Tag Archives: Health care provider

NACCHO Aboriginal health news: World Diabetes Congress Melbourne registrations closing 16 November

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Is the only truly global diabetes event.

Join 12,000 healthcare professionals, policy-makers and advocates from all over the world.

LAST  DAYS FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION

The deadline for the online registration is 16 November 2013. Register now!

New! Online day rate now available for healthcare professionals residing in Australia.

Top Three Reasons to Attend the World Diabetes Congress:

1. Connect

-A unique opportunity to network with over 400 speakers, 12,000 delegates and more than 200 IDF Member Associations from over 160 countries.

2. Learn

-View over 1000 posters and choose from 275 hours of scientific sessions to learn about the latest advances in diabetes research, care and education.

3. Discover

-Follow 7 distinct programme streams including the brand new “Diabetes Research in the 20th Century” and “Diabetes in Indigenous Peoples” streams”.

With less than 25 days to go, the World Diabetes Congress is one of the world’s largest health-related events. It brings together healthcare professionals, diabetes associations, policy-makers and companies to share the latest findings in diabetes research and best practice.

DATES & LOCATION

2 to 6 December 2013, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Melbourne, Australia

www.worlddiabetescongress.org

The scientific programme, divided into 7 themed streams, offers you 20 CME credits and 275 hours of sessions from some of the world’s top diabetes experts.

The online day rate is now available for healthcare professionals residing in Australia. Join us and help shape the future of diabetes in Melbourne this December 2-6.
For more information please visit www.worlddiabetescongress.org

Program highlights

NACCHO health news:New clinical web resource helping health practitioners to reduce Indigenous chronic disease

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The Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Warren Snowden MP (pictured above) has  launched the Australian Indigenous ClinicallnfoNet – an innovative web resource designed to assist primary health care workers in the prevention and management of chronic disease among Indigenous people.
Photo caption: Launch of the Australian Indigenous ClinicalInfoNet at Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service Canberra 25th June 2013. L-R Kirsty Douglas Acting Senior Medical Officer (Winnunga), Kathy Ride (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet), Julie Tongs (CEO Winnunga) and The Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Warren Snowden MP. Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service (AHS) is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the ACT.
The ClinicallnfoNet will enable doctors, nurses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to access quality-assured materials for the prevention, identification and management of five key chronic conditions – cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer.
Info net

VIEW  HERE

Health practitioners will now be able to freely access evidenced-based clinical guidelines, tools and patient education resources during patient consultations. The ClinicalInfoNet Project Manager, Kathy Ride, said ‘The resource will promote best practice in the prevention, identification and management of the chronic diseases that have major impacts on the health of Indigenous people. The web resource is still in the early stages, but, over time it will continue to develop and expand in terms of functionality and content.’

Previously, these materials were quite difficult to access from different websites, or were only available in hard-copy forms. This precluded real-time access and restricted their use by clinical health professionals.

The ClinicalInfoNet can be accessed via the Internet or through the PrimaryCare Sidebar®, currently available with patient management software Medical Director and Best Practice.

Edith Cowan University’s Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is responsible for the successful transition of a pilot website to the ClinicalInfoNet, which has been undertaken in partnership with Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and Pen Computer Systems on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing.

The HealthInfoNet will encourage the promotion of the ClinicalInfoNet by working with organisations involved the delivery of primary health services to Indigenous people; these include NACCHO (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation), its affiliates and member Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations, mainstream medical and related services, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.

Professor Neil Thomson, HealthInfoNet Director said ‘I’m delighted we are extending our existing work in Indigenous health to address some of the specific needs of people working at the health “frontline”. The new web resource, which will be a great complement to the HealthInfoNet, acknowledges our contributions over almost 16 years in providing people working in Indigenous health with access to a wide range of information and knowledge. The materials available on the HealthInfoNet already make a major contribution to both the initial training and continuing professional development of people working in Indigenous health, but the new resource will address the real-time needs of people working in clinical areas’.

Addintional info

this free web resource will be for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working with patients with chronic disease we appreciate your support in informing your members and staff.  Please find more details attached and below.

The Australian Indigenous ClinicalInfoNet (ClinicalInfoNet) will support primary health care workers – including doctors, nurses and Indigenous health workers – by providing online access to relevant, evidence-based, current and culturally appropriate information. It provides quick and easy access to a comprehensive collection of primary health-care support materials that can be used in the prevention, identification and management of chronic diseases in the Indigenous Australian population. All materials on the ClinicalInfoNet are selected for their relevance and quality, and have been approved for inclusion by a team of experts in Indigenous health and chronic disease. The ClinicalInfoNet provides a sophisticated search facility for accessing materials that can be used in ‘real time’ during consultations or for follow-up.

As you are aware, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a burden of disease two-and-a-half times that of other Australians. A large part of the burden (about 80%) is due to chronic diseases. This burden can be reduced by prevention, early identification and improved management of risk factors and disease.

In managing chronic disease, primary health care professionals require access to a range of materials, such as patient education resources, management tools, guidelines and references. Extensive clinical resources are available on the Internet but they are infrequently used by primary health care workers due to lack of awareness, time limitation and poor access. A comprehensive web resource that identifies and brings together existing materials from a wide range of sources is the best solution.

The ClinicalInfoNet brings together resources relating to five key chronic diseases that are major contributors to the burden of disease among Indigenous people:

  • cardiovascular disease
  • diabetes mellitus type 2
  • chronic respiratory disease
  • chronic kidney disease
  • cancer.

The resources available on the ClinicalInfoNet are selected for their application to patient management and include:

  • clinical guidelines and reference materials
  • clinical tools
  • patient education resources
  • administrative information.

These resources cover the areas of:

  • prevention
  • management
  • treatment
  • drug therapy.

The ClinicalInfoNet is a free web resource that does not require a login or subscription. It can be accessed directly at www.clinicalinfonet.net.au or via a search engine. The ClinicalInfoNet can be accessed by GPs and other primary health-care workers through the PrimaryCare Sidebar® which is linked to their patient management system software (currently available through Medical Director and Best Practice). The ClinicalInfoNet link is located in the Resources tab.

As part of its contribution to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes agreement, the Australian Government committed to address the key barriers for Indigenous people accessing health care through mainstream services. The development of an online resource was seen as an important way of assisting primary health workers improve decision-making processes and inform them of their options relating to chronic disease prevention and management with Indigenous people. The current version of the ClinicalInfoNet has been informed by a pilot web resource that was developed by a consortium of experts. The development was assisted by a Technical Reference Group, which brought together a broad range of experts in Indigenous health, chronic disease management, primary health care, evidence-based management and clinical guidelines.

The web resource is developed and managed by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (AIH), which has a well established reputation for providing quality, evidence-based material to inform practice and policy through its web resource (www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au). The Technical Reference Group that guides the development of the ClinicalInfoNet comprises representatives from key groups and individuals involved in Indigenous primary health care, all of whom have expertise in chronic disease management. The ClinicalInfoNet is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.

If you would like more information please let me know.

Photo caption: Launch of the Australian Indigenous ClinicalInfoNet at Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service Canberra 25th June 2013. L-R Kirsty Douglas Acting Senior Medical Officer (Winnunga), Kathy Ride (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet), Julie Tongs (CEO Winnunga) and The Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Warren Snowden MP. Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service (AHS) is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the ACT.

NACCHO good story: Healthy result for next generation in Broome WA

Photo by Glenn Cordingly - The Western Australian

Image: Glenn Cordingley

Glenn Cordingley article The West Australian

The daughter of a prominent WA Aboriginal family is the pride of her generation, becoming the first Yawuru Karajarri doctor in Broome.

Kim Isaacs finished 12 years of hard toil on Friday when she passed the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Fellowship exams.

The 34-year-old will work at the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service, where she completed her GP training. Dr Isaacs said her family had a strong history in medicine. “I am the first western medicine doctor but my grandfather was a traditional healer,” she said.

Dr Isaacs started her medical degree at the University of WA at a time when there were few indigenous doctors nationally.

“Whether to do medical school was a hard decision to make as I had just finished my bachelor of commerce degree, I was broke and I had a job lined up,” she said.

“The poor health statistics of our mob and the small workforce of indigenous health professionals was enough to convince me I wanted to help make a difference, so I signed up.”

Dr Isaacs said she was passionate about child health.

“Our mob trust us, we work at a grassroots level and know what the health issues are facing our community,” she said.

Dr Isaacs’ mother Theresa has worked for the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service for 35 years.

Related articles

NACCHO promotion:Affordable Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Aboriginal Health Workers

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If purchased before the 24th of May nurses and AHWs can get all of their CPD requirements for 2013 (required by most 30 May) and 2014 !

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 Contact AMSED to register now!

Infection Control in Primary Health Care

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This tutorial details what standard precautions are and when and how to implement them. It is suitable for all health care workers and is based on the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, 2010.

Managing Difficult or Challenging Behaviours in the Primary Health Care Environment

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Inappropriate verbal or physical behaviours can be distressing for clients and staff, so it is important that health care professionals are able to assess such behaviours and can rapidly implement an effective management plan.

Tobacco Use – Preventive Health Care

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Smoking is a major cause of death and disease in Australia. This tutorial aims to help health care workers to encourage and assist people who want to stop using tobacco. It examines smoking as a public health issue and a major risk factor for preventable disease and death, explains why it is so addictive and harmful, and looks at a range of smoking cessation interventions.

Legal Issues in Health Care

This tutorial discusses tort law and how the law of negligence relates to the health care profession and practice. The laws governing medical negligence have evolved over time and continue to be substantially common law.

Hundreds of people are now using AMSED for all of their staff – it’s compliant, easy, fun to use and users are loving it!

*20 employees or more

Contact AMSED to register now!

NACCHO ehealth opportunity alert:an initiative to register people to the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR)

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NACCHO Affiliates are being informed of this initiative, so they can choose to take up the opportunity to work with the Department and the dedicated workforce to offer Assisted Registration to their member health service patients.

The Department of Health and Aging is currently conducting an initiative to register people to the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) using a dedicated Assisted Registration workforce (Aspen Medical) supplied through McKinsey and Company (National Change and Adoption Partners).

They will concentrate on conducting Assisted Registration activities, until 30 June 2013, in a variety of healthcare settings across the country.

To ensure that this initiative meets the needs of our Sector, Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service in Canberra has piloted with Aspen Medical a very successful campaign which has to date registered over 260 Winnunga clients and staff for an eHealth record.

As such, NACCHO Affiliates are being informed of this initiative, so they can choose to take up the opportunity to work with the Department and the dedicated workforce to offer Assisted Registration to their member health service patients.

This will be of significance to health services with larger centralised populations with access to a waiting room area, aged care facility or groups of patients where Aspen staff are able to inform and register patients individually.
The Assisted Registration process offers patients a quick, personalised and well-informed way of applying to register for a national eHealth record.

Previous to this process, consumers seeking to apply to participate in the PCEHR, would either do so on the internet, by post, by phone call or at a Medicare office.

The Assisted Registration process allows patients of a health service to fill in a one page application form, and have their identity verified either using a 100 point documentary ID check, or by being a known customer of the health care service. Patients have the opportunity to ask the trained Aspen staff members about the PCEHR and what it would mean for them.

The experience at Winnunga is that patients are quick to see the benefits of having an eHealth record, and are keen to opt in to the system.

The dedicated Aspen workforce tailor their approach to each setting. All  staff deployed will have undergone cultural competency training, and will work with the Affiliates and the service to understand the local context and needs of their patients. The staff would be happy to sign a client confidentiality agreement. Male and female staff members can be deployed if requested. In fact, where there are vacancies, Aspen are open to employing people recommended by the health service to be Assisted Registration staff.

Using Aspen Medical authorised staff members to assist your patients to register does not alter your connectivity with your patients. PCEHR compliant practice software will flag who has an eHealth record (provided the patient has chosen to allow access to clinicians in your service).

Please note that Aspen Medical is not in a position legally to provide a list of patients who have registered through them to a service, however they are more than willing to provide you with data on registration numbers.

Greg Henschke (Acting NACCHO eHealth Project Manager) will be contacting NACCHO Affiliates, with the aim of identifying services that would be interested in participating in this PCEHR consumer registration program.

This resource is currently available until 30th June 2013 and deployment will be managed nationally through DoHA.

It is important to note that the dedicated workforce are not unlimited and we will need to move quickly to identify where we could best use them for our sector.

As more consumers and healthcare practitioners become registered and use the eHealth record system, benefits of the system will be realised through efficiency in healthcare services and increased access to health information.

To this end, I would strongly encourage you to consider working with the Department and the dedicated workforce to offer Assisted Registration to our sector.

For more information on the PCEHR and Assisted Registration,

contact Greg Henschke (Acting NACCHO eHealth Project Manager,

greg.henschke@amsant.org.au

08 89446651 / 0400448159)

or go to the website http://www.ehealth.gov.au .

NACCHO political alert: Federal Government to establish Chief Allied Health Officer

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Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek, has announced that the Government would establish the Commonwealth’s first Chief Allied Health Officer to support the work of thousands of important health professionals.

“Allied health professionals make up about 20 per cent of the health workforce in Australia, providing vital services to patients and the establishment of a Chief Allied Health Officer will further strengthen and support their work,” said Ms Plibersek.

Refer INDIGENOUS ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

“They play a key role in patient care, especially for people with chronic and complex conditions, and the services that they provide are becoming increasingly important with an ageing population.

“The Government recognises the work that allied health professionals do and the Chief Allied Health Officer will provide advice on how best to strengthen their role,” said Ms Plibersek.

The establishment of a Chief Allied Health Officer also responds to a recommendation of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee, following its inquiry into the factors affecting the supply of health services and medical professionals in rural areas.

The committee found that allied health professionals face additional challenges in delivering services to regional, rural and remote Australia.

While the Chief Allied Health Officer will have improving the delivery of allied health services in the bush as a key focus, all Australians will benefit from well integrated medical, nursing and allied health care services.

Medicare Locals also provide important new opportunities for allied health services to be more effective and more accessible in local communities across Australia.

The Minister has congratulated Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA), Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) and Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) on their commitment to advancing allied health care and supporting allied health students and practitioners across Australia.