North East Valley DGP eNews

No 0807: March 13th, 2008
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/.
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In this issue:

Editorial                                           Practice Health Atlas offer to practices       

Aged Care                                       Common eye conditions in the aged, Free Services for Carers          

Chronic Disease Management         Neuropathy research         

Professional Development               CPD events          

HMR                                                 Seeing is believing - common eye conditions in the aged      

Information Management                includes Medical Director tips and New on the Web

Items of interest                               National Bowel Cancer Screening Project, Free Services for Carers, Ear wax removal,     BECC waiting times

Mental Health                                  New Suicide Helpline         

NPS                                                 New NPS Audit

Paediatrics                                      Eczema up-skilling, Updated parent info factsheets  

Women’s Health                              The Royal Women’s Hospital, Improving Early Pregnancy Care         

Positions vacant/wanted                     

Fun stuff                                              

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A Word from the Editor

Practice Health Atlas offer to practices

The PHA is an analytical tool that allows for informed decision making, both clinical and financial by providing disease profiles and matching your practice billing details with EPC items. Our aim is to produce 25 PHAs before the end of June, so get in early to take advantage of this free offer from the division.

The division, at no cost to the practice, creates a PHA for you, with a follow up executive summary of the results and aggregating the data from different practices (compare with other practices and national benchmarks).

For more information contact Graeme on Mondays or Thursdays.

The division has also purchased an annual licence of the PEN Clinical Audit tool which allows you to analyse your clinical data and help with the necessary data cleansing of your clinical records. We can provide a practical demonstration of both the PHA and/or PEN at your practice, if you so desire, at a time of your choosing. If you want to proceed, simply email Graeme or Noel with the name of the principal contact (the person who will oversee the use of this tool).

There will be a special information session at John Scott meeting House on the evening of Thursday April 24, GPs, PNs and PMs will be invited.

 

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Aged Care

HMR Group/ Aged Care panels: Seeing is believing - common eye conditions in the aged

See under HMR

 

Free Services for Carers

See under Items of Interest

 

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Chronic Disease Management

Neuropathy research

New research in a possible treatment for neuropathy associated with diabetes, using painless nerve stimulation. We are looking for patients to take part in a 12-week study. Inclusion criteria: • Between 55 – 75 years old  • Have had diabetes for 10 years or less • Non-smokers  • Peripheral neuropathy

The study takes place at the Endocrine Centre of Excellence, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital. For more information please contact Dr. Rajna Ogrin or Andrew Jardine on 9496 2986

 

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CPD

The Sixth Meeting of Minds of Austin Health

28-30 March 2008 - Bellinzona Grange Country Retreat, Hepburn Springs,

We have been having an annual educational meeting called the Austin Meeting of Minds for some years.  As a first this year we plan to have a session running on Saturday from 10-4 pm on “Update in Therapeutics - why, who, when, what drug, how long” tailored to the practical needs of the general practitioner. There are no registration costs but lunch for the day is $25. To make this run we need to have the support of at least 20 registrants. If you are interested in attending would you please contact Mrs. Barbara Richmond to register your intention to attend on 9435 9353 phone/fax or email barbararichmond@bigpond.com  

 

Austin Health - Division of Medicine Grand Round

Department of General Medicine (Med Unit 1) - “Extraintestinal Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease”. Wednesday 19th March, 2008 12:10pm at John Lindell Lecture Theatre, Level 4, Lance Townsend Building Opposite Medical Library - followed by lunch Zeltner Hall at 1pm.

 

Training opportunities for General Practice Staff – Invitation to Doctors, Practice Managers and Practice Staff

An outline of training opportunities for practice staff and the various financial support programs available to assist with the cost of staff training.  Information about the various training programs offered can be located at www.healthtraining.com.au Tuesday March 18, 6:30pm- 8pm, in the Board Room, North East Valley DGP (Map)  Details and application form may be found on our website

 

Term 1 GP Lecture Program

Meetings are held each Tuesday starting at 12.30 in the Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, Pathology Building, Repatriation Hospital, Austin Health, West Heidelberg. Lunch is provided. Course Leader: Dr Vin Nursey Phone: 9457 1736

March 18 - PEN Clinical Audit Tool - Mr Noel Stewart

For full term Tuesday lecture program click here

 

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HMR

HMR Group/ Aged Care panels:  Seeing is believing - common eye conditions in the aged

Wednesday 5 March at NDGP Training room. Light meal 6.30-7pm. 7.45pm main lecture

Dr Alice Rota- Bartelink, specialist in vision disorders . Flyer on the website or call 9416 7689 to RSVP.

All HMR enquiries contact Jenny Gowan 0417 506 944 or jenny.gowan@ndgp.org.au

 

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Information Management

Medical Director Tip - Setting field defaults in LetterWriter

You are able to set the following defaults for when you create a LetterWriter template:

Clinical Details - Allergies – to include reactions or not

Clinical Details - History List – to set the activity (ignore activity, group inactive/active, active only, inactive only) and whether to include Comments

Clinical Details - Progress Notes – to display in ascending or descending order

The various Clinical Details - Measurements are also displayed but it appears you can’t set defaults for them.

There is also Miscellaneous - Counter and this is used to place consecutive numbers in SA and NSW Work Cover forms.

 

This weeks IM problem - Adding height, weight and BMI to a template

Question: I am using some of your templates but they don’t have the patient’s height, weight and BMI automatically added. How do I do this?

Answer: You can add height and weight fields to a template:

Modify template à Template Fields >Clinical details >Measurements >Height or Weight.

There is no field for BMI. The problem is that once you open the template it is populated with ALL the height and weight measurements ever taken. You may wish to delete the unwanted rows:

Highlight unwanted rows: Table menu >Delete >Rows.

A better way perhaps, is to create a Current Progress Note field in your template. When modifying a template type in the Current Progress Note heading and press Enter.

Under template Fields click on the + sign next to Summary and then double click on Progress Note (Current) to insert the filed into your template.

The trick now is to use the MD tools to record height and weight before you open the template. These measurements are added to you Progress Note (with BMI being added automatically). Then, when you open the template it is populated with all the details of your Progress Note.

 

New on the Web

1.   PENPals Newsletter No. 2 - March 12, 2008 (Word) – Found under PEN Clinical Audit.

2.   New resources for nurses

      - Recruitment and Orientation Kit from the AGPN website

      - New links – Australian nurses Federation, Royal College of Nursing, Nurses Board of Victoria

      Found under Practice Nurses Network

3.   Term 2 Calendar of events – see under Calendar of Events

 

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Items of Interest

National Bowel Cancer Screening Project

If you are referring patients to St Vincent’s under the National Bowel Cancer Screening Project it is ESSENTIAL that you attach the sticker from the Bowel Screening Kit, or notate on the referral that the patient is part of this project. We are concerned that patients are not necessarily benefiting from rapid triage because they are not being correctly identified on the referral. For more information on this project see: www.svhm.org.au/gp or contact: Juliet Gavens: 9288 4781

 

Free Services for Carers

Carer’s Victoria has a Carer Counselling Program where carers, or those who have recently relinquished care, can access up to 6 free Counselling sessions. With estimates of depression rates of carers at about 80% this may be a valuable free service for some of your patients. No paperwork is required – simply refer your patient to the Carer Counselling program on 1800 242 636. Also available is the Carers Support Kit which includes a relaxation DVD, and information on services for carers including legal arrangements and respite care. Phone 1800 242 636 for your free kit.

 

Ear wax removal

After 25 yrs at the Eye & Ear Hospital, specialist ear nurse, Shelley Straw has recently opened a private clinic specialising in ear wax removal using suction technology and instruments, as recommended by ENT specialists. Crystal Clear Ear Clinic is located at iDental, 3 Belmore Rd, Balwyn North. Open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm. Ph: 9859 7859. Visit www.crystalclearclinic.com.au

 

BECC waiting times

Waiting times for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions are currently approximately GEM 0 days, Rehab 0-2 days. Any queries regarding our waiting times please contact Access BECC on 9495 3109

 

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Mental Health

New Suicide Helpline

A new Suicide Helpline Call-back Service (SHL CB)is available Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm on 1300 659 467. SHL CB offers up to 6 sessions of telephone counselling, of approx 50 minutes and for over a period of up to 6 months with each client. They offer support, info, referral to specialist services and counselling. Support is for people at risk of suicide, carers of people who are suicidal and people bereaved by suicide. The service caters for CALD clients and uses TIS interpreters.

 

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NPS

New NPS Audit

The 1st audit for the May 2008 - 30 April 2009 QPI PIP entitled Optimizing Management of Type 2 Diabetes is open for enrollment. Enrolment closes Friday 11th April 2008 & completed audits must be submitted to NPS by Friday May 9th 2008. Audit enrolment forms are available in PPR 40 (which is mailed to you) or online at www.nps.org.au/healthpro or download here.

Note: An electronic version of the audit, Clinical e-Audit: Optimizing management of type 2 diabetes will be available in July 2008. Enrolment will be available in PPR 42 or online.

 

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Paediatrics

Eczema up-skilling for GPs, Practice Nurses and M&CHN’s

The RCH in partnership with Divisions of General Practice is offering you the opportunity to gain 40 Cat 1 points and help prevent poor self-esteem, low quality of life and an increase in suicide often associated with eczema. The education program includes a presentation and hands-on workshop suitable for GPs, practice nurses and MCHN’s. For more information: email emma.king@rch.org.au  / Kids Connect online www.rch.org.au/kidsconnect > Professional education / also see > Pre-referral guidelines.

 

Updated parent info factsheets

Bronchiolitis / Chicken pox / Breath holding / Pulled elbow / Nosebleeds / Penis & foreskin care / Hand hygiene… These and more great factsheets for parents have just been updated on Kids Health InfoRemember to bookmark this website: www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo  

 

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Women’s Health

The Royal Women’s Hospital

RWH is moving to a brand new $250 million state-of-the-art facility on the corner of Flemington Road and Grattan Street in Parkville in June 2008. In the lead up to the move, women will receive information about their booking including details on which location they should present, relevant directions and admittance procedures. The RWH will continue to provide full services to patients at our existing location until we move. For further information contact the Women’s Health Information Centre on 9344 2007. If patients have a pregnancy booking, surgery or any other appointment scheduled for around the time of the move and have further queries, they should contact the Outpatients/Pregnancy and Booking Clinic on 9344 2183. See http://www.thewomens.com.au   

 

Improving Early Pregnancy Care
With Dr Bernadette White - Clinical Director Obstetric & Maternity Services, Mercy Hospital for Women. Tuesday 18th March. 7.00-9.00pm (Registration & Refreshments from 6.30pm) at Level 4 Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg. To register call Merran McDonald on 8458 4833, email mmcdonald@mercy.com.au

 or click here for the flier.

 

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Positions vacant/wanted

Positions vacant

Doctors

Cheltenham - We are looking for a VR GP to join our midsized accredited practice. Comfortable new rooms, fully computerised, flexible sessions, pathology, podiatry, physiotherapy and psychology all on site. Excellent remuneration, you will not be disappointed. Will suit subsequent trainees. For further information please phone Peter Enten on (03) 9584 9504

 

Ivanhoe Medical Clinic – sessions available for PT or FT VR GP. Large supportive group (9 GPs), FT nurses, computerized, EPCs, no A/Hs, friendly, flexible, mixed billing. Contact:- Dr.Stephen Smith or Dr.David Doig on 9499 1245

See the website for all other positions vacant and wanted

 

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Humour

Affair

A married man was having an affair with his secretary.

One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8pm.

The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt.

He put on his shoes and drove home.

“Where have you been?” his wife demanded.

“I can't lie to you,” he replied, 'I'm having an affair with my secretary. I’ve been with her all afternoon.”

She looked down at his shoes and said:

“You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!”

 

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