Manager - Practice Support Services: Carolyn Green
Program Officers:
Chris Gairns,
Helen Prince,
Monica Strasser,
Jenny Wells,
Canning Division of General Practice provides support to general practice staff, including
GPs, Practice Nurses and administrative staff, in Perth’s south east metro region. The
General Practice Support role at Canning Division incorporates mentoring and support;
facilitation of education and training; promotion of the Practice Nurse Role; and clinical
system support for Nurses working in general practice in our region.
The division also provides support in areas of Practice Accreditation and Re-Accreditation,
Immunisation, Diabetes, ATSI Health, Chronic Disease Management, the use of MBS Item numbers,
Information Management and Patient Recall systems.
As a nurse working in one of the practices in the Canning Division region, you are
automatically enrolled in our Practice Nurse Network which entitles you to access our education
sessions at no cost. These sessions are monthly with flyers being emailed or faxed to the practice
as they are planned. An e-nursing newsletter is also sent out monthly to keep you informed of
other education opportunities that may be of interest to general practice nurses and also any
relevant divisional, general practice and nursing issues. Our preferred method of sending notices
out to nurses is via email.
We are contactable by phone and email and available to visit you in your practice as needed.
You are also welcome to visit the Division, meet the staff and learn of the programs we offer
to practices. We have included a list of helpful websites and a membership application form
for the Western Australian Practice Nurses Association (WAPNA) for your information.
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Click on the following to find out more:
ACCREDITATION
ALLIED HEALTH SERVICES
AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR
CERVICAL SCREENING
EDUCATION
IMMUNISATION
HOME HEALTH ASSESSMENTS
LIFESCRIPTS
MBS (Medicare Benefits Schedule)
MENTAL HEALTH
NURSING IN GENERAL PRACTICE (NIGP)
OTHER USEFUL LINKS
PIP (Practice Incentive Program)
- eHealth Initiative
- PIP/SIP
REGISTER, RECALL & REMINDER SYSTEM
Accreditation is the longest established and most widely known process for the external
evaluation of health care services. The process is implemented so that delivery of safe,
high quality health care is ensured. Accreditation recognises the achievements of health
care teams to meet the requirements of established standards.
Ways in which the Division can assist your practice with accreditation
Whether your accreditation body is AGPAL or GPA Plus, the Practice Support team at the
Division is able to offer assistance to your practice in a number of ways:
- Undertake a site visit to assess the physical aspects of your practice against the
RACGP 3rd Edition Standards and offer suggestions where indicated
- Provide advice on the administrative requirements of the RACGP 3rd Edition
Standards
- Assist you in accessing various resources e.g. source a sample Policy and
Procedure Manual or obtain tools for you to analyse your patient feedback survey. Unfortunately, the Division is not in a position to collate patient feedback for individual practices.
AGPAL and GPA Plus also provide an enormous amount of resources and information on their
websites the links to which can be found below. The search engines on these websites
are excellent and can provide you with resources to meet all your accreditation
requirements. For AGPAL members go to the Qbay tab for resources and for GPA Plus
members go to the Accreditation tab for resources. You will need to obtain a username
and password to allow you to enter your provider's site.
AGPAL and GPA Plus are always very happy to answer your queries over the telephone and
can be contacted on:
AGPAL - 1300 362 111
GPA Plus - 1800 188 088
You can also contact AGPAL and GPA Plus via email or via their websites but you will
probably find it preferable to telephone them. Just make sure that you have your
practice ID number to hand when you place the call.
The Dandenong Casey General Practice Association website also has a large amount of
resources which can be obtained at
http://www.dcgpa.com.au/resources/General-Support/Accreditation_|_Quality/.
There are nine categories covered under the Accreditation section, each having a number
of subheadings. The templates provided can be amended to suit your own practice's
requirements.
Whether you are preparing for first time accreditation or re-accreditation and need
advice or have a query, please contact Carolyn Green at
carolyn.green@canningdivision.com.au
or on 08 9458 0505.
Eligible Allied Health Providers for Group Services
According to the Department of Health WA:
- In Australia, regular Pap smears save more than 1,200 women each year from
cervical cancer
- Up to 90 per cent of the most common types of cervical cancer can be prevented by
having regular Pap smears
- 3 out of 4 women who develop cervical cancer either have never had a Pap smear or
have not had one in the last 5 years
Information for General Practices
PIP incentive for pap smears completed on women who haven’t had a pap smear in the last
4 years
- General Practitioners (GPs) can complete a Cervical Cytology Registry (CCR) PIP
form and fax it to the CCR who then generate a list of the GP’s patients that have
not had a pap smear in the last 4 years
- For the CCR PIP Form go to
http://www.health.wa.gov.au/cervical/healthprof/hp_ccr.cfm
and ‘download the PIP Form’
Cervical Screening PIP and SIP Information (updated Feb 2009)
SIP of $35 per patient for cervical screens taken for women aged 20-69 years who have
not had a cervical smear within the last 4 years (payment made to individual GP
quarterly).
Item numbers to claim (description of item numbers is taken from the Medicare website:
http://www9.health.gov.au//mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=A40&qt=noteID&criteria=A40)
| Length of consult |
Item number to claim |
Level B
Professional attendance involving taking a selective history, examination
of the patient with the implementation of a management plan in relation to
one or more problems, OR a professional attendance of less than 20 minutes
duration involving components of a service to which item 36, 37, 38, 40,
43, 44, 47, 48, 50 or 51 applies;
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2501
AND at which a cervical smear is taken from a woman between the ages of 20
and 69 years inclusive, who has not had a cervical smear in the last 4
years. This item cannot be claimed in conjunction with items 10994, 10995,
10998 or 10999.
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Level C
Professional attendance involving taking a detailed history, an examination
of multiple systems, arranging any necessary investigations and implementing
a management plan in relation to one or more problems and lasting at least
20 minutes, OR a professional attendance of less than 40 minutes duration
involving components of a service to which item 44, 47, 48, 50 or 51 applies;
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2504
AND at which a cervical smear is taken from a woman between the ages of 20
and 69 years inclusive, who has not had a cervical smear in the last 4
years. This item cannot be claimed in conjunction with items 10994, 10995,
10998 or 10999.
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Level D
Professional attendance involving taking an exhaustive history, a comprehensive
examination of multiple systems, arranging any necessary investigations and
implementing a management plan in relation to one or more complex problems
and lasting at least 40 minutes, OR a professional attendance of at least 40
minutes duration for implementation of a management plan;
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2507
AND at which a cervical smear is taken from a woman between the ages of 20
and 69 years inclusive, who has not had a cervical smear in the last 4 years.
This item cannot be claimed in conjunction with items 10994, 10995, 10998 or
10999.
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Websites you may want to visit for more detailed information:
Lifescripts is an initiative from the Department of Health and Aging (DoHA). DoHA has
created evidence-based tools which are available for general practices to help GPs and
Nurses address lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease. The Lifescripts initiative
focuses on the 5 most common lifestyle risk factors which are:
- Smoking
- Poor Nutrition
- Alcohol Misuse
- Physical Inactivity
- Weight Management
For all Lifescripts resources and more information please go to the Department of Health
and Aging’s website at:
http://www.health.gov.au/lifescripts
Electronic Lifescripts for Medical Director
Do you have a number of patients 75 years of age or over, or Aboriginal/Torres Strait
Islander patients 55 years and over who would benefit from a Health Assessment (MBS
items 702 and 706)?
Did you know that Registered Nurses at the Division can conduct this service for your
patients in their own home for a fee of $80 + GST and the referring GP can claim $253.30
from Medicare once the assessment is completed?
When you submit a booking form to us to refer a patient, you will also need to provide the
Division with the patient’s current medication list and a health summary and have obtained
the patient’s consent to undertake the assessment. Naturally, confidentiality regarding your
patient’s information is maintained at all times.
For more information:
MBS items 10993-10999
"The registered nurse provides evidence–based nursing care to people of all ages and
cultural groups, including individuals, families and communities. The role of the
registered nurse includes promotion and maintenance of health and prevention of
illness for individual/s with physical or mental illness, disabilities and/or
rehabilitation needs, as well as alleviation of pain and suffering at the end stage
of life."
The above quote from the Nurses and Midwives Board of WA and the Australian Nursing
and Midwifery Council is particularly true of the dynamic and evolving role of the
nurse in General Practice
For more information please visit the
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council
and
Royal College of Nursing websites.
The Australian General Practice Network comments on nursing in General practice
as follows:
How nurses contribute to general practice services:
- improved outcomes in chronic disease
- an increase in the range of services available at the practice
- reduction in waiting times
- improved public access
- improved integration with the acute sector
- enhanced consumer satisfaction
Dynamic nursing
- Nursing in general practice provides an opportunity for nurses to be at the
heart of the community;
- Both registered and enrolled nurses are employed in general; practice,
playing pivotal roles in health promotion, maintenance of health and the
prevention of illness;
- Diverse roles varying from practice to practice.
Support available form the Division includes:
- On-going education and information ( by means of workshops and provision
of awareness external education/training opportunities)
- Mentoring support (provision of regular communication through Division’s
newsletters or website and/or telephone support)
- Clinical System Support (provision of practice nurse initiatives, assistance
with Enhanced Primary Care programs including chronic disease management,
health assessments, and MBS items, PIP/SIP)
- Assistance with orientation and induction ( provision of support for nurses
new into general practice)
Professional Standards
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Practice Nurse education workshops are regularly held by the Division and advertised via email and fax. Any enquiries please contact one of the Practice Support Team on 9458 0505 or via practicesupport@canningdivision.com.au
- WAPNA – monthly
education workshops plus 3/year – ˝ day seminars.
- Leadership and Development for Nurses in General Practice -
http://www.nmbwa.org.au/3/2095/50/registered_nurses.pm
- Immunisation Certification Course
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Immunisation Certification Course Brochure
- Registration
Immunisation Certification course. Contact Rosemary Harris on 9458 0505 or
rosemary.harris@canningdivision.com.au
MBS items 721-731
The Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program was introduced to provide more preventive care
for older Australians and improve coordination of care for people with chronic
conditions and complex care needs. The program provides a framework for a
multidisciplinary approach to health. This page provides links to information about
the different aspects of the program.
The Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Medicare items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule
enable GPs to manage the health care of patients with chronic medical conditions,
including patients who need multidisciplinary care.
For full information see the following sites:
• Key to co coordinating chronic disease is the establishment of a Disease Register
which is current and provides a data base. The
Canning Data Extraction Tool
provides for an accurate and detailed list which enables patients to be identified.
• Operating the Register and Recall system is also essential to establishing a
process of managing chronic disease and prompting the MBS billing. See
REGISTER, RECALL & REMINDER SYSTEM.
Healthy Kids check - MBS Items 709 and 711
The Healthy Kids Check was released on 1 July 2008. MBS Items 709 and 711 will support
medical practitioners and practice nurses to undertake Healthy Kids Checks to ensure
every four year old child in Australia has a basic health check to see if they are
healthy, fit and ready to learn when they start school. The Healthy Kids Check will
promote early detection of lifestyle risk factors, delayed development and illness,
and introduce guidance for healthy lifestyles and early intervention strategies.
Details may be found at Australian Government Department of Health and Aging website at
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Healthy_Kids_Check
Information covered includes the following:
Further templates may be downloaded from:
Download North East Valley Division of General Practice
,
North East Valley Division of General Practice
,
Monash Division
45-49 year old Health Check – MBS Item 717
GPs undertake a health check for a patient between 45-49 years of age (inclusive) who
is at risk of developing a chronic disease. The aim of the health check is to assist
with detection and prevention of chronic disease and enable early intervention
strategies to be put in place where appropriate. Details and templates are at
following sites:
Health Check/Assessments for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin –
MBS Items 704, 706, 708 and 710
- MBS Item 704 & 706: Health assessment may be undertaken for an Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is at least 55 years old
- MBS Item 708: A child health check may be undertaken for an Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is 0 to 14 years of age (inclusive)
- MBS Item 710: An adult health check may be undertaken for an Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander person who is between 15 years and 54 years of age (inclusive)
Resources:
What is a:
-
Register - Every practice, whether electronic or paper-based, has a register,
which is the list of the practice’s patients and the patients’ details.
Having a well organised, efficient register will ensure efficient and
effective running of the practice, as well as ensure quality patient care.
-
Recall System - Recall systems are used to recall patients back to the
surgery to consult a doctor or to discuss a report, test or results. Usually
recalls are used for clinically significant tests and results whether they
are pathology, X-ray, specialists and clinical correspondence: Source:
QIP/AGPAL website at:
https://www.qip.com.au/library.asp?aqid=1&Library_ID=394&cat_id=225.
-
Reminder System - Reminder systems are used in conjunction with
continuity of care for patients. By providing regular patients with
preventive activities such as reminder letters and ongoing patient
education. Source: QIP/AGPAL website at:
https://www.qip.com.au/library.asp?aqid=1&Library_ID=394&cat_id=225.
- Examples of Reminder systems:
- Childhood Immunisations
- Pap Smears
- Annual medical tests
- Flu Vaccinations
- Health Checks
References
QIP/AGPAL website at: https://www.qip.com.au/library.asp?aqid=1&Library_ID=394&cat_id=225
Useful resources and websites:
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