North East Valley DGP eNews

No 0842: December 4, 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:

Editorial                                          The NEW PRIMARY HEALTH CARE STRATEGY AND YOU          

Aged Care                                       Austin Health: Residential Care Inreach Service           

Chronic Disease Management      AHPA Questionnaire      

Professional Development           CPD events         

Immunisation                                 NCIRS fact sheets, Hepatitis B cases rising, Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction, Immunisation Handbook, A future Vaccine? Epstein Barr linked to MS.   

Information Management            includes General Computer Tip, Medical Director Tips and New on the Web

Items of interest                            Family Doctor Home Adviser online, Indigenous health resources, Medical Equipment for sale, Doctors: Looking for extra income over summer?

Mental Health                                Psychological services available in Fairfield     

News for Practice Staff                 4 year old Health Check 

Paediatrics                                     Community Asthma Program     

Positions vacant/wanted                

Fun stuff                                            

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Word from the Editor

The NEW PRIMARY HEALTH CARE STRATEGY AND YOU

This week’s elements for comment by membership (Please see eNews No 0840 editorial)

4. Well-integrated, coordinated, and providing continuity of care, particularly for those with multiple, ongoing, and complex conditions.

Service delivery arrangements should support:

5. Safe, high quality care which is continually improving through relevant research and innovation;

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aged Care

Austin Health: Residential Care Inreach Service

This service continues to be available for residents of aged care homes who are at risk of hospitalisation. The hours of the service have increased: Monday-Friday 9am to 5.30pm. Initially this service was offered to 19 Aged Care Homes in the region. The Austin will now also consider referrals from other Aged Care Homes in the region provided that the resident is an Austin patient. Phone 0422 006 655. (Flyer)

 

Back to top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chronic Disease Management

AHPA Questionnaire for General Practitioners/Practice Nurses and Allied Health Professionals

Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) has developed a series of questionnaires designed to provide information for a project aimed at improving chronic disease management (CDM) in primary care settings.  AHPA has invited divisions and their members to respond to the surveys; responses will be confidential and data gathered will be analysed to improve linkages between general practice and allied health, which will lead to improved patient outcomes in CDM.  The online surveys should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The surveys can be paused at any time and returned to at a later date.  Please note that the closing date for the surveys has been extended (upon request by AGPN) and is now Friday 19 December 2008.

The three surveys are: General practitioner survey; Practice nurse survey; Allied health professionals survey

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPD

Term 4 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. NB: This will be the final lecture for this year.

December 9 - Stroke Management Update - Dr Henry Ma

For full term Tuesday lecture program click here.

 

Back to top

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immunisation

NCIRS fact sheets updated

NCIRS has updated fact sheets available from its website

There are new and updated sheets for GP’s and Immunisation providers on; Resources for addressing patient / parent concerns about immunisation; Zoster (Shingles) vaccines for Australian Adults; Influenza vaccines in Australia; Influenza – the disease.

These and other Fact Sheets can be found on the website and are an invaluable resource for all those interested in immunisation.

 

Hepatitis B cases rising

A recently published report warns that the rate of Hepatitis B cases has been steadily rising since 2005. The National Hepatitis B Needs Assessment report was featured in the October 31st issue of “Australian Doctor’. The article warned against complacency and called for urgent action to not only prevent the disease but also address the health needs of patients living with the disease. The report also noted that Indigenous people are at high risk of the disease. This is a timely reminder to check on Hep B coverage rates particularly in CALD or refugee communities.

 

Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction

The attached link has an interesting article about educating new parents who are concerned about any possible side effects of vaccines, as well as the ongoing need to overcome complacency in the community. The article also discusses concerns about counteracting the fear factors generated by anti-vaccine groups.

 

Immunisation Handbook

The HTML version of the Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition 2008 is now live. You can view it here. This site is maintained by the Department of Health and Ageing.  If you have any queries/comments please direct these to Handbook@health.gov.au.

 

A future Vaccine? Epstein Barr linked to MS

Researchers from the University of Queensland have confirmed a link between the Epstein-Barr virus which causes glandular fever and multiple sclerosis. The researchers believe that the vaccine developed for glandular fever which is currently being trialled in Europe could be used to vaccinate against MS. The researchers hoped that once the vaccine had been tested it could then be included in Australia’s childhood vaccine program for those who have a diagnosed relative. NCIRS has indicated that it was still too early to label the virus as a main driver for MS and therefore a great need to be cautious and consider other factors before a vaccine could be included in the program. For those interested, click here, here and here.

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information Management

General Computer Tip - Resizing a picture

1.   Click in the middle of the picture – this will place eight handlebars around the pictures – these are the points on which you resize the picture.

2.   Place the tip of the pointer arrow on one of the corner handlebars. Hold down the mouse button and drag in the direction of the 2-headed arrow. This will allow you to increase or decrease the size of the picture. If you do the same on the middle handlebars you will stretch or squeeze the picture.

 

Medical Director Tip - Adding text from another file into LetterWriter

You can copy and paste but there is another way.

1.   Position the cursor where the text is to be inserted.

2.   Select Insert  File >Import

3.   Browse to find the file to import – you may wish to use the Files of Type list to select from compatible file formats.

4.   Double click the file to insert it into the letter. The file is inserted as editable text.

 

This weeks IM problem - Management shortcuts not in alphabetical order

Question: We just upgraded to MD3 and the Management shortcuts in Progress Notes are no longer in alphabetical order.

Answer: Well, yes they are where you have put in a 2-3 character shortcut, e.g. “ag” for “advice given”. Where they are not in alphabetical order is because you have not assigned a shortcut to the text – these will be at the top of the list. I suggest you modify these text entries by assigning to them a short non-naturally sequence of letters.

 

New on the Web

1.   Updated referral template to allied health – found under IM Resources – MD templates

2.   Austin Health: Residential Care Inreach Service - is available for residents of aged care homes who are at risk of hospitalisation. Found under Aged Care Initiative

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Items of Interest

Health information at a mouse click – Family Doctor Home Adviser online
The RACGP, in collaboration with Dorling Kindersley (DK) Australia, has launched Family Doctor Home Adviser online. This new online publication is designed to provide consumers with high quality, evidence based algorithms (‘decision trees’), clear advice and simple explanations about their health, and it is all available for quick reference online. The online publication, which is produced by DK and edited and endorsed by the college, is now available at www.racgp.org.au/familyhealth. Please email questions and comments to qualitycare@racgp.org.au.

 

Indigenous health resources

You can now access useful indigenous health resources on the AGPN Website. Resources include information about Breast Cancer, Indigenous lifescripts, Lymphoedema and general health information relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. Go to www.agpn.com.au and click on ‘Indigenous Health’ under the Current Programs heading.

 

Medical Equipment for sale

A Heine EN 100 Wall Diagnostic Set - $400

A 135 litre vaccine fridge - $450

Four Steel Frame Examination Couches - $150

A blood collection chair - $75

All the items are second hand but in pristine condition. Contact Phil on 9848 4989 (BH) or 9846 6896 (AH)

 

Doctors: Looking for extra income over summer?

Australian healthcare company Healthscope Ltd operates a chain of Skin Cancer Clinics throughout the country. Facing an unprecedented patient load over the summer season they are in urgent need of medical practitioners with a strong interest and skills in the area of detection and management of skin cancer. If you are interested in temporary, part time or permanent work please call John Burns on 0428 313 732.

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mental Health

Psychological services available in Fairfield

Experienced psychologist, with over 10 years clinical experience, moving from a GP clinic in East Kew to full-time private consulting rooms in Fairfield. Assistance with the full range of adult psychopathology, immediate appointments available. Contact Johanne Hall, Suite 3, 27 Railway Place, Fairfield. Ph 0417 339 055

 

Back to top

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News for Practice Staff

Can the 4 year old Health Check be done by a Div 2 and registered AHWs?

The answer is YES and this also means that they are eligible to do the Medicare 4 year old Health Check training offered through Ausmed that will be coming up next year. Flyer & registration.      

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paediatrics

Community Asthma Program (CAP)

The Community Asthma Program is a free paediatric asthma education program, funded by DHS’ Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) through the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). CAP provides free asthma education and support to children and their families in their own home or community setting. Asthma educators visit the families several times over a six month period, providing information and support about understanding their symptoms, medication, triggers, use puffers and spacers. GPs are kept up to date and can be assisted with providing the ‘MBS Asthma Cycle of Care’ (e.g. item 2546). Visit RCH website.

 

Back to top

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 or FT 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.

Northcote – F/t P/T VR GP or Subsequent Trainee GP position. Fully accredited, computerised, long established doctor owned practice in a new purpose built facility with a fabulous work environment. Ancillary Health, Pharmacy and Pathology services on site. Inquiries Diane Cronin (Practice Manager) 9481 1214. Visit our website www.doctorsofnorthcote.com    

Practice Staff

Ivanhoe - Div. 1 Nurse(s) required for Endoscopy centre. Experience in endoscopy/recovery necessary. Position available now for 2-3 days per week. No weekends. Apply to resscom@optusnet.com.au

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Humour

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class:
"In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative.
However," he continued, "there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."
A medical student doing an elective, from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah. Right."

 

Back to top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

And remember

 

            …to succeed in politics, it’s often necessary to rise above your principles.