News

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In Practice: update to RACGP Standards

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This week’s In Practice round-up includes updates to the RACGP Standards and the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap, as well as upcoming workshops and webinars.
 
Updates to college Standards
The RACGP has published a new Standards resource, Collecting and recording information about patient sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation.
 
This resource accompanies upcoming updates to the Standards for general practices, 5th edition, which will also be published on the RACGP website this month.
 
A supplement to the Standards’ Criterion C7.1 – ‘Content of patient health records’, the new resource:
 

• describes why your practice needs to collect information about sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation
• provides question and answer formats for collecting information about sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and pronouns
• reinforces patient privacy when collecting sensitive information
• suggests ways a practice can enhance gender sensitivity when collecting patient information
• describes considerations for using pronouns in practice forms and templates
• outlines how to manage requests by patients to confirm their gender with Services Australia.

 
New NDIS early childhood guide
GPs and other health professionals play an important role in supporting young children, their families and carers to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and access support services.
 
The NDIS has developed a new resource, Early childhood approach – A guide for health professionals to help GPs, paediatricians and other health professionals connect families and carers with young children to supports and services, highlighting the benefits of early intervention.
 
The guide aims to educate GPs and other health professionals about the NDIS early childhood approach and the way the NDIS supports children younger than seven with developmental delay or disability and their families. It provides practical, up-to-date information on the early childhood approach, and is designed to make it easier to connect families to the right levels of support.
 
Complementing an existing suite of resources written by GPs, for GPs in partnership with the RACGP, the new guide and other resources are available on the NDIS website.
 
National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap
Cancer Australia has released the second Roadmap Construction Update on the development of the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap.
 
The National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap will identify key priority areas for action over the next five years to improve outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer.
 
In focus for this update are the priority setting process, and the development of the roadmap’s resources.
 
More information and the interactive infographic is available on the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap Construction Update 3 website.
 
GPADD22: Vulnerable populations
The RACGP Victoria Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Committee is delivering the long-running, biennial General Practice and Addiction (GPADD) conference on Saturday 26 February 2022.
 
GPAD22 is a great opportunity for GPs to learn and network with other GPs and health professionals working in this area.
 
The 2022 conference will focus on treating vulnerable communities, recognising that people with addiction or substance-use disorders are, by definition, often vulnerable. The program will examine populations who experience additional vulnerabilities that affect substance use – the LGBTIQ+ community, refugees and asylum seekers, people experiencing homelessness, and those in custody.

GPADD22 is open to all GPs, New Fellows, GPs in training and others working in the AOD field with GPs. A mix of presentations and workshops will facilitate interaction and learning.
 
An early bird offer is available until 30 November 2021: Members $250, GPs in training $175, non-members $350.
 
More information and the full program is available on the RACGP website.
 
Registration is available on the RACGP Events page.

RACGP Mentoring Program 2022: Become a mentor
The RACGP’s Mentoring Program is an exciting opportunity for experienced GPs to share their wisdom and support another GP through the earlier stages of their career.
 
As a seasoned mentor, GPs can make a significant and positive impact to the career and life of a fellow GP looking for guidance.
 
Mentors will earn 40 CPD points upon completion of the full program, from training commitments to the final mentoring session.
 
The program offers a valuable opportunity to give back to the profession and help another RACGP member navigate the obstacles they face in their career.
 
More information and to apply is available on the RACGP website.
 
Climate change, health impacts, and sustainable development
Webinar: Wednesday 1 December, 7.00 pm (AEDT)
 
This forum will provide an update on action the RACGP is taking and will discuss the industry challenges and opportunities, as well as providing an open forum for member discussion.
 
Participants will hear from a diverse range of sustainability experts across the college, industry, policy and research on the economic realities of transitioning to carbon zero, and be invited to discuss the impact on general practice with GP colleagues across Australia.
 
Key topics include:
 

• roadmaps to a carbon-zero economy at the macro level
• the importance of a systemic approach to tackling social and environmental challenges
• transitioning to a carbon-zero economy
• the clinical and community role of GPs.

 
Register online.
 
Management of breathlessness in COPD
Webinar: Thursday 18 November, 7.00 – 8.15 pm (AEDT)
 
Breathlessness is not simply abnormal functioning of the heart and lungs; it is a multisystem disorder that requires varied treatment approaches and can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life.
 
To achieve the best possible outcomes in patients with COPD, it is important to address their breathing, thinking, and functioning − all of which relate to their symptoms.
 
In this webinar, Mary Roberts, clinical nurse consultant at Westmead Hospital, will share her simple and practical advice for managing patients with COPD who have chronic breathlessness. This will include the tools Ms Roberts uses in her patient consults, her ‘3 Ps’ and ‘3 Fs’ for managing breathlessness, and other techniques that patients experiencing breathlessness can use at home.
 
This webinar is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
 
Register online.
 
Supporting family mental health
Webinar: Monday 15 and Thursday 18 November, 7.00 pm (AEDT)

ParentalEQ is psychology-support platform offering on-demand services and personalised programs for parents and carers. The team behind ParentalEQ have expertise in digital health, technology and innovation.

This webinar provides GPs with a summary of the service and how they can implement it in their practice. 
 
Register online.
 
ParentalEQ is also seeking GPs’ views of the interaction between technology and family mental health in a four-question survey, of which a summary of findings will be shared.


Are your dermatology skills only skin deep?
The RACGP’s Certificate of Primary Care Dermatology has been developed to help GPs and GPs in training increase their expertise and confidence when presented with dermatological cases in their practice.
 
Registration for the certificate can be done at any time of the year and completed at participants’ own pace within three years.
 
Participants can sign up per course or enrol for the whole certificate in advance – saving $1125 on course fees. Register online.
 
In-person workshops have now been announced for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in 2022, pending COVID-19 restrictions. More information is available on the RACGP website.
 
The RACGP’s Certificate of Primary Care Dermatology is supported by Sonic Healthcare.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

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AOD In Practice NDIS Standards webinars workshops

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