No 0822: July 3, 2008
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter sent to all GP practices
(with email addresses) within the
Editorial Secure Electronic Communication using ArgusConnect
Chronic
Disease Management Life! Taking Action on Diabetes
Professional Development CPD events
Immunisation Gardasil
Information
Management includes Medical Director tips
and New on the Web
Items of
interest GP
referrals for dental services under Medicare, Healthy Kids Check, Helping Children
with Autism, Austin Health Neurology Guidelines for GPs, GP Network News
Mental Health Free
Forum - Managing Dual Diagnosis in General Practice
News for Practice Staff Spirometry Training Course, Preventing Osteoporosis and Reducing Fracture Risks, Practice Nurse Conference
Paediatrics Referring to the Royal Children’s Hospital, Royal Children's Hospital - Seeking new GP consultant
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Argus is a computer program that enables health service providers to securely exchange clinical documents between their computer systems via email. It runs on any doctor’s computer alongside existing clinical software and enhances internet email with additional features for clinical needs such as security through the use of PKI encryption. If you are using Medicare online billing you already have a PKI site licence. If not Argus will arrange PKI for you.
The North East Valley Division of General Practice is encouraging its general practice members and local specialist to pass referral information, reports and specialist letters using Argus. The division has negotiated with ArgusConnect to a half cost installation fee of $110.00. This offer is only valid for 2 months – August and September 2008. After that the installation cost reverts to $220.00. There will be an optional “priority support” hotline and the cost of this being still negotiated by the division (non-priority support is free).
To take advantage of this offer, you need to send an application form ASAP to Noel who will then forward this to ArgusConnect. We will devise strategies to involve specialists, allied health, pharmacists and local hospitals to become licensed Argus users. Further information contact Noel on (03) 9496 4333.
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Four Life! courses are now available in your area. The six session
lifestyle intervention course has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes in
course participants by 58%.
Organisation: Northern
Division of General Practice
Venue:
Start
date: 14 July 2008
Organisation: Banyule Community Health Service
Venue:
Start
date: 4 August 2008
Organisation: Nillumbik
Community Health Service
Venue: Diamond Creek Venue: Research
Start
date: 12 August 2008 Start date: 25 August
(evening course)
Is your patient eligible?
1.
Assess: Encourage your patient to complete the Diabetes Risk Test (available
from 1300 136 588 or http://www.diabeteslife.org.au).
2.
Test: If your patient is 50 or above, score above 15 on the risk test, and have
had diabetes excluded they are eligible for the program.
3.
Refer: Obtain a referral form (available from 1300 136
588 or http://www.diabeteslife.org.au)
and fax it to Diabetes
For
further information please contact Angie Deegan on 9341
5247 or a.deegan@gpv.org.au
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Saturday August 16, 9am – 4.30pm (Refreshments and meal will
be provided) at John Scott Meeting House,
Meetings are held on Tuesdays starting at 12.30 in the Lecture
Theatre, Ground Floor,
There is no lecture next week (8th July), the next lecture is July 15 - Treatment of Burns in General Practice - Dr Jim Goutzamanis
For full term Tuesday lecture program click here
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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.
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When you print an education leaflet in both MD2 and MD3 there is no record of this in your progress notes. You need to go back into the progress notes of the patient record, click on the Reason button and type in “ed” (without quotes). Double click on “Education – patient”. Uncheck Save in PMH and this will place Education – patient under Reason for visit. Simply add to this by typing what the leaflet was about, e.g. Education – patient given sheet on haemorrhoids.
Question: Can you add an item to the coded list for “Reason for visit” or “Reason for contact”?
Answer: No!!!! What a dog’s breakfast would ensue if you could!!! Forward any item to me (via email) that you would like to see added to the coded list and I will forward it on to Dr Andrew Magennis at HCN.
1. PEN Clinical Audit Users Guide Version 2.1 – July 2008
PENPals Newsletter No. 3 (June 30, 2008) –
See under Pen Clinical Audit
2. New Medical Director templates
- Four year old health check (item 709, 711) – under Health Assessments
- Victorian Workcover Certificate (colour) – under Medical certificates
- Victorian Workcover Certificate (no colour) – under Medical certificates
- Application to treat an opioid dependent person with methadone or buprenorphine – under Other templates
Found under IM Resources – MD templates
3. Resurrection of the EPC Dental item – see under Chronic Disease Management - Dental
4. Tuesday GP Lecture Program Calendar Term 3, 2008 – see under Education and Events – Tuesday lecture Program
5. The Australian Immunisation Handbook, 9th Edition – this electronic version is found under Immunisation Resources
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Changes to the Medicare dental referral where eligible patients could access up to $4,250 in Medicare benefits for dental services over two consecutive calendar years was to be phased out by June 30, 2008. As change to this system was blocked in the senate the “old” system is still valid until further notice. More information including referral templates can be found under Chronic Disease Management – EPC Dental Items.
The Australian Government has introduced a new item number in the Medicare
Benefits Schedule for a ‘Healthy Kids Check’. The item number has been
introduced to support general practitioners and
practice nurses to undertake a health check for a patient who is receiving or
has received their four year old immunisation. The rebate is $45. Item number
10990 of $5.40 can be claimed at the same time. Details of the item number are
available from the July 2008 MBS supplement.
The NEVDGP has produced 2 MD templates for the assessment, one with
Practices will be able to order copies of the Guide as per their requirements.
· Checklist (paper-based version of the assessment)
· Get Set 4 Life – habits for healthy kids (PDF 3223 KB)
A new referral pathway for children with autism or any
other pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), available through the MBS from
1 July.
Further information on the initiative is available from the Department of Health
and Ageing at - www.health.gov.au/autism
To assist GPs with the treatment of patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ulnar Nerve Entrapment, and Bell’s Palsy, pre-referral guidelines have been developed. A guide to the Outpatient Department’s triaging process of patient’s with a neurological complaint has also been developed. These documents can be found on the Austin Health Internet (www.austin.org.au), click on “Information for GPs”. Should you have any questions, please contact the GP Liaison Officer, Dr. Wendy Fisher on email wendy.fisher@austin.org.au or phone (Mon/Tues) on 9496 2681.
This edition contains: GPs The Heart Of Primary Care, Time for Aged Care to Come Out of the
‘Policy Inertia Zone’, AMA meets with
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Speakers: Dr Enrico Cementon, Psychiatrist, SUMIT and Dr Matthew Frei, Addiction Specialist, Chapter of Addictions Medicine. The speakers will discuss management principles, available assistance and present case studies.
Tuesday
29th July 6.30pm to 9.00pm at Metropole
Conference Centre, Duncan Reilly Room, 44 Brunswick Street, Fitz
Please RSVP to Mal Doreian by Friday 25th July mald@turningpoint.org.au or 03 8413 8721
It’s free, open to all GPs and finger food and refreshments will be provided.
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Preventing Osteoporosis and Reducing Fracture Risks –
Invitation to Practice Nurses
Dr
Ausmed runs more than 150
educational events for nurses, midwives, allied health and school teachers each
year. All programs are evaluated and Continuing Nurse Education Points are
allocated where appropriate. These programs are run in all capital cities and
Territories within
Chronic Disease Management - Conference for all Nurses, in Melbourne:
Program Details Conference Program
Thursday
4th and Friday 5th September 2008 at The
Hotel IBIS, Therry Street, Melbourne
Register
Now
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Typed referrals are easier for triage staff to read, especially after faxing. The Victorian Statewide Referral Form and RCH Referral Form can be saved as a Word document or downloaded to your Practice software and then be auto-populated with much of your patient information.
See RCH Kids Connect for referral forms, contact details, pre-referral guidelines and more information on referring.
Are you interested in changing the world? Perhaps in making a
difference at the interface between general practice and the RCH for
paediatrics in
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Please
note: only new ads, paid ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other
ads can be found on the website
Doctors
Ivanhoe
Medical Clinic - sessions for female 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.
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NB: The Practice Manager from
Three Aussies were working on a high-rise building project - Steve, Bruce
and Bluey.
Steve falls off and is killed instantly.
As the ambulance takes the body away, Bruce says, “Someone should go and tell
his wife”
Bluey says, “OK, I'm pretty good at that sensitive stuff, I'll do it”
Two hours later, he comes back carrying a case of Fosters.
Bruce says, “Where did you get that, Bluey?”
“Steve's wife gave it to me,” Bluey replies.
“That's unbelievable, you told the lady her husband was dead and she gave you
the beer?”
“Well not exactly,” Bluey says. “When she answered the door, I said to her, ”You must be Steve's widow”
She said, “No, I'm not a widow”
And I said, “I'll bet you a case of Fosters you are”
A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet.
"My dog is cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?"
"Well," said the vet, "let's have a look at him". So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then he checks his teeth. Finally, he says, "I'm going to have to put him down."
"What? Because he's cross-eyed?"
"No, because he's really heavy".
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