The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) along with its Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) members are hosting the third annual Australia's Healthy Weight Week (AHWW) 24 – 31 January, 2010. AHWW is part of our comprehensive obesity strategy and aims to help Australians achieve and maintain a healthy weight by eating better, feeling better and moving more NOW.
There are a range of supporting resources available, free of charge, including an A3 poster and A5 consumer brochures. We also have available food and exercise records that can be provided to your patients along with a referral to an APD.
To mark the start of AHWW 2010, DAA is launching a series of ‘Take 10 in 2010’ factsheets. These are sets of ten tips to help your patients achieve a healthy lifestyle by making small changes every week. Download the fact sheets from the ‘Take 10 in 2010’ section of the AHWW website.
To order or download resources, and to find out more about AHWW, visit the AHWW website www.healthyweightweek.com.au

Professor Fiona Wood is presenting Trauma Grand Rounds to support the WA Non-major Trauma Framework. Look out for the Grand Round near you: North Metropolitan 8 December 12:15 pm, Neville Davis Lecture Theatre, Anaesthetic Dept, 1st Floor G Block SCGH; South Metropolitan 10 December 12-1pm, Bruce Hunt Lecture Theatre, RPH; A video conference and presentation for WACHS regional sites will also be held on 11 December 1-2pm, WACHS Head Office, Wellington St Perth. For more information contact Health Networks on healthpolicy@health.wa.gov.au

The data collected from this questionnaire will provide information to guide education programs for GPs, junior doctors and medical students. The topic is ‘radiation dose associated with imaging modalities, patient consent prior to investigation and recommendations for further education’.
Please return the one page questionnaire via fax (08 9433 0250) or email (jrunciman@nd.edu.au) and to include their details (will be de-identified) for a chance to win 2 bottles of Penfolds wine.
This research has been supported by PHCRED Fremantle and WA General Practice Network. More information…

Dr Vincent Cogliano will be in Australia in December, to present at the WA Cancer Research Symposium in Perth and the kNOw cancer in the workplace forum in Canberra.
While in Perth, he will be giving a lunch time presentation on Friday December 4 at the Boulevard in Floreat, entitled; What workplace exposures cause cancer and how do we know?
The presentation starts at 12:30pm, with lunch at 12:00pm. More information…

A conversation about health and healing in Aboriginal communities is being held with Darryl Kickett and Darrell Henry. This event will be held on the 10th of December, Human Rights Day, at Notre Dame University in Fremantle. Everyone is welcome to attend. We would be very pleased if you could distribute this within your networks. More information…
 

Royal Perth, Fremantle, Swans, Bentley, Bunbury and Mental Health, PMH are all sending electronic discharge summaries to GPs. We can now send into Medical Director, Best Practice, Medtech 32, Genie, Practix, Monet, Medical Spectrum Classic, Surgiware, Zedmed and MMEX.
If your practice would like to receive them, please contact GREG HAYES from HealthLink on 0412 474 950.
NB If your practice is already registered but is changing software please contact 1300554563 ext 1 for HealthLink messaging enquiries to ensure you still get your discharge summaries.

Western Australia’s only major trauma service has received international recognition for providing a multi-trauma service.
The State Major Trauma Service at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) has undergone an extensive process to verify that it meets the Australian Royal College of Surgeons criteria to provide international standard trauma care for patients.
A key component of the service is the State Major Trauma Unit (SMTU), which sees all patients being treated with multiple trauma at RPH being managed in a single, purpose-built unit.
The RPH unit is the only one in WA to receive the accreditation. More information...
 

Health Minister Kim Hames released the Liberal-National Government’s strategic blueprint to guide the delivery of Western Australia public health services for the next 10 years.
Dr Hames said the WA Health Clinical Services Framework 2010-2020 (CSF 2010) described a public health system delivering quality services close to where people live, and meeting the demands of a growing and ageing population.
“This is the first ever comprehensive picture of State-wide clinical services - it provides a vision of where we are going over the next decade and a plan to meet the WA community’s health needs,” he said.
“The CSF 2010 is a detailed picture of the services to be delivered by WA’s network of public hospitals and non-hospital services, and is the major planning document for our health system. More information...
 

GPs Key to Meeting HIV Changes and Challenges

The global theme of World AIDS Day (1 December 2009) – ‘universal access and human rights’ – draws attention to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) emphasis on the importance GPs have in providing people with HIV infection with the tools to live a healthy life.
“High quality general practice care is important for people living with HIV infection. GPs are often the first port of call for people with HIV infection and GPs have an important role in the prevention of HIV and the provision of care and support of Australians living with HIV,” said Dr Chris Mitchell, RACGP President. More information…

It's Official - GPs Workload Increasingly Complex

Australian general practitioners are increasingly involved in the long-term care of more patients with complex multiple medical problems, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reports, General practice activity in Australian 2008-09 and 10 year data tables, released.
“The majority of Australians’ health services are provided by GPs so the information revealed
in these reports point towards long-term trends in healthcare for all Australians,” said Dr Chris
Mitchell, President of the RACGP. More information…

New Online training for General Practice Psychosocial Care of Female Cancers

The general practice psychosocial care of women diagnosed with malignant cancer is the focus of a new active learning module (ALM) from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
The Female cancers and psychosocial care ALM has been designed to improve primary care management for women diagnosed with a malignancy. The learning tool is now available on the RACGP’s online education portal, gplearning, at www.gplearning.com.au.
“Women living with cancer face gender specific diagnostic and management issues requiring special emphasis to ensure high quality primary care. Some of these issues are related to specific female cancers, such as gynaecological malignancies, while psychosocial management incorporates specific personal and cultural issues facing women,” said Dr Chris Mitchell, RACGP President. More information…

In 2008, the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) was contracted by headspace and the University of Melbourne (UoM) to conduct the first independent evaluation of headspace. The evaluation is a longitudinal, mixed methods research project, established to examine the achievements, limitations and future directions of the headspace program. The evaluation draws on qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources collected over two waves. More information…

Since 1 November 2008, allied health items (Medicare items 813000 to 81360) have been available for follow-up services for people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island descent who have had a health assessment conducted by their GP. More information…

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term health condition that is often preventable. It is referred to as a silent condition because up to 90% of kidney function can be lost before symptoms are evident. Consequently, more and more Australians are having dialysis or transplant for the disease’s most severe form, end-stage kidney disease. To view the webcast, you will need to be registered with the Foundation's website by clicking the "live webcast" button on the right-hand side of this page and follow the prompts http://www.rhef.com.au/programs/program-1/?program_id=396

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is constantly examining methods to improve communication with General Practitioners (GPs), specifically, how to raise awareness of the various DVA-funded health services available to their veteran patients.
To assist in addressing this, DVA as developed an Information for Medical Practitioners package, particularly aimed at newly graduating GPs, those practising in rural and regional areas, and GPs who are International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Moreover, it can be utilised as a ‘refresher’ for any GP who treats members of the veteran community.
The package consists of:
o an Introduction;
o three information modules;
o a list of web links to information referred to in the modules;
o two useful DVA reference documents - the DVA Funded Health Services and DVA Treatment Entitlement Cards Charts; and
o a feedback form. More information...

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) made available updated draft Australian Guidelines on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other useful information to assist parents and medical professionals to recognise and appropriately treat ADHD.
More than 350,000 Australian children and adolescents are estimated to have ADHD. The Rudd Government, medical professionals and parents have been concerned for some time about the lack of clear, evidence based information to assist the many people affected by this condition.
“I am pleased that we can finally provide this more up to date information on ways to identify and care for those in our community who may be suffering from ADHD,” said the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon. More information…

Minister for Rural and Regional Health Warren Snowdon has committed to shave off his trademark moustache alongside a swag of celebrities at a new men’s health event in Melbourne next week. Mr Snowdon had originally said he would remove his mo only if he raised $50,000 by November 30 for the campaign Movember. To date he’s raised $8,165 and Mr Snowdon says he owes it to the people who donated to remove his treasured mo.
“The people who have sponsored me through Movember did so because they thought I would remove this mo, and so I will. I’ve had it for 40 years and next week it will be gone.” More information…

Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot announced the recipients of the 2009 Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Aged Care at Hammond Care’s Southwood facility in Sydney’s south west.
The awards recognise best practice and innovation in residential and community aged care.
Minister Elliot said: “We have first class aged care facilities in Australia. The innovation and dedication of aged care providers and their employees to continually seek new and creative ways to provide even better care is commended.
“The Minister’s Awards for Excellence recognise aged care staff and providers who provide exemplarily care to older Australians. More information…

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved for registration the Australian-made Panvax H1N1 Vaccine Junior enabling children from 6 months to 9 years of age to be protected against the pandemic H1N1 influenza.
The registration by the TGA follows rigorous evaluation of clinical trial data by the regulator and review by the expert Australian Drug Evaluation Committee (ADEC). The TGA has stated that children under 10 years of age will require two doses of the vaccine administered at least 28 days apart, in line with the process for children’s seasonal flu vaccinations.
The vaccine has already been approved for use in older children and adults. Since it became available to the Australian public in September 2009 5.1 million doses have been distributed to immunisation providers, of which 4.2 million doses have gone to GPs. More information…

The PHCRIS eBulletin is designed to inform you of recently published articles and reports, news items, media releases, upcoming conferences and courses. The latest edition has as its lead “Primary health care and the social determinants of health: Essential and complementary approaches for reducing inequities.” http://www.phcris.org.au/publications/ebulletin/

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (IMSANZ), and the International Society of Internal Medicine (ISIM) are pleased to host the World Congress of Internal Medicine 2010, to be held in Melbourne, Australia on 20 – 25 March 2010. The Congress will be held in conjunction with the annual RACP Physicians Week. http://www.wcim2010.com.au/

The first Australian Clinical Networks Conference is to be held in Melbourne in 2010 and is being hosted by Victorian Department of Human Services.
The conference will bring together Clinical Networks from across Australia and internationally to provide an opportunity to share and promote ideas on Clinical Networks.
Sharing examples of ‘best practice’ in Clinical Networks will be a key theme looking at areas such as:
• Establishing and maintaining effective networks,
• Evaluation and outcomes of clinical networks,
• Consumers as network participants and partners in improving care, and
• Connected and collaborative care. More information...

Across Australia, there are a number of people, organisations and communities working together to address indigenous alcohol and drug issues and associated harm. Recognising that harmful alcohol and other drug use contributes significantly to the poor
health outcomes of indigenous Australians, the continuing capacity and quality of these efforts is contingent on learning good practices and skills, building a local workforce and strengthening indigenous communities to respond effectively. More information...
 

The largest healthcare event in Australia
Hear an unrivalled roster of over 60 international and local healthcare leaders sharing their ideas, debate strategy and discuss long term solutions
Policy reform and implementation
Understand how structural reform, funding models and technology will impact on the delivery and quality of healthcare
Have your say in the healthcare reform debate
Make your thoughts known and influence outcomes by participating in high level panel sessions and networking activities
Pre-Conference Masterclass:
Chronic Disease Self-Management More information…