The most recent indicators of the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are documented in the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet’s latest publication, Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status 2018. The annual Overview contains updated information across many health conditions. It shows that despite some improvements, there …
Unexplained breathlessness might be Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a rare condition with high rates of morbidity and mortality, characterised by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, and a normal pulmonary wedge pressure (1). A concerning area of unmet medical need in PAH is the delayed time to a confirmed diagnosis, with …
Measles health alert – Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service has confirmed a case of measles in a person on the Sunshine Coast. The person is believed to have travelled from South East Asia by plane (TR 0221) to Brisbane while unknowingly infectious arriving Saturday morning at 9.35am. People who are known to …
Suicide prevention training for CQ community
On average, eight deaths by suicide occur in Australia each day. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44. Many of these deaths could be prevented, yet most of us remain unaware of the signs that someone is at risk, or how we can …
9 out of 10 Australians will now have a My Health Record
The Australian Digital Health Agency has announced that nine out of 10 Australians now have a My Health Record following the creation of records after the opt-out period ended. What does this mean for GPs? As part of a consult, GPs can activate a patient’s My Health Record through the …
Volunteer StrokeSafe speakers share their journeys with community groups
In Australia, a stroke occurs every nine minutes – but what most people don’t know is that more than 80% of strokes can be prevented. The Stroke Foundation has passionate volunteer StrokeSafe speakers available to present to community groups. Many have personal experience with stroke and are willing to share …
Asthma experts call for new way forward to improve asthma outcomes in Australia
Australia’s leading asthma experts have called for a rethink of current asthma management practices in a new discussion paper released by the National Asthma Council Australia. The paper ‘Current practice and new approaches in asthma: perspectives of asthma practitioners and patients’ is a collective response from top asthma health professionals, researchers and …
Type 2 diabetes workshops
Have you been diagnosed by your GP with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes? Would you like to learn more about your condition and how to manage it? A series of free sessions will cover information on type 2 diabetes, self management practice, health professional care, healthy lifestyle behaviours, and further support in the community. …
Increased risk for asthma flare-ups in children during back to school
For the one in nine Australian children living with asthma, going back to school can increase the likelihood of an asthma attack. Studies in Australia and the UK have shown asthma hospitalisations surge during the first month of the school year, with cases in Australia rising as much as threefold …
GPs and health providers invited to participate in SISTAQUIT trial
The SISTAQUIT™ trial aims to improve health providers’ skills when offering smoking cessation care to pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Pregnancy is an important window of opportunity for GPs and health providers to help smokers quit. This intervention provides webinar-based training in evidence based and culturally competent smoking …
Community services moving to a new location
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is progressively relocating 19 community services to a purpose-built, centrally-located and service-specific facility in Maroochydore. All these relocations will be complete by the end of March and will have no impact to current service delivery. Mental Health and Addiction Services clinical community services located …
Non-VR Fellowship Support Program
The Non-Vocationally Registered Fellowship Support Program is a financial contribution of up to $15,000 which will be applied to ACRRM’s Independent Pathway as part of the Commonwealth’s Stronger Rural Health Strategy. The Independent Pathway is an established Australian Medical Council accredited education and training program which offers flexibility and recognition …
Teddy bears take the sting out of immunisation
Staff at the Central Queensland Family Practice in Mount Morgan have created an inspirational Share and Care Bear Project to take the ‘sting’ out of immunisations or other unavoidable painful experiences for children and their parents.
Blackwater community raises funds and awareness for prevention of suicide
The community of Blackwater and Central Highlands in Queensland raised just over $5500 for the most number of burpees (squat thrust) in one hour as well as awareness in the prevention of suicides for the Black Dog Institute in its fight for mental health awareness.
Fellowship applications now open
Applications are now open for the Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship, a prestigious program for emerging leaders who have a passion and commitment to improving outcomes for people with lived experience of mental health issues.
New forms to make it easier to apply for Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme
The new Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme forms will make it easier for patients and clinicians by reducing the duplication of information required for each application.
2020 AAPM webinar series
The Australian Association of Practice Management webinar series offers 20 one-hour online seminars which cover a variety of topics to assist you and your team in the day-to-day practice activities.
New General Practice Insights Report reveals most frequent reasons why patients visit GP
A new report shows the three most frequent reasons why patients go to a doctor are to obtain a prescription, for review of their conditions, and for upper respiratory tract infections.
New resource explains latest treatment options for patients with severe asthma
The National Asthma Council Australia has released a new evidence-based resource for primary care health professionals to help explain the latest treatment options for patients with severe asthma. The Monoclonal antibody therapy for severe asthma information paper was developed based on the latest available evidence and implications for practice in primary care. …
Be aware of the Christmas tree ‘sneeze and wheeze’
With the trend for Australians to put up Christmas trees early, experts from the National Asthma Council Australia have warned that your festive tree can trigger asthma symptoms and nasty respiratory problems. Being allergic to a Christmas tree – often called the Christmas tree syndrome – is a condition that causes wheezing, …