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March 1999 | |
CONTENTS
ADGP National Office Established
Active Script Tender
National Diabetes Register
Response to GPFG
GPDV Coming Events
2000 and Beyond: A Call for GP Supervisors
Divisions and their Communities
Integration Project Update
Learning From Practice - Education SERU CME Workshop
Innovations Pool Funding
Action Plan for Suicide Prevention
ADGP National Office Established
The national office of Australian Divisions of General Practice Ltd (ADGP) has now been established in Deakin, Canberra.
The Chief Executive Officer, Sue Baker Finch said that she was "extremely pleased that the office was established and we can now assist the Board and our members in their work". Ms Baker-Finch comes to ADGP with a strong background in management, including sports administration and extensive work with not-for-profit (non-government) national organisations.
The initial staff team is Elizabeth Hannah, Project Officer, who has many years experience in the private and voluntary sectors in the USA; Suzanne Scott, Office Administrator, who brings considerable experience in corporate law, business and operations to the ADGP; Warren Talbot, Senior Policy Officer, with extensive knowledge of national health policy, ranging from HIV/AIDS to Casemix and rural health.
The establishment of ADGP will be a powerful force in maintaining the national character of the Divisions Program and ensuring that all parts of Australia are able to benefit from the Program. We look forward to working closely with ADGP board and staff in the support and development of the Program for the advancement of general practice.
States have two representatives, one urban and one rural, on the ADGP Board. Victorian representatives are:
Jill Grogan Inner South East; GPDV Board
Julie Thompson West Gippsland; GPDV Deputy Chair
The DHS has announced that the tender for the Victorian Active Scripts Program has been awarded to the Department of Community Health at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The project team is:
The Active Scripts Program aims to encourage GPs, through their divisions, to advocate, discuss and "prescribe" physical activity to their patients. The initial work of the project will be to produce a detailed Program Plan, recruit project staff and contact the divisions with which the project will work. Implementation will begin in May. Nancy Huang can be contacted on 9342 8549, fax 9342 7961 or by Email: nancy.huang@nwhcn.org.au
The National Diabetes Register has been established to provide a record of Australians who have insulin treated diabetes. Data collection commenced on the 1 January 1999.
The benefits of the register are cited as including: establishing the extent of insulin treated diabetes in Australia in various population groups; monitoring trends in the disease; and facilitating clinical and epidemiological research. Inclusion in the National Diabetes Register is voluntary and requires completion of the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) registration form.
GPs wishing to know more about the Register and the process of Registration can phone the National Diabetes Register Helpline on 1800 643 587.
GPDV has responded to the Progress Report of the General Practice Financing Group with comments on:
For details ring your division which has an email copy.
GPDV Divisions Forum
21 March 1999, 10 am
To be held at: University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley St, Carlton
Professor Peter Mudge will speak on Research and Development in General Practice and the Divisions Program
Immunisation – effective practice based systems for follow up
31 March 1999, 9.45am – 1.00pm
To be held at: Queen Victoria Centre
Followed by a preview of ACIR Internet site.
Accreditation – Update and Network Meeting
31 March 1999, 2.00pm – 4.00pm
To be held at: Queen Victoria Centre.
2000 and beyond: A Call for GP
Supervisors
The RACGP Training Program in Victoria requires a small number of General Practices to join its pool of Training Practices for the Year 2000 and beyond.
Training practices are the Training Program’s prime educational resource. GP Supervisors need to be committed to the teaching of general practice. For an application pack or further information telephone 1800 775 033. The closing date is Friday 19 March.
Divisions and their Communities
Divisions in the Southern Region recently took part in an audit of the methods they have used in the past 12 months to relate to their local community and consumers. The audit asked divisions to consider the two-way nature of the linkages with their local community and to report on activities, which involve:
Concerns have been expressed by the DH&AC and the Health Issues Centre to the Victorian Advisory Committee on General Practice (VACGP) that divisions’ involvement with their community and consumers appears to have diminished during the transition period. The audit results, on the contrary, show that in Southern Region, divisions have continued to ensure consumer input and have maintained an active outreach to their communities. The audit showed that:
Divisions found that undertaking the audit provided an opportunity to identify and bring together in one document an overview of their community interface, which other forms of reporting, such as the OBF plans, have not provided. GPDV is presently extending the audit to all other divisions in Victoria. For more information contact your division.
Following the Division visits, the Integration Project has focussed on hospitals across the State. The majority of tertiary and secondary hospitals have now been visited as part of the audit of current practice.
The audit found that GP and hospital communication is often unique to a certain area. Hospitals differ in the way they communicate with GPs, ranging from GP access to electronic patient records on a web browser to handwritten letters sent with the patient. Currently, the most popular forms of communication are paper discharge summaries that are either sent with the patient or posted, and admission and discharge information that is either automatically or manually faxed. There are several trials of electronic transfer of information but this method is not widespread at present.
The information gathered from the hospital visits is currently being verified by hospitals and will then be circulated to Divisions.
The next stages of the Project are:
For further information about the Integration Project, please ask your division for a copy of the information circulated by Jenny Wilkins.
Learning From Practice - Education SERU CME Workshop
The Education SERU will run a two-day CME workshop in Melbourne on the 25 – 26 June 1999 at the Melbourne Zoo. The program is designed to assist GPs and divisional staff involved in developing CME activities. The SERU is particularly keen to see as many GP CME co-ordinators as possible, participating in the workshop. Staff from Rural Workforce Agencies and State Based Organisations will also be taking part in the workshop.
The emphasis will be on "Learning from your Practice". The first half day will provide an overview of the education design process, suitable for new staff and for those looking for a "refresher". This session will cover: needs assessment; learning objectives; teaching and learning strategies and evaluation. The remainder of the workshop will cover areas such as: learning needs; quality assurance and clinical audit; an interactive question and answer session with the RACGP; marketing and promoting CME activities; peer review and educational outreach; flexible delivery of continuing education and measuring educational outcomes.
For further information contact your division.
The DH&AC is now calling for proposals for the 1998/99 Innovations Pool. The 1998/99 grant round has been split between State/Territory ($3million – Victoria‘s share is $683,977) and a national allocation ($1.5million). Applications are being invited for proposals that support new activities, are innovative and have the potential for statewide or national application. Closing date for both pools is 23 April. For further information contact your division.
Action Plan for Suicide Prevention
The Draft National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention has recently been released for consultation and will be distributed to each Victorian Division. When it is finalized this plan will form the framework for the allocation of Federal Government funds of $48 million over the next 3 years. Comments on the Draft Plan can be lodged by 31 March, 1999 with the Australian Institute of Family Studies: Tel: 9214 7888, Fax: 9214 7839.