North East Valley DGP eNews

No 0815: May 15, 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/. To subscribe to eNews click on subscribe. To be removed from the eNews distribution list click on Unsubscribe

In this issue:

Aged Care Gastroenteritis and Acute Illness in Residential Care Facilities

Professional Development CPD events including Asthma Cycle of Care, Spirometry, Prostate Cancer, Solar Keratosis, Men's Health

Information Management includes Medical Director tips and New on the Web

Items of interest GP Network news, BECC waiting times

News for Practice Staff Preventing Osteoporosis and Reducing Fracture Risks, A whole of practice approach team approach to triage in General Practice, Nurse Pap Test Providers scholarships, ADGP Nursing News, Practice Nurses, Do you have a story to tell? Nursing in General Practice Resources

NPS Heart Failure – NPS Audit

Women’s Health Contraceptive Health: Options & Clinical Evolutions

Positions vacant/wanted

Fun stuff

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Aged Care

Gastroenteritis and Acute Illness in Residential Care Facilities

For GPs who provide medical care to Aged Care Home residents: Gastroenteritis in residential care facilities: preventing/identifying & managing dehydration and Acute illness in residential aged care facilities. Speaker: Associate Professor Michael Woodward, Head of Aged & Residential Care Department Austin Health

Tuesday 27 May 7.00pm - 9.00pm Registration/Light refreshments 6.30pm. At North East Valley Division of General Practice Board Room. Click here for Flyer

For further information call Clare Chiminello/Dr Alison Sands on 9496 4333

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CPD

The Essentials Involved in the Asthma Cycle of Care

An invitation to GPs and Practice Nurses. The National Asthma Council Australia together with North East Valley invites you to participate in this workshop, to be held on Thursday 26^th June, 6:30 pm to 9:00pm at John Scott Meeting House, Latrobe University. Presenters: Dr Tom Foo, General Practitioner and Ms Del Lovett, Asthma Educator. This workshop will provide education and training specifically around evidence–based best practice asthma management. Each participant will receive resources covering the following topics: Adult Asthma, including the elderly, Device use, Asthma and COAPD, Paediatric asthma. Further information and registration click here, or contact Janina on (03) 9496 4333

Spirometry Training Course for GPs, Asthma Educators and Practice Nurses

The National Asthma Council Australia together with North East Valley invites you to participate in this workshop, to be held on Saturday 16^th August 9:00am to 4:30pm - this is a FULL DAY workshop at John Scott Meeting House, Latrobe University. This course is designed to provide participants with comprehensive training in application, measurement and interpretation of expiratory spirometry in general practice. It consists of three parts: 1. Predisposing activity-pre-reading in participants own time. 2. Structured small group learning – 6 hour interactive workshop. 3. Reinforcing activity – self reflection in participants own time. For further information and registration click here or contact Janina on (03) 9496 4333

Prostate Cancer Risk Management on-line ALM

An on-line learning module developed by The Cancer Council Queensland and Andrology Australia, aims to equip GPs with the knowledge and skills they require to be able to initiate and inform discussions with patients about the benefits and risks of prostate testing. The module brings together three case studies and combines them with further research material to comprise the Active Learning Module (ALM). Successful completion of the ALM entitles GPs to 40 category 1 points. The online learning module is available through ThinkGP: http://www.thinkgp.com.au/.

Advances in the Management of Solar Keratosis

This activity will cover the defining features of Solar Keratosis and address the challenges face by GPs in diagnosing visible and sub-clinical lesions. The presentation will cover treatment options. Presenter: Dr Boon Tan, Consulting Dermatologist. On Thursday 5^th June 7pm - 9.30pm Registration from 6.30pm. Meal provided. At Va

Tutto, 266 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe. To reserve your place contact Vanessa Busacca on 0412 385 494

Free Men's Health GP Education

Videoconference workshop on 'Engaging men in general practice'. Wednesday 11th June 7 - 9pm. The aim of the Andrology Australia workshop is to provide new knowledge and communication strategies for GPs to effectively engage men in discussing their health and wellbeing including sensitive issues. The interactive workshop will be facilitated by Dr Alan Wright and include role plays featuring the talented Mr Alan Hopgood. CPD points will be available. Registration is essential so please contact GTH events on 03 9927 7777 or email events@gthevents.com

Term 2 GP Lecture Program

NB: Next week’s lecture has been cancelled

For full term Tuesday lecture program click here

Austin Health - Division of Medicine Grand Round

Department Of General Medicine – Medical Unit 4: “Mouth Ulcers and Rash – Unusual Presentation, Unusual Complications”. Speakers: A/Prof Peter F. Ryan, Cabrini Medical Centre, Rheumatology Dept. Alfred Hospital, PI, Rheumatology, Nucleus Network, Baker Institute & Dr Felix Ng, Medical Resident, Austin Health.

Wednesday 21 May, 12:10pm at John Lindell Lecture Theatre, Level 4, Lance Townsend Building, Opposite Medical Library - followed by lunch in Zeltner Hall at 1:00pm

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Information Management

Medical Director Tip - Hiding the screen quickly

For privacy reasons you often want to hide your screen. A very simple way is to press the Window key + M – this hides all open programs and shows the desktop (The Window key is also known as the Start key on the keyboard). This is a Windows shortcut, not specific to any program. Remember in Medical Director 2, if you want to instantly hide and password protect a patient record you press Control+Backspace.

This weeks IM problem - Patient’s progress notes placed in wrong patient record

Question: I accidently recorded a progress note in the wrong patient record. I discovered this a week later. How do I fix this?

Answer: This is such a frequently asked question that it is worth repeating.

1. Open the record of the “wrong” patient and go to Progress Notes. Open the “incorrect” progress note, highlight the text and press Control + C (to copy the text).

2. Open the “right” patient and go to Progress Notes. Do a Control + V to paste the notes into the current progress note. Change the Consultation date to the date of the previous week’s consultation.

3. Go back to the “wrong” patient and go to Progress Notes. Click once on the “incorrect” progress note and press the Delete key on the keyboard – this will remove that progress note.

New on the Web

1. Practice Health Atlas – a new section has been set up which includes:

· Instructions to Practices Preparing For The Practice Health Atlas

· Current Item Number Utilisation

· Practice Marketing Information

· Practice data questionnaire

· Instructions for extracting MBS Item Number Data

Found under IM – Practice Health Atlas

2. ADGP Nursing News April 2008 – found under Nurses Network - AGPN

3. Preventive Care - identifying "at risk" patients of developing type 2 Diabetes – using PEN Clinical Audit Tool and MD recall and referral templates to do this. See under Practice Manager Resources - Current Hint

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Items of Interest

GP Network news

This edition contains Beyond the Blame Game; GP Super Clinics – Have Your Say; Register for Direct Debited Transitional Support Package; Getting Obesity under Control. Full version.

BECC waiting times

Waiting times for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions are currently very short – 1-2 days. Contact Access BECC office on 9495 3109 for further information/assistance.

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News for Practice Staff

See under CPD for the Asthma Cycle of Care and Spirometry Training Courses

Preventing Osteoporosis and Reducing Fracture Risks – Invitation to Practice Nurses

Dr Mary Levidiotis, NPS Program Coordinator for NEVDGP & NDGP will present an interactive workshop for practices nurses focusing on the patient population over the age of 60. One in two women and one in three men are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture. A ‘real case’ study will be discussed. This workshop will be held on Thursday 29^th May, from 6:45pm, Start 7pm to 8.30pm at John Scott Meeting House, Latrobe University. For further information and registration click here or contact Janina on 9496 4333

A whole of practice approach team approach to triage in General Practice

Invitation to Practice Managers, Practice Nurses and Receptionists - Facilitator Ms Judy Evans, an experienced practice nurse and principal partner of walkerevans consulting. This session will be held on Thursday 5^th June, 6:30pm to 9:00pm. At Melbourne City Mission Training Room, Judge Book Nursing Home, 43 Diamond Street, Eltham. (A map will be forwarded with confirmation). At the completion of this session you will be able to: 1. Identify the core principals of triage in general practice. 2. Identify the barriers to effective triage. 3. Identify the role of policy development and risk management in triage. For further information and registration click here or contact Janina on 9496 4333

Nurse Pap Test Providers thrive in General Practice – scholarships available

Latest data from the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry* show more than 40 per cent of Pap tests taken by nurses in 2007 were through General Practice, up 9.1 per cent from the previous year. This significant increase highlights the growing role of nurses in General Practice and the need for more nurses to become Pap test providers. PapScreen Victoria is offering scholarships of up to $1000 (inc GST) for Victorian nurses who wish to become Pap test providers. Applicants must be Division 1 Registered nurses who are able to commence an accredited Royal College of Nursing Australia (RNCA) Pap test Provider Training Course in 2008. To apply nurses need a letter from their employer showing support of the course, as well as their commitment to allowing on the job training upon completion of the course. It is expected successful applicants will become credentialled Pap test providers when they finish the Pap test Provider Training Course. Applications close: Friday 6 June 2008. For scholarship application forms and guidelines, information about RCNA accredited nurse Pap test training courses, credentialing and re-credentialing, please visit the health professionals section of the PapScreen Victoria website at www.papscreen.org.au.

ADGP Nursing News April 2008

this includes Divisions Nursing in General Practice program, International Nurses Day, Development and delivery of an e-learning training package to support Medicare Item 10997, 2008 NiGP Needs Assessments, Stories from the frontline, NiGP Resources, Domestic Violence Referral Points Project Update, National Resource Library. Other News: Chronic Disease Resource Manual, Assessing symptoms, NPS Update, Dying to know resource. Full version.

Practice Nurses, Do you have a story to tell?

The 2008 RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference will be held in November in Coffs Harbour. AGPN are once again assisting RCNA in sourcing practice nurses who would be interested in presenting in the “Stories from the Frontline” Session. This session provides an opportunity for first time presenters to give a short presentation of around 10 minutes sharing their experience of practice nursing. This session has been rated very highly by delegates at previous conferences.

To register you interest or seek further information please contact Toni Rice, Nurse Program Officer at or (02) 6228 0850. Please note that presenters in the Stories from the Frontline session will receive financial support to cover travel expenses and registration costs are available through the Divisions Network NiGP Program. Further information on the RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference including a call for abstracts will be posted on the RCNA website shortly.

Nursing in General Practice Resources

AGPN have a range of promotional material available to promote nursing in General Practice. To order copies of the promotional material contact Toni Rice at trice@agpn.com.au or Beta Chakraverty at bchakraverty@agpn.com.au

These include:

· Nursing in General Practice: Information for nurses brochures

· Nursing in General Practice: Information for general practice brochures

· Nursing in General Practice: Information for patients brochures

· A4 and A3 posters

· Flyers to promote the Nursing in General Practice Recruitment and Orientation Resource. (A limited number of hard copy resources are also available).

· Bookmarks

· Nursing in General Practice Dynamic Divisions (published in 2007)

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NPS

Heart Failure – NPS Audit Reminder

NPS Clinical audit: Management of systolic chronic heart failure. Flyer. Enrolment will also be available in PPR 41 or online at www.nps.org.au/healthpro. This is the second audit available for the QPI year: 1 May 2008 - 30 April 2009. The enrolment deadline is Friday June 13^th 2008. Audit submission deadline is Friday 11^th July 2008. NOTE: Participation requires data for 10 patients only.

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Women’s Health

Contraceptive Health: Options & Clinical Evolutions

This program is aimed at increasing the knowledge of healthcare professionals in the area of reproductive health. As most women will seek the expert advice of a general practitioner in order to help them select the most appropriate contraception to suit their needs and lifestyle, the ‘Choice’ program provides a best practice appraisal of advances in non-daily, hormonal contraceptive methods. Wednesday 11th June 6.45pm - 9.30pm at John Scott Meeting House, Latrobe University. Speaker: Dr Miranda Robinson - Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Consultant, Mercy Hospital for Women & Consultant to the Family Planning Clinic, Austin Health. Numbers are limited, please contact Emma Beckwith on 0439 901 481

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Positions vacant/wanted

Please note: only new ads, paid ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other ads can be found on the website

Positions vacant

Doctors

Ivanhoe Medical Clinic - sessions for PT VR GP. Modern, large group with supportive colleagues and full time nurses, computerised, CDMs, mixed billing, flexible, friendly, no A/H, good remuneration. Contact Dr.Stephen Smith or Dr.David Doig on 03 9499 1245.

Kensington – Doutta Galla Community Health Centre Medical Clinic is seeking VR GPs, part-time and flexible sessions available. In addition to general medicine other areas include Mental Health; Youth, Young Adults; Refugee and CALD communities. Fully accredited and computerised practice with Nurse Support: Practice, Community Health, Refugee Health and Mental Health Nurses on staff. Attractive salary including salary packaging or percentage of billings (excluding PIP). Research and special interests supported. Please contact: Janina on (03) 8378 1621 or email: janina.desilva@dgchs.org.au

Positions wanted

Practice Staff

Practice Management Consultant Available: Do you need assistance with any of the following? - Pre and or Post accreditation assistance and recommendations, Value-adding Advice, Troubleshooting, Systems and Procedures advice, General Practice Management Services. Collean Fahy has: 12years General Practice Experience, 8years Accreditation Surveying Experience, Certificate 3 & 4 in Health Management, Diploma in Practice Management. Please call 0401 230 935 or colleanfahy@optusnet.com.au

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Humour

An Irishman was terribly overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet.
“I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 5 pounds.”
When the Irishman returned, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60lbs!
“Why, that's amazing!” the doctor said, “Did you follow my instructions?”
The Irishman nodded...”I'll tell you though, by jaesuz, I t'aut I were going to drop dead on dat 3rd day.”
“From the hunger, you mean?” asked the doctor
“No, from the f**kin' skippin.”

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