease (e.g. diabetes) who are smokers and overweight. We wish to target those patients as part of our proactive treatment.
Answer: You are able to generate a list of patients with a chronic disease (such as diabetes) and smokers, but the MD search doesn’t allow for overweight patients to be included. It is better to use a program like the PEN Clinical Audit Tool for this. If you use MD to generate a list of diabetes patients who are smokers it is an easy step to send a mail merge recall letter to those patients. If you use the PEN Clinical Audit Tool to generate a list of eligible patients the mail merge can’t be done with MD’s mail merge facility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The forum will provide an overview and answer your questions regarding the University’s new medical course and the changes to General Practice involvement. GPs and Practice Managers are welcome to attend the forum, to be held at the Northern Division of General Practice on Thursday 3rd November 7-9pm. See flyer.
A forum on current developments & ideas in brain tumour care, presented by Austin Health Neuro-Oncology & Brain Tumour Support Service.
Wednesday 2nd November 6-8pm (5.30pm registration & refreshments)
Program Includes:
• A/Professor Terry Johns– brain tumour basics
• Dr Hui Gan – clinical trials update
• Dr Lawrence Cher – steroid management
• Brain Tumour Alliance Australia
• Issues in Supportive Care from both the patients’ & health professionals’ perspective
Bookings are essential by October 31. RSVP to Dianne 9496 3315 or Belinda 9496 5763
This is a private Audiology
service which offers your patients a full range of assessments generally only
offered at Hospitals. All ages from neonates to adults can be seen. Assessments
include diagnostic hearing and balance tests. We also fit a full range of hearing
aids for both private and OHS clients. Medicare rebates are available. Visit us
at www.everythinghearing.com.au
or call us on 9416 3285 if you have any
questions or for a referral pad.
This week’s edition includes: AMA List of Medical Services and Fees - 1 November 2011; AMA President visits NT and WA; Report from Mental Health Inquiry delayed; Senate Inquiry into rural health services; Impact of mental health funding cuts on rural areas; Pharmacy Location Rule Changes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In November 2011 there will be changes to the Mental Health Item Numbers, mental health rebates and to the Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative to reduce the number of Medicare eligible sessions from 12 to 10.
How will this impact GPs when
they see a patient with a mental health condition?
1. The level of mental health training of the GP will continue to impact on the rebate for the Mental Health Treatment Plan item. The content of the Mental Health Treatment Plan & Review remain unchanged.
2. Rebates for the development of a Mental Health Treatment Plan will be time based (see attached). Either
a. Consultation 20-39 minutes
b. Consultation 40+ minutes
3. There are changes to the fee structure for the mental health review & consultation items
Referrals
for Focused Psychological Strategies:
4. Referrals for Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS) can only be made through one referral pathway ie; Better Access OR Better Outcomes, NOT BOTH.
5. Consider the eligibility criteria for each of the referral pathways (Better Access (Medicare) or Better Outcomes (ATAPS)
a. Better Outcomes (ATAPS) have strict eligibility criteria (see attached) relating to target groups for this program
b. Changes to the population groups that will be targeted. Services for these groups will be developed in the coming months.
6.
There will be a reduction in the number of
Medicare eligible sessions for Better Access referrals, from 12 (6+6) to 10
(6+4). Access to a greater number of sessions is
not an eligibility criteria for the ATAPS program in and of itself.
Please note: The NEVDGP website has new MD MH Treatment Plan and Review templates to reflect these changes. You need to delete old templates and install the new ones from IM Resources – Mental Health templates (only use the new template from November 1st 2011)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APNA, on behalf of Monash University, is promoting a survey which explores practice nurse fertility-awareness knowledge, attitudes and practices.
To participate in this exciting research project please complete the online survey!
This survey will take five minutes and
runs for the month of October only! When completed you will go into the draw to WIN one of three iPod
Shuffles.
To find out more please visit ‘Assisting Women to Conceive’.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper audits for the current QPI PIP period are now closed. However, there are several electronic audits still open for the May 2011 – April 2012 period. topics include: CVD Risk and Lipid Modifying Therapy, Management of Hypertension, Proton Pump Prescribing and Management of Type 2 Diabetes.
More information is available on the NPS website and can be found here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact details will stay
the same: Hospital phone numbers, fax numbers and address will stay the same
during and after the move:
· RCH Switchboard: 9345 5522
· Patient outpatient-related
questions: 9345 6180
· GP hotline: 9345 7060
· GP / Primary Care Liaison: 9345 4645
· Fax number for referrals: 9345 5034
· Department fax numbers will be
forwarded to their new fax machines
· Address: 50 Flemington Road,
Parkville 3052
To find out more: www.rch.org.au/rchonthemove.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New GP training opportunities will be available in 2012 as part of Victoria’s Perinatal Mental Health Initiative. Potential rotations are available in association with the mother‐baby units in Melbourne and with the Infant Mental Health Services at Royal Children’s Hospital and Southern Health.
For more information see flyer or contact Dr Sandra Radovini on 03 9371 0203 or email radovini@unimelb.edu.au.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: only new ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other
ads can be found on the website
Doctors
Diamond Creek Medical Centre- Opportunity for FT &PT VR GP to join a supportive and friendly
medical Clinic. FT Nurse, computerized. No A/Hs, mixed billing. Good remuneration. Contact: Lina Rogers on 9438 1911 or 0407 119 780.
Ivanhoe Medical Clinic - Opportunity for FT & PT VR GP to join one of Melbourne’s most
famous practices in 2012. Modern, large supportive group (10
GPs), FT nurses, computerized, CDMs, no A/Hs,
friendly, flexible, mixed billing. Good remuneration. Contact:- Dr.Stephen Smith or Dr.David Doig on 9499 1245.
Practice
Staff
Ivanhoe - Medical Receptionist Permanent
Part-Time required by a well-established, high quality General Practice to work
15 – 30 hours per week, including one weekend per month. The successful
applicant will have experience working in a busy medical practice, possess
excellent customer service skills, be flexible and enjoy working as part of a
team. Hours will include covering for other staff when they are on leave.
Please
reply giving details of experience and references to: The Practice Manager - maryh@dr131.com.au
Nurse Specialist Service - Care Plans and Health Assessments including all CDM allied health referrals and recalls professionally completed by a Nurse Specialist. Our prompt, confidential service can be conducted in the clinic using your preferred patient management program or as a home visit with documentation using standard Division templates. Small and large lists accepted. Enquiries to glendac@pbhealth.com.au or call on 0448 681 048.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace.
Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished."
So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kalhua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.
You have no idea how good I feel right now.
Please pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner Peace.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And remember…
…The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.