No 24: July 17, 2008
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter
sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the
Editorial Dental items – where they are at?
Chronic
Disease Management Chronic Disease Management in Rural Areas, Life Diabetes Direct Referral, The Burden of Diabetes in
Professional Development CPD events
HMR Dual
diagnosis - Dementia, depression and more
Immunisation Adverse
Events following Vaccination, Hiberix Orders, Immunisation Stickers
Information
Management includes Medical Director tips
and New on the Web
Items of
interest Scholarship for National Conference on
Incontinence, Dealing
with an operation, Referrals for Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography at
Austin Health, GP Network News, BECC waiting times
News for
Practice Staff MyPracticeTeam - A free resource, National
Conference on Incontinence, Diabetes Update, Spirometry
Training Course
NPS Vitamin
D Updates, Audit Update for current QPI
PIP Cycle, Medicines Talk, NEW NPS/DHS Quality
Improvement Initiative
Women’s Health Anxiety and Depression in Pregnancy, Itchy Scratchy Issues - Vulval Disorders
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Thanks to Dr Peter Eizenberg
seeking clarification and advice from
On 19 June 2008 the Senate disallowed the closure of the chronic disease dental scheme. This means that, from 19 June 2008, all eligible patients again gained access to dental items 85011-87777. The next Senate meeting to consider Dental items is 26 August, therefore, no change is expected to occur prior to that date. However, it is the govt’s intention to close the scheme once Senate approves and it is expected that changes will be swift following 26 August. Decisions on the care of a patient should, of course, be made on the basis of what is clinically appropriate and necessary. Practitioners should, however, consider carefully whether to commence a course of dental treatment for a patient under the chronic disease dental items as Medicare rebates for dental services under these chronic disease items will not be available for any patients once the scheme has been closed.
It is anticipated that there will not be any transition period after the closure date during which patients would be able to complete treatment.
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The
We have created a new GP “localised” referral to the "Life - Taking Action on Diabetes" Program, rather than having to go through Diabetes Australia-Vic. This referral can be sent directly to the Life facilitators of the programs. You can even ring them directly to make an appointment for the 6 session classes:
|
Suburb |
Contact |
Location |
Telephone |
Fax |
|
Eltham |
Dr
Virginia Boyden Ms
Debra Thorpe Ms
Linda Hammond Ms
Maria Hyde Ms
Melina Linardatos |
Northern
Division Banyule
CHC Nillumbik
CHC |
0417
104 060 9450
2095 9430
9100 |
9416
77409 9459
5808 9431
0339 |
Human costs
· About 100,000 Australian adults (0.8%) develop diabetes each year
· About 890,000 Australians are currently diagnosed with diabetes
· Nearly one in four Australians over the age of 25 years has either diabetes or imjpaire3d glucose metabolism (pre-diabetes)
· People with Diabetes have a similar mortality risk to smokers. People with pre-diabetes have a 45-55% increase in mortality risk
Financial costs
· The total financial cost is estimated at $10.3 billion
· The cost of type 2 diabetes in terms of carer’s cost and health system cost is $5.49 billion
Data from Diabetes
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Saturday
August 16, 9:00am – 4:30pm (Sit down lunch will be provided) at John
Scott Meeting House,
Contact: Ms Janina De Silva on 9496 4333 Application Form, Participant Reading, Workshop Agenda
Wednesday 23rd July
7-
9.30pm at The
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
July 22 - Bipolar Disorders - Dr Simon Croke
For full term Tuesday lecture program click here
Department
of Rheumatology - “The Management of Lupus”. Speaker: Dr
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Dual diagnosis - Dementia, depression and more... the Can Do program
Speakers: Prof Michael Woodward,
Case study – HMR substance abuse and an older person, HMRs, RMMRs (Items 900, 903)
Wednesday 6 August, 7.00pm - 9:00pm. Refreshments from 6:15pm. Main speaker 7.30pm at Northern Division Training Room.
Enquiries to Jenny Gowan on Tel. 8480 4611. Flyer.
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Please note that SAEFVIC (Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community) has updated their adverse event reporting form.
You can access the new form from the SAEFVIC Immunisation Program website
DHS is currently receiving a number of vaccine orders requesting Hiberix. These orders for Hiberix vaccine will not be processed and must be reordered after August 1st. Hiberix orders will be received and processed from 1st August 2008. All Hiberix vaccine orders received from this date will be delivered mid to late August.
The immunisation over stickers for the Child Health Record book are now available and can be ordered on line by emailing the Immunisation department at immunisation@dhs.vic.gov.au. When ordering these stickers please quote the following product code IMMUN0001. You must order a minimum of ten and no more than 20 per order. Please provide a phone number with the mailing address, without this information we will not be able to send out the stickers. These stickers are to be stuck over the first page of the existing immunisation record in the Child Health Record book when a baby presents for the first time. Please do not place this sticker over any existing documented immunisation history.
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Well not really, but all you have to do is spend less that 2 hours preparing 5 referrals (urology or maternity) on 5 mock patients and filling in a simple questionnaire on the usefulness of the templates. This is a pilot to test the new maternal and urology Statewide Referral Form Plus (VSRF+). For assistance in the pilot you can call Noel on 9496 4333. This is all explained on the NEV website and the explanatory notes and offer to participate form can be downloaded by clicking here.
Sometimes you wish to add a calendar to a template, for example when you want to prompt a user to type in a recall date.
1. Open LetterWriter and from the File menu select Modify template.
2. Select the template you wish to modify.
3. Insert
the cursor where you want the explanatory text and calendar to go.
Type in: Review date: (and press the
spacebar once)
4. Under templates double click on User defined (under Summary)
5. For
the Field name: type: Review date
For Field type: select Date
6. Click on OK and the save your template.
Question: I have downloaded a template off your website and loaded it into Medical Director but when I go to Save as template... it is greyed out so I can’t save it as a template.
Answer: You slightly misread the instructions but don’t worry, so have many others. Once you have downloaded the template (and hopefully you have right clicked and then selected Save target as...) you need to open Letterwriter. And then…
1. From the File menu select Modify template
2. Double click on the second item – Blank Template. What you had done was double click on the first item – Blank Letter. When you do this you can’t save the file as a template.
3. Now proceed as normal. From the File menu select Import, locate the file and open it.
4. From the File menu select Save as Template… (it won’t be greyed out now), type in a name and click on Save.
1. Victorian Statewide Referral Form+ Project – a completely new section on the website providing all the explanations and resources for the VSRF+ Pilot project
2. New MD referral template
for Life Diabetes program – to refer directly a facilitator of the Diabetes
preventive classes based on Eltham, Preston and
3. New Papsmear resources - includes offer for nurses to be a pap smear providers - see under Practice Nurses Network – Pap Smear and Breast Examination resources
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The Australian Government, under the National Continence Management Strategy
has provided funding for 10 scholarships to support health professionals to
attend the 17th National Conference on Incontinence, Hotel Grand Chancellor,
This simple little self help book by Bronwyn Hayat will guide a patient through the coming experience of an operation, the steps on the way. Cost is $15 and can be ordered at this website.
Please refer patients directly to the Department of Neurology (FAX: 9496 4065) for a nerve conduction study (NCS) and/or electromyogram (EMG) to confirm a clinical suspicion of carpal tunnel syndrome or to investigate other peripheral nerve or muscle problems.
Nerve
conduction studies and Electromyography (EMG) are performed in the diagnostic
laboratories of the Department of Neurology, 6 North (6th Floor),
If
you have any questions, please contact the Austin Health GP Liaison Officer,
Dr. Wendy Fisher on email wendy.fisher@austin.org.au
or
phone 9496 2681 (Mon/Tues).
For the latest edition click here.
There is currently no waiting time for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions. Any queries contact Access BECC on 9495 3109
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In collaboration with the AAPM, APNA and the Department of Health and
Ageing, the RACGP has developed MyPracticeTeam
specifically for practice nurses, practice managers and other members of the
practice team. MyPracticeTeam
brings together many of the resources you might use on a daily basis to
help you save time and generally make your life easier. Using one simple
application you can access government resources, forms, information about
practice procedures, quality clinical resources and so much more. MyPracticeTeam is available to all practice
staff. Download your own FREE version at www.mygeneralpractice.org.au,
click on the 'Install' button and follow the prompts. If you have any questions
contact the helpdesk contactus@mygeneralpractice.org.au
or 1800 284 789.
See under Items of Interest
Session 1 (Introductory) Thursday 18th September
Topics covered: What is diabetes, possible complications, MBS Item Numbers
(including new item numbers), Diabetes Annual Cycle of Care, Use of Medical
Director and the PEN Clinical Audit Tool, Self Monitoring and Practical
Sessions with Glucometers.
Session 2 (Follow up) Thursday 25th September Topics covered: Current
Management of Diabetes, Medications, Self Management, Footcare,
Practical session with Insulin Pens and Monofilaments
Both sessions: 6.30pm – 9.00pm at John
Scott Meeting House. To register download invitation
These
workshops will provide education and training specifically around evidence
based best practice diabetes management. Please note that these two sessions
are one week apart. For further information contact Janina or
telephone 9496 4333.
See under CPD
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Those of you who have recently taken part in the NPS osteoporosis program may find the attached documents from the RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletin of interest. The subject matter covered includes:
1. Quantifying Fracture Risk
2. Vitamin D Deficiency (part 1) - evidence, symptoms & who to test
3. Vitamin Deficiency (part 2) – treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
Found on website under NPS updates
1. Optimising management of type 2 diabetes: Feedback reports & Review packs will be posted in October 2008.
2. Management of systolic chronic heart failure: Data phase recently closed.
3. Electronic Audit: Optimising management of type 2 diabetes: The audit has been delayed and will not be available until mid October 2008.
4. Using inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta2 agonists: Open for enrolment in mid August 2—8 [note PPR 42 containing an enrolment form was sent in July; can also enrol on www.nps.org.au; (NOTE - a divisional flyer will be sent when available)
This publication is targeted towards consumers and consumer groups and focuses on using medicines wisely. This edition explores depression and looks at: treating and beating depression, provides a guide to using antidepressants, looks at non-drug treatments for depression, and details sources of information and help. A new Campaign to bridge cultural gaps is also discussed. Later this year, the National Prescribing Service (NPS) and the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) are running a campaign to help people from different cultural backgrounds learn about medicines and how to use them safely. Download a copy for your waiting room here.
The Discharge Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes (DMACS) project is being conducted by the NPS in partnership with DHS and state-based quality use of medicines groups. The project aims to improve management of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) at the point of discharge following an ACS event. If you receive a survey, we would appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete and return to the participating hospital/s.
For further information about this project please contact Kylie McIntosh, project coordinator on 03 9096 9038 or e-mail: Kylie.McIntosh@dhs.vic.gov.au
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Tuesday
29th July 6.30- 9pm at Rydges
Hotel,
Group 2 CPD points for attending GPs. Contact Elle Foster on 9467 6022 to reserve your seats
Itchy Scratchy Issues - Vulval
Disorders
Dr Kathy Cook - Obstetrician & Gynaecologist,
Tuesday 5th August. 7-9pm (Registration & Refreshments
from 6.30pm) Level 4
Registrations: Merran McDonald 8458 4833 / mmcdonald@mercy.com.au or click here
for the registration flier
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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.David Doig on 03 9499 1245.
Watsonia - Part-time GP required. Sessions negotiable. No after hours or week-end work. Practice Nurse, Fully computerised. Contact Dr F O'Donnell 9435 1191.
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3 men go into a motel.
The man behind the desk said the room is $30, so each man paid $10 and went to the room.
A while later the man behind the desk realised the room was only $25, so he sent the bellboy to the 3 guys' room with $5.
On the way, the bellboy couldn't figure out how to split $5 evenly between 3 men, so he gave each man a $1 and kept the other $2 for himself.
This meant that the 3 men each paid $9 for the room, which is a total of $27, add the $2 that the bellboy kept = $29.
Where is the other dollar?
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