The Queensland Government is standardising referral criteria in order to enable Equitable access Services provided in order of clinical urgency Patient’s ready for care at first specialist appointment The criteria are referred to as Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) and aim to provide clinical decision support that will help to ensure …
Buderim practice wins AGPAL Small Practice of the Year
A Sunshine Coast general practice, based in Buderim has been recognised with the top award for small general practices in this year’s Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) awards. Steve Jones, a nurse practitioner with Medicrew Buderim said their model of health care had helped them stand out among a …
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service not accepting patient referrals for Wet Macular Degeneration
The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is advising that it will continue the current practice of not being able to accept any new Wet Macular Degeneration patient referrals until the 1st of November 2018. The Caloundra ophthalmology unit will continue to see patients which we have already accepted referrals …
My Health Record opt out date announced
Every Australian will be offered a My Health record, unless they choose not to have one during the three month opt out period that will run from 16 July to 15 October 2018. A pack will be sent to all general practices prior to the opt out commencement, which will …
GP networking coordinators needed on the Sunshine Coast
Network coordinators are needed in the following areas: South Sunshine Coast (Caloundra & surrounds) Central Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore, Buderim, Nambour) Gympie Growing a connected community of GPs – The PHN is committed to helping GPs connect with each other through: Educational events Peer networking Advocacy for the profession The PHN …
RACGP releases new mental health support for GPs
The RACGP are encouraging general practitioners and other health professionals to take care of their own physical, mental, emotional and social health and to seek support when required. There are multiple barriers that may prevent health professionals accessing mental health services. However self-care and mental health resources and services specifically …
Last week to integrate online mental health services into your practice
According to the Black Dog Institute, in 2007 only about one third of those experiencing some mental health difficulties (1 in 5 Australians) have received access to some sort of professional support. Online therapies are an essential clinical tool to help overcome access barriers like stigma, time constraints, costs/availability for …
New research to explore whole person care
Researchers from The University of Queensland’s Primary Care Clinical Unit are seeking GPs or GP registrars willing to participate in a short interview about their views on and experiences providing “whole person” care. “Whole person care” is a core feature of general practice, however exactly what this involves is not …
Emergency medicine research grant EOIs open
The Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) is running a Rural and Remote Research Program grant round, offering up to $50,000 to support a collaborative research project in the field of emergency medicine for the benefit of rural and remote patients within Australia. Further funding for additional grants may be available. Why …
Support available for GPs to manage sexual health
Following the reported case of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea in Queensland last month, all GPs are being urged to contact their local Sexual Health Service if they suspect a patient may present with vaginal or urethral discharge. Drug-resistant gonorrhoea exists in many countries, including Australia. However, these latest cases and a …
Emergency Department clinical notes disabled in The Viewer
An Issue has been identified with Clinical Notes received from the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS). This problem could potentially result in inaccurate information being displayed in The Viewer through the Health Provider Portal (HPP). For now, all emergency department clinical notes (historical, present and future) have been disabled in …
New national guide to the preventative health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) have jointly produced the third edition of the National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (National Guide). The National Guide is a practical resource intended for …
Can you help a patient with their decision to transition into further education?
For patients who have a disability, the decision to pursue further education and subsequent employment may well throw up the dilemma of whether they should disclose the full details of their disability to an employer or educational institution. It is a deeply personal decision which may make some people feel …
Would perinatal counselling help your patients?
According to the RACGP, perinatal psychiatry has expanded from the traditional focus on mental health in the post-partum period to include a greater understanding that women may become unwell during pregnancy and that the risks to the infant from exposure to illness start before birth. One of the key roles …
New guidelines for care during pregnancy
The Australian Government Department of Health has released a revised version of the Pregnancy Care Clinical Practice Guidelines. The 2018 edition of the guidelines combines Module I and 2 of the Antenatal Care Guidelines, published in 2012 and 2014 respectively. A number of chapters were reviewed and updated for this …
Are you interested in shaping the guidelines for referrals around persistent pain?
Queensland Health’s Clinical Excellence Division is currently seeking nominations from clinicians to be involved in the development of referral criteria (Clinical Prioritisation Criteria) for Persistent Pain Specialist Outpatient Services. The referral criteria aim to ensure equitable and timely access to specialist outpatient services and include the minimal information that needs …
Your patients may be eligible for free services
The Australian Government has commenced a national program to investigate the presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on, and in the vicinity of, some of its Defence bases around Australia. Professor Brendan Murphy, Chief Medical Officer, has announced that the timeframe for blood testing under the Voluntary Blood Testing …
Practice really does make perfect
On Saturday March 10, 2018, PHN hosted “Practice Makes Perfect? – getting the most out of your practice”. This conference, targeted to general practice staff, covered topics including effective communication (including dealing with aggressive patients), MBS Item Numbers for chronic disease management and mental health; Use of Practice data for …
Tips to avoid a data breach in your practice
Whilst understanding that issues of patient confidentiality are in the forefront of GP’s minds, we are continually challenged by new technologies that may not be as secure as they initially seem. For instance, email (gmail, yahoo, outlook, apple mail) is not a secure means of sending patient clinical information (referral …
Quality Improvement Incentive delayed
The Practice Incentive Program (PIP) is a key driver to quality care in the general practice sector. PIP is aimed at supporting general practice activities that encourage improvements in quality care, enhance capacity and improve access and health outcomes for patients. The PIP Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive will continue to …