North East Valley DGP eNews

No 0816: May 22nd, 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:

Aged Care                                       Gastroenteritis and Acute Illness in Residential Care Facilities

Professional Development               CPD events          

HMR                                                 Increased use of generics but reduced funding for public education

Immunisation                                   Budget Changes to GPII, Immunisation Handbook, Gardasil, Oral RotaTeq® administration

Information Management                includes Medical Director tips and New on the Web

Items of interest                               World No Tobacco Day, NEMICS Annual Forum, Changes to Outpatients at The Northern Hospital, Northern Health 2008 Surveys, GP Network News

News for Practice Staff                    Preventing Osteoporosis and Reducing Fracture Risks, A whole of practice team approach to triage in General Practice

Women’s Health                              GP Interventions to Improve Childhood Outcomes, The New Royal Women’s Hospital

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

Joint Division 2008 Immunisation Education - Northern and North East Valley Divisions

For medical practitioners, practice nurses and pharmacists. What’s new in the 9th edition immunisation handbook and changes to the March 1 Immunisation Schedule. Speaker: Dr Peter Eizenberg. 4 category 2 CPD points, 2 CPE points (pharmacists). Visit www.nevdgp.org.au under CPD Calendar for flyer.

Wednesday 4 June at John Scott Meeting House, La Trobe University, Bundoora. (enter via car park 7). Dinner & registration: 6.45pm—7.00pm. Session: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

 

Term 2 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

May 27 - Anaphylaxis - Dr Jim Goutzamanis

For full term Tuesday lecture program click here

 

Austin Health - Division of Medicine Grand Round

Department of Clinical Pharmacology - “Rhabdomyolysis, Postural Symptoms, Nausea. ? Linked”

Speakers: Dr Jesselyn Lim, Clinical Pharmacology Registrar, Professor Albert Frauman, Head – Dept. of Clinical Pharmacology & Dr Chris O’Callaghan, Clinical Pharmacologist

Wednesday 28 May, 2008 12:10pm at John Lindell Lecture Theatre, Level 4, Lance Townsend Building, Opposite Medical Library - followed by lunch in Zeltner Hall at 1:00pm

 

OH&S Update - May 08

Swinburne University OH&S Courses

- Enrolment for Semester 2 OH&S qualifications open on 2nd June, close end June.

- Our OH&S programs are now available nationally via distance learning

If you have queries in regards to the above or any training questions please don't hesitate to contact James Strahan, Swinburne University on 03 9214 5070

 

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HMR

Increased use of generics but reduced funding for public education. Time to consider an HMR?

“The Government’s Budget decision to cut funding for a Generic Medicines Public Awareness Campaign from $20 million to $5 million is extremely disappointing,” said Mr Mark Hurley, Chairman of the Generic Medicines Industry Association. The campaign was an essential part of the PBS reforms and was aimed at informing and educating consumers and healthcare professionals about the safety, quality and effectiveness of generic medicines, the benefits of generic medicines for consumers and how generic medicines contribute to maintaining the affordability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). By cutting back on the funding for the campaign, the Government is limiting the information consumers have about their medicines, how they act in the body and what they need to pay for them.

A Home Medicines Review is an ideal tool for educating your patients on the correct use of their medication, particularly as the use of generic medicines increases. There are templates for Home Medicines Reviews on most of the prescribing software, but if you need any help in utilising this program, please call Jenny Gowan , HMR facilitator at  Northern & NEVDGP  on  9416 7689 or M 0417 506 944

 

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Immunisation

Budget Changes to GPII 2007-2008

The changes:

·         The latest budget announcement saw the removal of the GPII SIP (General Practice Immunisation Incentive Service Incentive Payment). This means GPs will no longer receive the payment of $18.50 for each complete schedule encounter at 2, 4, 6, 12 months and at 4 years. This will take effect 1st October 2008.  Eligible services given up to and including 30th September 2008 will receive the SIP as long as the notification is received by ACIR before the end of December 2008 (actual due date to be announced when Medicare Australia arranges their times).

·         The Maternity Immunisation Allowance, $236.70 ( a separate payment to the Baby Bonus) will now be split into 2 payments, the first remaining at 18 – 24 months and the second at 4years 3 months – 5 years. The children affected by the change are:

1)       those born from July 2008 onwards

2)       those born from Jan 08 to June 08 who have not claimed the MIA by 31 Dec 08.

 

Immunisation Handbook – 9th Edition

The 9th Edition also provides a summary at the beginning of the handbook on all the changes from the previous handbook.

What’s new? Here is a sample           

The front and back covers fold out to reveal tables. The front cover has ‘Adverse events following immunisation’ and the back cover has ‘Effects of diseases and the side effects of vaccines’. This includes information on new vaccines recently added to the National Immunisation Program

Additional tables and practical tools have been provided to help with catch-up immunisation requirements for children and adults

Injection techniques and more photos for angle of vaccine administration

Management of anaphylaxis: 1:10 000 adrenaline is no longer recommended; 1:1000 adrenaline is now the recommended unit dose

New tables and recommendations for groups with special vaccination requirements

The Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition is available in hard copy and on-line at http://www.immunise.health.gov.au

 

Gardasil

Catch-up ceases on the 30th June 2009

The national Gardasil vaccine catch-up program for girls and women aged 13 years to 26 years will cease on 30 June 2009. All eligible females will need to have completed their course of three doses of Gardasil by 30 June 2009 in order to be eligible for free vaccine. In order to be eligible for the free vaccine program, girls and women commencing the course of vaccine will need to be given dose one of Gardasil vaccine in December 2008. Girls and women (other than girls in Year 7 of secondary school) who have either not started a Gardasil vaccine course or who have not completed their vaccine course, will have to purchase vaccine doses on prescription after 30th June 2009.

Do not repeat earlier doses of Gardasil vaccine

If the recommended time intervals have been exceeded, give the missing dose(s) as soon as practicable, making efforts to complete the schedule within 12 months but observing the minimum intervals. Refer to The Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition, 3.7 Human Papillomavirus chapter.

 

Oral RotaTeq® administration

Providers are reminded to administer oral RotaTeq to all babies at the two, four and six month immunisation visits. The first dose of RotaTeq should be given no later than the end of the 12th week of age, the second dose no later than the end of 28th week and the third dose by the end of 32nd week of age. There is no RotaTeq catch-up for babies who are late for their first immunisations and older than 12 weeks of age. They should not receive any RotaTeq vaccine doses.

 

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Information Management

Medical Director Tip - Quickly completing the immunisation screen

Select the Immunisation tab and when the Vaccination window opens:

1.   Press the Tab key twice to jump to Type: type in GARD (instead of scrolling through the long list of vaccination names). Press the down arrow once and GARDASIL will appear.

2.   Press the Tab key once to jump to Site: type D so that Deltoid IM, left side appears

3.   Press the Tab key once to jump to Sequence: type 1 (2, or 3).

4.   Press the Tab key once to jump to Batch No: the batch number should appear.

5.   Press Alt + M – this will take you to the Recall window – add a recall for the 2nd or 3rd injection and press Save. Press Save again to save the vaccination.

 

This weeks IM problem - Bulk inactivating patients

Question: How do I bulk inactivate patients not seen for last x no. of years?

Answer: This can only be done in MD3 at this stage.

1.   Close any patient file.

2.   Search >Patient…

3.   Click on “Not seen since” and change the date to 3 years ago (or 4 if you are nervous) and click on Search.

4.   Once the search is complete click on the Inactivate patients at the bottom of the screen.

 

New on the Web

1. New documents in the PEN section:

·         Get Ahead, Get a Cat – May 2, 2008 article by Noel Stewart on the benefits of the PEN Clinical Audit Tool

·         PEN User Guide – from PEN computers

·         Pre-installation Checklist – from PEN Computers

All found in the PEN section

2. Immunisation hints for Gardasil – found under Practice Manager/Nurse support – Hint No 2

 

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Items of Interest

World No Tobacco Day 31 May

As many smokers make the decision to quit this year on World No Tobacco Day, some will turn to their GP or practice nurse for support. Using the 5As approach to cessation and a referral to Quitline (when appropriate) is an effective way of helping patients to give up smoking without taking additional time from the standard consultation. Quit Victoria has developed a training package for GPs, which includes the 5As DVD “Just say A-A-A-A-A” and information booklet. If you would like a copy, please email your request to QuitHP@cancervic.org.au For further information about quitting and the resources available for general practice, visit Quit Victoria’s website http://www.quit.org.au

 

North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Service (NEMICS) Annual Forum

Tuesday 17th June 2008, 5pm – 7.15pm. The NEMICS forum is an opportunity to inform healthcare workers and the community of work being undertaken in improving cancer services in the region. Professor David Currow, CEO Cancer Australia will be the keynote speaker. Among the presentations, topics such as better coordination of cancer services, consumer needs & multidisciplinary cancer care will be discussed. Please click here for a full session outline. Enquiries & RSVP to Jan Townsend on 9496 3322

 

Changes to Outpatients at The Northern Hospital

Neurosurgery Clinic: Closing end of June, appointments after this time will be cancelled and the referral will be sent back to the GP. Patients can be referred to ARMC, SVH, Western and RMH.

Neurological Diagnostic Clinic: Dr Nicholas Crumps is taking over from Dr Roberts. His role is to perform only EMG and NCS. Referrals for EEG are to be directly sent to Austin Repatriation Medical Centre. He is currently booked to mid August 2008.

 

GP Liaison Unit, Northern Health 2008 Surveys

Please, please, please fax them back! We are trying to develop a strategy to improve the ongoing difficulties with timely and adequate communication and need your help. Good news is that an electronically generated Discharge Summary is on it's way this year. Please give me a call if you have any questions or need a copy of the survey on 8405 8815 or leonie.griffiths@nh.org.au.

 

GP Network News

This edition contains Health Spared Big Cuts – in Federal Budget, General Practice and the Federal Budget, Use Health Fund to Build Medical Training. Full version.

 

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News for Practice Staff

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 29th 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 team approach to triage in General Practice - 10 places still available

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 5th 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

 

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Women’s Health

GP Interventions to Improve Childhood Outcomes

An overview of use of psycho social screening in the antenatal and postnatal woman and breast feeding issues. Presenters: Dr Matthew Robson psychiatric registrar, Kerri McEgan,Nurse Unit Manager, Lactation and mercy@home Mercy Hospital for Women

Tuesday 3rd June 2008 7pm to 9pm (refreshments from 6.30pm) at Lecture Theatre, Level 4, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg. QA&CPD: 4 (Cat. 2) Women’s Health points approved. RSVP: Merran McDonald – 8458 4833 / mmcdonald@mercy.com.au or Janine Martin – 8458 4819

 

The New Royal Women’s Hospital – Opening 22nd June 2008

From 9:00am on Sunday 22nd June, the new Royal Women’s Hospital will be operational and accepting women and newborn babies. The new hospital is located on the corner of Flemington Road and Grattan Street in Parkville. The main entrance to the Hospital is off Grattan Street however the Emergency Department and vehicle access is off Flemington Road. The new Women’s will continue to provide women and newborn babies with the very best in world class health care while ensuring a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere with respect for privacy, religious and cultural needs. Visit www.thewomens.org.au or click here to download full update http://www.rwhp.com.au. There is a 1 hour GP tour of the New Royal Women's Hospital at 8am on Thursday 5th June. For further information and to RSVP please contact Dr Ines Rio mailto:ines.rio@rwh.org.au by 30th May.

 

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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

North East After-Hours Clinic - Expressions of Interest Invited. Austin Health is seeking an Expression of Interest from GPs who would like an opportunity to work flexible shifts in our established North East After Hours Clinic. Located in Austin Tower, the clinic is a joint initiative with the North East Valley and Northern Divisions of General Practictioners to provide emergency primary medical care for patients.  Services are only provided after hours and designed to provide a timely singular service for patients, with referral back to their general practitioner for follow up. Clinical support is provided by the senior Emergency Department physician on duty and radiology and pathology services are available. The clinic is administered by a full-time Practice Manager with a Practice Nurse and Receptionist rostered on all shifts. The clinic is open: Monday – Friday from 7pm – 11pm, and Sundays from 4pm -10pm. Extension of these hours to include Saturdays is envisaged in the future. To register your interest please contact Fiona Nielsen – Practice Manager, mailto:fiona.nielsen@austin.org.au or Tel. 9469 3627.

 

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

 

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.

Practice Staff

Doutta Galla Community Health Service (DGCHS), Coordinator - Client Services / Reception Full-time (with some flexibility). DGCHS is a leading community health service committed to servicing a diverse group of clients including newly arrived migrants and people with complex needs. DGCHS provides a busy medical, dental and allied health practices. As the Client Services Coordinator you will provide leadership and direction to client services staff in the day-to-day operations of the four main DGCHS sites and be responsible for rostering of staff including managing absences. For further information and to obtain a detailed position description please email Applications close Wednesday 28 May 2008. Anne Lennard, General Manager, Dental & Client Services anne.lennard@dgchs.org.au.

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Humour

Helicopter ride

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, "Esther, I’d like to ride in that helicopter".

Esther always replied, "I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars -- and fifty dollars is fifty dollars".

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, "Esther, I'm 85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance."

Esther replied, "Morris that helicopter is fifty dollars -- and fifty dollars is fifty dollars".

The pilot overheard the couple and said, "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word I won't charge you! But if you say one word, it's fifty dollars."   

Morris and Esther agreed and up they went.

The pilot did all kinds of fancy manoeuvres, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!"

Morris replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know -- fifty dollars is fifty dollars."

 

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