No 1002: February 4, 2010
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter
sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the
Chronic
Disease Management New and Updated Heart Foundation
Practice Tools
Professional Development CPD events
Immunisation COMVAX® stock expires now, Delayed - free seasonal influenza vaccine
Information
Management Medical Director Tips
Items of
interest News from St
Vincent’s, Locum Education Assistance program & Rural locum
opportunities, Low Vitamin D in Victoria: Key health messages for GPs, GP Network News
Mental Health Life
Strategies Day Program, Anxiety
Disorders Association of Victoria
News for
Practice Staff Legal Issues for Practice
Managers, Useful link for practice nurses, HESTA Australian
Nursing Awards
Women’s Health Malignant Disease in Female Patients
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The Heart Foundation
is committed to support general practice in the adoption of prevention and
management recommendations to minimise the evidence management gap for coronary
heart disease and reduce the associated disease burden in
The
“Hypertension treatment” wall chart is a practical, quick reference tool. It
guides assessment of absolute cardiovascular risk, and provides information about
drug treatment and treatment targets.
The “Guide to
management of hypertension 2008 Slide presentation” is a teaching aid for
health professionals. It summarises the current best
practice in the diagnosis, management and follow-up of people with hypertension.
Click here.
The National Vascular Disease
Prevention
If you’re interested in measuring your patients’ five-year risk of getting CVD, visit our recently updated website. For a more user-friendly online CVD risk calculator and downloadable desktop version, easy-to-understand information explaining absolute CVD risk, what a risk score means, and more.
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Meetings are held each Tuesday starting at 12.30 in the
Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor,
Feb 9 - Iron Deficiency Anaemia - Dr Raouf Bassily
For full term Tuesday lecture program click here
Saturday,
20 March, 8.15am - 1.30pm at
“Bloody Serious Facts and what you should know” on Tuesday 16th March
10am-1pm. At
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COMVAX® stock expires now
ALL remaining stocks of COMVAX vaccine expire
now. Even though the box may indicate an expiry of February 2010 many ampoules
indicate an expiry of 02 February 2010. If you are holding unused stock of
COMVAX in your vaccine refrigerator, please discard it into your biohazard
waste bin now.
COMVAX (Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens) vaccine was removed from
routine use in the Victorian immunisation infant schedule in March 2008 and was
replaced by the combination vaccine Infanrix hexa® (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis,
Hepatitis B, Poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenzae type b).
Please direct any further enquiries to the DoH
Immunisation program on 1300 882 008
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Sometimes you are tempted to create a history item (or reason for prescription) by using free text rather than entering it as a coded item. This is because the coded item doesn’t adequately explaining the condition. A way round this is to use a coded item and then add the detail in the Comment box. You can then edit the templates where history items are included so that comments are included with the coded history item.
To do this you need to edit the properties of the history field:
· Open LetterWriter and from the File menu select Modify template – find your referral letter and open it.
· Right click on the <<Clinical Details:History List>> field and select Properties. Make sure there is a tick in the box Include Comments box.
Question: When I need to edit a deceased patient’s record I “undecease” them via the Patient reviver of HCN Maintenance, make the changes and then “decease” them. Is this the right way to do it?
Answer: No.
1. With no patient record open, from the Patient menu select List… (or press <F10>)
2. The patients will be listed Current patients by name. From the drop down menu select Deceased patients
3. From the File menu select Open – now you can edit the patient’s clinical record
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Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
Aged Care Assessment Service
Referrals needed
ACAS assessments are available for those elderly patients requiring aged residential and respite care. It provides access to case managed packages of care for people with complex needs and involves clients, their carers and service providers in the assessment and care planning process. The referral form ‘Rehabilitation, Aged Care and Aged Psychiatry Referral Form’ is available at www.svhm.org.au/gp. For urgent referrals or more information telephone 9816 0566.
Residential Aged Care Facilities In Reach Program
The RACF In Reach is recommencing from February 2010. The program provides:
- Phone advice support and education to RACF staff
- Onsite nursing and/or medical assessment and treatment where indicated
- Reduction in unwanted/unnecessary Emergency Department presentations
- Improved access through the Emergency Department if presentation is required
- Coordinated Discharge planning
Phone: 1800 89 1300
The
rural Locum Education
Assistance program (LEAP) has just been launched by the Minister as part
of the Federal Government’s Rural GP Locum Program. Financial assistance is provided
to urban general practitioners in RA1 to undertake emergency medicine training
who then need to commit to a four week (20 working days) general practice locum
placement in a rural locality within a two year period giving more
opportunities for urban doctors to experience life in a country practice .
Only
15 places have been allocated to both the RACGP and ACRRM respectively in the
current financial year, so applications will be assessed on a first in first
served basis and any interested GP’s should apply ASAP. For more information
and contact details click here.
RACGP training dates are here.
Time for a fresh perspective on your career as a GP? Then why not try rural locum work?
There are now more opportunities for urban doctors to experience life in a
country practice thanks to the Federal Government’s new $6.1 million Rural GP
Locum Program. As well as a change of scenery, rural locum work is a great way
to expand your skills while practising a more diverse and challenging range of
medicine including Aboriginal health. Full support is provided, including
payment of accommodation and travel costs. To find out more or to register to
become part of the locum pool, contact Angela Phillips from
A new resource highlighting the latest vitamin D
information has been developed for Victorian health professionals and
community workers. ‘Low Vitamin D in
The resource can be downloaded at
sunsmart.com.au/vitamin_d along with;
- Information
for patients on a balanced approach to sun exposure
- Translated information for people
with naturally very dark skin
This week’s edition includes:
Positive feedback on general practice nurses, AMA welcomes new body to combat
rheumatic heart disease, Members recognised in Australia Day honours list.
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The Melbourne Clinic in
Contact Julie on 9420 9260 and fax referral to 9420 9355 (addressed to ‘Dear Doctor @ TMC’)
How Hypnosis Can Help With Anxiety by Dr Janet Hall, Clinical Psychologist. Thursday, 25th March, 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm at Northcote Town Hall, 189 High Street,
Northcote, Rooftop Function Room. $20.00 non-members and $10.00 ADAVIC members. Bookings essential! Monies
non refundable. Bookings can be made by calling ADAVIC (03) 9853 8089 or email adavic@adavic.org.au. Note: a $2
surcharge fee will apply to invoices
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Wednesday 17th March, 6:30pm – 9.00pm
(Dinner Provided) at John Scott Meeting House, La
The APNA training calendar http://www.apna.asn.au/calendar.cfm
The Australian community is being
urged to nominate Practice Nurses for the 2010 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards.
With a prize pool of $25,000 across the categories of Nurse of the Year,
Innovation in Nursing and Graduate Nurse of the Year, they are the most
prestigious nursing awards in the country. Nominations close on 28 February.
Finalists will be announced in April and those from interstate will be flown to
the gala awards ceremony in
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‘An Overview of Common Gynaecological Cancers’ by A/Prof Rob
Wednesday
17 February, 6.15pm – 9.15pm at Epworth Richmond, Auditorium, Level 2,
Learning objectives:
1. To safely recognise signs and symptoms that may indicate the presence of gynaecological malignance
2. To develop safe protocols for screening and diagnosing women at risk of breast cancer
Free car parking is available at Epworth Richmond - enter via
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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
Macleod - Part-Time VR GP required for our family orientated Medical Practice. Fully computerised & supported by our friendly staff. Contact Dr. Dina on 0419 525 549 or Email: dr.dina@bigpond.com
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
Practice
Staff
Northcote area - Full time/Part time Div 1 of Div 2 Practice Nurse required to assist our medical staff in a busy general practice. Duties include wound care, travel health, immunisatons, health assessments, patient triage and all other duties required in a general practice. Visit our website www.doctorsofnorthcote.com for more information. To apply forward your resume to manager@doctorsofnorthcote.com.
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Bundy Rum (Bundaberg
Rum)...
For you overseas people….a King Brown is one of the deadliest snakes on earth.
Out of the world's top 10,
I finally got around to going fishing this morning but after a while I ran out
of worms.
Then I saw a King Brown with a frog in his mouth, and frogs are good bass bait.
Knowing the snake couldn't bite me with the frog in his mouth,
I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog and put it in my bait
bucket.
Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bitten. I grabbed
my bottle of Bundy and poured a little rum in its mouth. His eyes rolled back,
he went limp and I released him into the lake without incident, and carried on
my fishing with the frog.
A little later I felt a nudge on my foot.
There was that same snake with two frogs in his mouth.
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And remember…
… ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.