No 0844: December 18, 2008
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter
sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the
Editorial Division achieves Tier 1 Status, The New Primary Health Care Strategy and You
Chronic
Disease Management Call For Those Who Can Inspire
Life! Medicare – slashing
red tape and boosting prevention
Professional Development CPD events
HMR Latest
News
Immunisation HPV
(Gardasil) Program, HPV Register, Changes to the 4 year old overdue rules for Centrelink
payments
Information
Management includes General Computer Tip, Medical
Director Tips and New on the Web
Items of
interest Extended Prescriptions and New Medicines, Austin
Health Christmas Closures, Medical Equipment for
Mental Health Balint groups for GPs
News for
Practice Staff Medicare 4 year old
Health Checks, National Clinical Skill Program
for Nurses
NPS Clinical
Audit Update, NPS RADAR for December, Medicine Update, Practice Visit
Program Update
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The
The benefit for the Division is in reduced reporting requirements as well as some Kudos. The Tier One status was achieved for the timeliness, completeness and the quality of deliverables, as well as expending our funds against approved budgets.
Well done to all the staff, Board and you our members who helped achieve this feat.
CEO
The final elements for comment by membership (Please see eNews No 0840 editorial)
Supporting the
primary health care workforce are:
8. Working environments and conditions which
attract, support and retain workforce;
9. High quality education and training arrangements
for both new and existing workforce.
Primary health
care is:
10. Fiscally sustainable, efficient and cost
effective.
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Diabetes Australia-Vic is leading a Victorian Government funded, diabetes prevention initiative called Life! Taking Action on Diabetes.
Life! is a lifestyle behavioural change course that that can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in up to 58% of high risk Victorians aged 40 years and over of type 2 diabetes. The Program will also assist to diagnose those who do not know they have diabetes. We will pay suitably qualified health professionals - statewide to run the 6 session course. A two-day training courses allow you to become a Life! Facilitator and the next course is scheduled for March. Complete and Fax an Expression of Interest Form by the 9th January by going to www.diabeteslife.org.au or for more information phone 9667 1773.
Prevention will be given a boost, and red tape for doctors will be slashed in a review of Medicare items due to be finalised by March 2009.
Complex red tape that has stood in the way of longer GP consultations will be removed as part of the review.
This will help more Australians gain access to vital prevention advice in areas like diabetes prevention, quitting smoking and avoiding obesity.
The new simplified schedule will come into force on 1 July 2009.
This review is being undertaken
alongside development of the National Primary Health Care Strategy, which
includes a focus on how to use our health workforce more effectively, and how
to better encourage prevention. Full
article
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The Division as an Accredited Provider has submitted all outstanding attendance lists for the 2008 education activities.
A credit point statement will be sent to each GP for the QA&CPD Triennium 2008-10 soon after 6th February 2009 will detail points so far for the 2008-2010 triennium.
gplearning has just released a new
activity Developing a practice-based approach: getting the most out of the
Health Assessment Items 718 and 719. The activity focuses on Jacqui, a
woman with Down syndrome who presents to her GP for her annual health
assessment. This is the first of six activities that have been developed
through an education grant from the Department of Health and Ageing and written
by
Deakin, Monash and
They are currently seeking GPs to participate in this study. The recruitment phase of the study is ongoing for the next 6 months (December 08 – May 09). GPs who participate will be asked to invite eligible patients through a letter of invitation to patients identified through patient records and also through invitation to new patients attending the clinic in the recruitment phase.
Participating GPs who enlist at least two patients to the study will be paid
$100 for their time, will have on-going access to Heart Health Online, and will
be eligible for 40 Category 1 QA & CPD points. To register interest in the
study, or to find out more, please contact Dr. Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz on (03) 9251 7344
or matthewf@deakin.edu.au.
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Copayment changes from Jan 1st 2009
Better Outcomes by using RMMR with EPC together
Better Outcomes by using HMR with EPC together
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The community-based HPV catch-up program (delivered through general practice and community immunisation services), is provided for: 12-13* to 18 year old girls who have not completed their course at school; and 18 to 26 year old women.
The program finishes on 30 June 2009, so to be eligible for free vaccine, all females in the above age groups must have started the course with their first dose of the vaccine by 30 June 2009, and complete all 3 doses by 31 December 2009. Please administer catch-up Gardasil vaccine doses using the correct dose spacing recommended.
*Notes:
1. Eligibility is from the age of the first year of secondary school (Year 7).
2. HPV vaccine will continue to be provided for Year 7 girls only from 2009
onwards as part of the National Immunisation Program schedule in
Victorian GPs were sent a letter and invited to register for the HPV register in mid September 2008. GPs, who have administered an HPV vaccine dose to an eligible female 12 to 26 years for Gardasil, are eligible for a payment of $6 (GST exempt) for each dose notified. As of 31/10/08 of the 5694 GPs in Vic 3567 (63%) had registered.
For further information or questions please contact the HPV register on 1800 478 734 www.hpvregister.org.au. The website has a section for health professionals and one for consumers with links to related websites
Currently when a child has not received their 4 year old vaccines the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) does not consider them overdue until they turn 5 years of age. As 1 January 2009 this will change and children turning 4 (born on or after 01/01/2005) will be considered overdue if they have not received their 4 year old vaccines by 4 years and 1 month of age. In these cases, parents of children may receive a letter from Centrelink indicating the ACIR has no record of their child’s 4 year old vaccinations. The letter will advise parents they have a further 63 days to ensure information on their 4 year olds vaccination status is sent into the ACIR to ensure they retain any eligibility for Child Care Benefits. The first impact will be felt in March 2009, when the first affected 4 year olds turn 4 years and 2 months age. Practices are advised to review their patients born in 2005 in order to manage the change.
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Sometimes you put a picture in a document and maybe add an arrow or some other object. Rather than moving these objects independently it is much better to group them.
1. Click on the first object – this will place handlebars on the object, meaning it is an “active” object which you can move and/or resize.
2. Hold down the Shift key and click on the second object. Both objects are now “active” – you can move them both at the same time.
3. Make sure your Drawing toolbar is displayed – View menu/Toolbars/Drawing.
4. Click on the down pointing arrowhead next to Draw on the Drawing toolbar and select Group – your 2 objects will now become one object and can be manipulated as one object.
You are able to prescribe DAA services to Department of Veterans Affairs patients. Simply type DVA in the Enter Drug name box and this will bring up a list of 3 service items. Further information re this and other DAA services is available from the DVA website.
Question: When you do free text into the past history list (I know I shouldn't!!), is there a way in MD3 to get rid of the Auto-capitalise permanently, so that I can write abbreviations (another slap on the wrist for me!!!) e.g. CVA or CIN3 etc without it appearing in small letters. Every time I untick the Autocapitalise and then come back to the same condition, it reverts back to lower case.
Answer: First of all, the lecture!! Both CIN3 and CVA are in the coded lists so why free text? But to answer the question - it appears you have to turn off Auto-capitalise each time – there is no option to change this, as far as I know. However if you open Progress Notes and use the Reason button there is no Auto-capitalise. Generally you only use the Past History/New item for retrospective history items. Any current diagnoses and/or reason for contact should be done from within the Progress Notes.
1. Practice Managers Hall of Fame – a listing of the new practice managers 2008 inaugural inductees, found at Practice Managers Network
2. December 2008 NEVDGP Hard Copy Newsletter – found on the Home Page – Latest News
3. AGPN Nurses News December 2008 – found under AGPN Nurses Network
4. Better Outcomes by using RMMR and EPC together.
Better Outcomes by using HMR and EPC together.
PBS co-payments & fees - effective 1 January 2009 – all found under Home Medicine Review
5. HMR - How to make it work - Practice staff use clinical software program (e.g. CAT) to identify suitable patients. Found under Home Medicine Review
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The government has announced that GPs will be able to prescribe certain PBS medications for a period of 12 months in order to reduce repeat prescription requirements. The press release says: “Patients whose care is being managed through General Practitioner Management Plans or Team Care Plans will benefit from these changes announced in the 2008-09 federal budget – with more medicines to be added in December and January. Changes to the listings of medicines subsidised under the PBS from today will benefit people with ulcerative colitis, chronic pain, schizophrenia and diabetes.” More information is available on the PBS website
Please note that during the forthcoming Christmas/New Year period there will be a reduction in the number of services available from Austin Health as follows:
Outpatients - will be closed from Wednesday 24/12/08 and re-opening on Monday 12/01/09. There will be 3 emergency Outpatients clinic dates – Monday 29/12/09, Monday 05/01/09 and Thursday 08/01/09.
After Hours GP Clinic – will be closed from Monday 22/12/08 and re-opening on Monday 12/01/09.
Medi Hotel – will be closed from Wednesday 24/12/08 and re-opening on Monday 12/01/09.
Ambulatory Care Centre/Transit Lounge – will be closed from Thursday 25/12/08 to Monday 29/12/09 and closed from Thursday 01/01/09 to Monday 05/01/09.
The Emergency Department will be operating as normal during the Christmas/New Year period.
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)
The latest edition can be found here.
Waiting times for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions are currently approximately Gem 5-7days, Rehab 0 days as of 17 December. Any queries regarding our waiting times please contact Access BECC on 9495 3109
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Balint groups are small groups of GPs who meet regularly to discuss cases
from their practices with a focus on the psychological dimension of their work.
The Balint Society of
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Training dates for practice nurses to do the 4 year old health check training: Tuesday 13th January, Tuesday 20th January, and Thursday 29th January 09. Venue: The Nurses Memorial Centre, Suite 11, 431 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Flyer & registration
· Each training session will be limited to thirty places
· Nurses will have to pay the course fee up front, they will need to put in a claim form (available soon) to reclaim the 50% subsidy offered through GPV on completion of the training
· Ausmed are willing to run further courses. There will be more courses on offer in Melbourne early next year. Cynthea Wellings - Ausmed Conferences cwelling@ausmed.com.au M: 0414 785 505 Office: (03) 9375 7311 can be contacted if you would like this course to be run through your rural division.
National Clinical Skill Program for Nurses
The Benchmarque Group is celebrating the launch of
their 2009 National Clinical Skills Program. This program is a unique opportunity
for nurse clinicians and non nursing staff to participate in a range of
nationally recognised qualification courses. Places are strictly limited and
are already starting to fill. To find out more go to www.ncsp.com.au. To
find more about The Benchmarque Group go to www.benchmarquegroup.com.au.
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The NPS Clinical e-Audit: Optimising management of type 2 diabetes is STILL OPEN for enrolment and will be available until 16 April 2010. Enrol before 9 January 2009 and completion of the audit will contribute towards the current QPI program May 2008 – April 2009. NB: & is a RACGP QA&CPD approved activity: total points 40 (Category 1) in 2008-2010 triennium. A virtual tour of this Clinical e-Audit is available here. The tour outlines the new intuitive features of the Clinical e-Audit and explains the benefits of participating.
The latest edition of RADAR has recently been released. Topics covered include:
Zoledronic acid (Aclasta) for osteoporosis
after fracture (New formulation & new indication PBS listed December 2008):
Once-daily tramadol (Durotram
XR) for pain (New formulation PBS listed November 2008): Rosiglitazone
(Avandia) & rosiglitazone
with metformin (Avandamet)
for type 2 diabetes (PBS listings for triple oral therapy & combination
with insulin removed). Above listings have
been removed as discussed in the current NPS diabetes practice visit program.
See reviews of the new safety data on NPS RADAR website
Also available on the NPS website are 2 new issues
of Medicine Update for consumers that discuss Zoledronic
acid (Aclasta) for osteoporosis after fracture and Tramadol for pain. Medicine Update
helps consumers ask the right questions about new medicines. It also
helps them compare the potential benefits and
harms of a new medicine with those of other medicines. You may wish
to make copious of this publication available in your waiting room.
Due to a high demand for practice visits & case study meetings for the
“Early use of insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs (ie in type 2 diabetes)” program which was due to complete
end December, will now be extended for a month or two into 2009. If you
would like to receive an independent evidence-based update on this important
topic, please contact Dr
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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
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.
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
Banyule Community Health – Mental Health Practice Nurse wanted. Part time - 3 days, dynamic team, 2 clinics. For information and application go to www.bchs.org.au
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
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1. We wish you a Merry Christmas - Santa and the reindeer sing. This is an old time favourite of ours. Don’t forget to click on each reindeer.
2. White Christmas – Santa and the reindeer sing this. Another favourite.
3. The 12 pains of Christmas – a song for Christmas grumps.
3. Oh Come All Ye Faithful – bit of a violent Christmas. (You may have to refresh – press F5).
4. You’d Better Watch Out – Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Bruce Springsteen sings.
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And remember…
… borrow money from pessimists
- they don't expect it back.