It’s time to get ‘back to basics’ to protect patient privacy Dr Rob Hosking revisits the fundamentals of managing health information in general practice, with the help of a new RACGP resource.
The hidden medico-legal risks of sharing information electronically The use of electronic communication in general practice is essential, but just how risky is sending emails or electronic pathology referrals?
Is your practice prepared against data loss and data theft? Business as usual can grind to a halt without reliable backup systems in place – and can result in major cost blowouts, writes Dr Rob Hosking.
Children’s version of COVID vaccination calculator released While vaccine coverage for 5–11-year-olds remains low, the updated CoRiCal tool could help boost uptake among the cohort.
‘Many roads to change’: The therapeutic alliance for AOD use A newly published paper in AJGP builds on the RACGP’s AOD Education Program to present a ‘universally applicable’ approach for GPs.
‘This decision will save lives’: Call for evidence-based approach to drugs Australia-wide The RACGP has welcomed Victoria’s decision to make a medically supervised injecting room ongoing, with GP Dr Hester Wilson urging other jurisdictions to take note.
Heart attack risk: Is expanded cholesterol testing warranted? Some specialists say screening is needed to detect ‘bad cholesterol’ linked to heart attacks in younger people, but the RACGP is cautious.
How to make gambling harm part of ‘that general medical conversation’ The RACGP wants to support GPs to identify patients at risk of gambling harm in order to better implement targeted specialist treatment.
Outcomes from the new CVD risk calculator depend on integration The benefits of updated guidelines will be missed if implementation issues are not urgently addressed, a GP and CVD researcher believe.
More training the key to dementia diagnosis boost A new study has suggested bone density scans could be used to see if people have risk factors for dementia, but is it likely to prove useful for GPs?