Federal Government funding has enabled ten general practices across the Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast to roll out StepCare, an innovative digital screening and treatment service for common mental health conditions. Federal Member for Fairfax, Mr Ted O’Brien said the service, funded by CCQ would provide new …
Some final points to consider for My Health Record
Benefits for health professionals The My Health Record system presents health professionals with an opportunity to not only improve workflow efficiency but also to improve patient care. Much time is spent chasing up key information such as test results and current medication lists. This presents a significant period where attention …
Graduate certificate in Primary Health Paramedicine
The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) attends to over 1,000,000 incidents per year. Over 400,000 of these incidents are considered non-life threatening, or subacute. The QAS is designing a training program that will enable many of our experienced paramedics to better manage these subacute patients. The QAS recognises that health professionals …
Resources improve palliative services to home-based patients
Most Australian palliative care patients prefer to be cared for at home and the majority want to die at home, though less than 10 per cent achieve that wish, according to a 2017 report by the Australian Productivity Commission. caring@home today released a range of best practice and consistent resources …
Palliative care survey for GPs and practices
The Australian Government has engaged PHNs to improve coordination and integration of palliative care across primary, secondary, tertiary and community health services to support at home palliative care for people who choose it. A key activity of the program is to conduct a service mapping exercise to identify the availability of services within the …
New portal supports end of life care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Palliative Care Australia (PCA) and Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet have launched the new Palliative Care and End-of-Life Resource portal for the workforce who support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The palliative care and end-of-life portal is designed to assist health professionals who provide care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander …
Recommendations for preconception carrier screening
New position statements from the RACGP and RANZCOG recognise the importance of preconception carrier screening. Patients may present to general practice looking for information regarding rare genetic conditions and the role of genetic testing. What is preconception carrier screening? Preconception carrier screening is genetic testing performed ideally prior to pregnancy, …
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey is coming to your community
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will be visiting selected communities to carry out the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey. Selected members of your community will be asked questions relating to their health, so that government and healthcare services can make informed decisions about ensuring community members …
Q fever vaccination is advised for people at high risk who work with farm animals
General practitioners may be asked to test and vaccinate individuals, or work with an employer (such as a meat processor) to test and vaccinate staff. Q fever is an illness caused by the Coxiella burnetii bacteria. The main carriers are farm animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Other animals …
Stop the rise of STIs
A new sexual health campaign is rolling out across Queensland to challenge the high and rising rates of STIs. Consumer research found that young people aged 15 to 29 have the highest rates of STIs. This also corresponded with significant knowledge gaps when it comes to sexual health. The research …
New clinical guidelines for osteoarthritis
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has updated its Guidelines for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis. The latest recommendations indicate that people with osteoarthritis should adopt a combination of lifestyle changes and regular exercise. The guidelines also indicate that cognitive behavioural therapy may be appropriate to …
Rhuematic Heart Disease becomes notifiable in Queensland
Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) has been added to the list of notifiable conditions in Queensland. The Public Health Regulation 2018 came into effect from 1 September 2018 and will list RHD as a clinical diagnosis notifiable condition. What is Rheumatic Heart Disease? Rheumatic heart disease is a chronic condition caused …
New tool points the way to better mental health
Black Dog Institute has released a new version of a free online self-help program for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress. myCompass offers individuals fourteen interactive learning Activities and a lifestyle Tracking feature. This helps users better understand themselves and learn strategies to improve their mental health. …
A My Health Record can help you avoid stroke damage or even death
Having a My Health Record could potentially save a stroke victim’s life or prevent serious brain damage as early action based on correct health information is critical after a person has had a stroke. Australians are being encouraged to get a My Health Record during National Stroke Week this week …
Clinical advice for the 2018 Polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea
In June 2018, the Government of Papua New Guinea notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. The Government of Papua New Guinea is working with partners, including WHO and UNICEF, to take appropriate outbreak response measures including contact tracing, testing and vaccination. Polio is …
HealthPathways localises over 400 referral pathways across the Sunshine Coast
The HealthPathways program launched in November 2016 and has since become a go-to resource for many GPs by providing localised referral pathways. These localised pathways provides valuable information for managing patients and reviewing required information for public and private specialist referrals. If you haven’t used HealthPathways yet, it is a …
New suicide prevention training for GPs to be held in Gympie
CCQ have been announced as one of the twelve National Suicide Prevention Trial sites, bringing significant resources, activity and funding to areas of need in the region. The trial will utilise the Black Dog Institute’s LifeSpan model which is a systems-based approach to the delivery of suicide prevention services, targeting …
New private emergency department opens on the Sunshine coast
The new $4 million Buderim Private Hospital Emergency Centre is the first private emergency centre to open on the Sunshine Coast and is now providing specialist emergency care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wallis Westbrook, General Manager of the Buderim Private Hospital, said the launch …
headspace Gympie delivers new services for young people
Today, the Gympie community gathered to celebrate the official opening of the newest service tackling youth-specific mental health and early intervention services. Federal Member for Wide Bay, Llew O’Brien said Gympie’s headspace service will be a valued community resource and a critical first step in getting the right support at …
What are participants saying about My Health for Life?
Since the beginning of my ‘My Health for Life’ Journey, I have felt significant benefits, namely that of my increased self-confidence. I am now more attuned to my body, noting a heightened sense of awareness, enabling me to make the relevant changes to my life long habits. I was well …