No 1014: May 6, 2010
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter sent to all GP practices
(with email addresses) within the
Editorial Lifestyle
Modification Programs
Professional Development CPD
events
HMR PBS
increases, The Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement
Immunisation Hepatitis C Cluster Updated
Information, Seasonal Flu Vaccine, Extra
time to get your ACIR data in
Information Management Medical Director Tips
Items of interest MBS Review item 10992 (after
hours), Clarification re item 723 & 732, Reform Update Information, Low vitamin D in Victoria,
GP Network News
News for Practice Staff Australian Practice Nurses Association,
ANF professional development day
Women’s Health Intrapartum Management, Monitoring Fertility
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The divisional is rolling out a special program between May and the end of November this year, involving the recruitment and enrolment of patients aged between 40-49 who are “at risk” of developing Type 2 Diabetes into Lifestyle Modification Programs.
So
far the division has organised a number of support resources, including:
· Setting up a number of Lifestyle Modification Programs at various locations across the division
· Waiting room posters and patient pamphlets
· Additional copies of the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool
· New recall and referral forms available for download from our website
In addition the division will:
· Provide financial assistance for recall mailouts
· Organise practice visits to further explain the program
More information: contact Noel via email or call 9496 4333
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Meetings are held each Tuesday starting at 12.30 in the Lecture
Theatre, Ground Floor,
May 11 - Abdominal Pain & Vomiting in Children - Dr Winita
Hardikar
For full term Tuesday lecture program click here
Saturday May 22nd 9-1pm (8:30am registration) Learning areas include Food allergy – prevention of allergy, intro of solids, differentiating IgE and non-IgE mediated food allergies, interpreting tests, management & referral; Anaphylaxis & prescribing autoinjectors; Eczema; Snotty noses - when is it allergic rhinitis, impact on asthma; Urticaria – differentials, when is it allergy, management & referral. Registration form here.
A free evening seminar, to introduce GPs and practice nurses to the principles of self management, Wednesday, May 26th 2010, from 6.30-9pm, at Gardenhurst Convention Centre, Essendon North. See registration form for more information or: phone 9347 1188 or email: jessica.holman@mgpn.com.au
July 3 - 8 at Millennium Hotel,
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PBS figures for March 2010 were released by Medicare
Think deprescribing -
when appropriate!!
Jenny Gowan - HMR facilitator!
A fact sheet from the Pharmacy Guild indicating the HMR Facilitator program is not being refunded.
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This
is to update information contained in the Chief Health Officer alert of 9 April
2010 regarding the hepatitis C cluster associated with the Croydon Day Surgery
(CDS).
If
women present to you, please either:
a) collect blood at your practice and send
to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory marked "DH
hepatitis C lookback", or
b) send the patient to your usual
pathology collection service, with a request for hepatitis C antibody and PCR
for hepatitis C RNA, and marked "DH hepatitis C lookback".
Melbourne Pathology, Dorevitch and Gribbles have
agreed that this service will be bulk billed if you mark the request in this
way. If you use another laboratory, please contact us and we may be able to
make similar arrangements.
For further information please contact the hepatitis C call centre on 1300 365 677.
Health Authorities continue to put Seasonal Flu Vaccine on hold for young children. Click here to see the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Media Statement issued on 30th April 2010.
The TGA, NCIRS and all other players are working very hard to identify if
there is something that is causing the apparent increase in febrile convulsions
for those under 5 who have been vaccinated with the seasonal flu vaccine this
year. The immunisation program has been stopped and the TGA has been asked to
report early next week on any developments relating to this program.
The Commonwealth,
TGA and NCIRS have requested assistance getting
accurate data from practices so they can assume a reasonable baseline for these
vaccinations this year.
·
Could practices send all under 7 year old flu
data to ACIR ASAP and check to see if it appears on the child's
history statement...
·
Could Practices check or ensure the correct
vaccine details (Influvac, Fluvax
or Vaxigrip and batch no.) are inputting - some
software is causing issues here!
·
Practices using Best Practice or MD as their
software should double check to see if ALL flu data has gone through
to ACIR (there has been quite a few complaints that the flu information
stored in Best Practice has not gone through for some reason...)
·
Report all adverse events that occur to SAEFVIC Fax: (03) 9345 4163 online www.saefvic.org.au/
Phone: 1300 882 924. Report forms can be downloaded from DH website
There has been a delay in the GPII Recalculation and this will now be run on the 24th May. This means that practices can continue to work on February quarter data until then. So this is an even greater opportunity for your practice to reach 90% coverage and get your Outcomes payment.
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On May 1, 2010 new time-based MBS item numbers came into being - 701 (<30 minutes), 703 (30-45 minutes), 705 (45-60 minutes) and 707 (>60 minutes). As nurse and doctor time is counted when making the item number claims you need to document time spent with the patient by both nurses and doctors. The easiest way to do this is to use MD’s Consultation timer. Both doctors and nurses need to be trained to open the patient record in MD at the beginning of the consultation and the record should also be closed once the consultation (or work associated with consultation) ends. You can also pause the consultation timer and restart it when necessary.
Question: I use the PEN Clinical Audit Tool to create lists of patients I wish to recall. I can export these in Excel but is there a way I can get that list back into MD so I can do a mailmerge from within MD’s LetterWriter?
Answer: Unfortunately there is no easy way to do this. No clinical software allows a 3rd party product to write back into it. If anyone knows a way I would be happy to hear from them. For those of you who know how to mailmerge in Word you could use the save Excel patient list.
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AGPN has just been informed by the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) that for administrative reasons, an interim MBS item number will need to be used to claim for certain after-hours items over the next two months as follows:
Between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2010
doctors claiming the higher bulk-billing incentive for MBS items 597, 598, 599
or 600 will need to use item 10985. On 1 July doctors should resume using
item 10992. From 1 May 2010, doctors claiming the higher bulk-billing
incentive for after hours items 5003-5267 should
continue to use item 10992. Eligible regions remain unchanged. Further
information, including the new item descriptor for 10985 is attached.
If you have any enquiries about this matter, please contact Tracy Thompson
at
A Team Care
Arrangement (TCA) item can be considered complete for the purpose of the GP
billing item 723, when the TCA plan prepared by the GP has been sent to the
other providers (e.g. sent by fax, mail or encrypted email), with appropriate
consent from the patient to do so, but without any requirement for the GP to
wait for response from the other providers to indicate their agreement with the
plan.
In regards
to item 732 - Item 732 can be claimed twice on the same day providing an item
732 for reviewing a GP Management Plan and another 732 for reviewing TCAs are both delivered on the same day as per the MBS item
descriptors and explanatory notes. So that would mean the same principle
applies to the new item 732, where it relates to a completion of a Review of a
TCA.
To keep you informed of health reform activities generally, their impact on the Network and the activities that AGPN is undertaking to continue to drive and influence this agenda see Reform Update Bulletin 2. This bulletin provides a further general health reform update with a focus on an overview of the Prime Minister’s recent announcements and the COAG National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement. We have also compiled the following factsheets to provide you with additional information that you can use locally with boards, staff, practices and other stakeholders:
· Fact sheet 1 provides a snapshot of the key health reform and policy activities that have occurred both within and beyond the Network since the health reform and review activities were set in train.
· Fact sheet 2 provides an update on AGPN activities in relation to the reform agenda.
· Fact sheet 3 provides a plain English explanation of PHCOs
· Fact sheet 4 provides a summary explanation of what PHCOs will mean for GPs and general practice
· Fact sheet 5 provides a summary of the benefits of PHCOs to consumers and the community
As we move into the winter months GPs will start to see more
Victorians at risk of low and deficient vitamin D.
Some sun exposure is necessary from May to August in
To help GPs and their patients SunSmart
has a number of vitamin D publications available including a resource
specifically targeting health professionals and information sheets in eight
languages. All resources can be downloaded here
or by calling 03 9635 5148.
This week’s edition includes: Australians want a health system that is built on the family doctor – AMA survey, Caring for patients with chronic and complex care needs – the AMA proposes a better way, Increased registration fees, Suspension of seasonal flu vaccine to children five years and under – update.
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This months eNews available here.
Practising in a changing health care environment Friday 4
June 2010 at Melbourne Convention and
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Tuesday
11th May, 7-9pm (Registration & Refreshments from
6.30pm) Dr Bernadette White, Clinical Director Obstetric and Maternity
Services,
Level 4
Allocated 4 (Category 2) points in the RACGP QA & CPD Program for the
2008-2010 triennium. *Pregnancy related for Shared
Maternity Care Reaccreditation.
Seminar on Thursday 13th May will be held at Billings LIFE - Leaders in
Fertility Education. 4B/303 Burwood Highway,
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Please note: only new ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other
ads can be found on the website
Doctors
Banyule
Community Health - seeks a VR GP, Full or Part time with drug/alcohol/pharmacotherapy
experience, to join our long established re-accredited and computerised
practice in Heidelberg West. Hours/days are flexible. No weekends. Team support
includes Medical Reception, Practice Coordination, Practice Nursing and Mental
Health Nursing, also Allied Health, Counselling and Dental services on
site. Contact Meni Stefanovski
– Clinical Services Manager, on Tel. 9450 2013,
Mob. 0413 018 996 or email meni.stefanovski@bchs.org.au
Hurstbridge - Seeking VR GP, Full time or Part time, to join our long established Family Medical Practice in semi-rural type setting. A friendly and professional work environment in this recently re-accredited, computerised medical centre with Allied Health and Nursing staff on site. Come and smell the fresh air! Call/email Heather Fisher, Practice Manager, (03) 9718 2611, 0407 355 035 or hfisher@hurstbridgemedical.net.au.
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The difference between a haematologist and a urologist?
A haematologist pricks your finger.
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And remember…
… Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.