Welcome to Brisbane South PHN's weekly newsletter for primary health care providers. If you would like to get in contact with us, please email support@bsphn.org.au Happy reading! |
|
|
IMPORTANT: The official guidance underpinning the health advice in this publication is rapidly evolving; in some rare instances information may be already out of date at the time of publication. Please always check links provided for the latest information. |
This week at Brisbane South PHN, we are: |
- supporting primary care providers with information and resources regarding the use of oral COVID-19 treatments.
-
engaging general practices to offer support on accreditation and data-led quality improvement activities.
-
supporting flood-affected people in Brisbane south by providing free psychology and counselling services until 30 June 2023 through Change Futures. No referral is required.
|
COVID-19 reinfection period reduced to 28 days |
Reinfection of COVID-19 may occur as early as 28 days after recovery from a previous COVID-19 infection. People who test positive to COVID-19 more than 28 days after ending isolation due to previous infection should be reported and managed as new cases. It is recommended that general practices record and manage people as new cases, who test positive to COVID-19 more than 28 days after they come out of isolation from a previous COVID-19 infection.
Please check what COVID-19-specific diagnosis coding is available in your practice software, in order to accurately capture this information.
Queensland Health have updated their consumer website to reflect this change and the Management of Diagnosed Cases of COVID-19 and Close Contacts Direction (no. 3) has also recently been updated.
|
Standard of care for COVID-19 oral treatments in Residential Aged Care Facilities |
With the increased transmissibility of the current COVID-19 variants, it is likely that there will be corresponding increases in residential aged care outbreaks and the number of affected residents and staff.
All Australians aged 70 years or over who test positive to COVID-19, with or without symptoms, are able to access COVID-19 oral treatments on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Treatment should be offered to this group, where clinically appropriate, within 24 hours of a positive test.
For information on oral treatments, visit SpotOnHealth HealthPathways. |
If you are a clinician working in the Brisbane south, Redlands, Logan or Scenic Rim catchments, request the SpotOnHealth HealthPathways username and password by calling 07 3156 4346 (Monday to Friday) or request access online.
|
TGA provisionally approves Moderna vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years |
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved a paediatric dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (SPIKEVAX) for use in children aged 6 months to less than 6 years of age. TGA provisional approval is the first step in considering the use of a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia.
The use of Moderna for this cohort in the national COVID-19 vaccination program is still to be determined. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will provide advice in the coming weeks. Brisbane South PHN will provide further information when ATAGI makes their recommendation and National Cabinet adopts this. |
Lifesaving drug, Naxolone now free from local pharmacies |
Brisbane South PHN welcomes the national rollout of the Take Home Naloxone (THN) program, which allows health consumers to access free Naloxone from their community pharmacies, from Friday 1 July 2022. Within Queensland, take-home Naloxone will also be available through alcohol and drug treatment centres, and needle and syringe programs from 1 November 2022.
Naloxone rapidly reverses the effects of opioid toxicity and can be administered by injection or nasal spray. The THN trial demonstrated that Naloxone saved 3 lives each day.
Under the national program Naloxone will be available across Australia for free and without a prescription, to anyone who may be at risk of opioid toxicity. In Australia, prescription opioids, which have been used as directed, are responsible for the greatest number of hospitalisations.
View the consumer resources that explain the importance of Naloxone and how it is administered. You can also view the health professional’s guide to assist you to discuss Naxolone with consumers. |
|
|
Nurse development and support |
Want to know more about our Practice Nurse Support Program? A Practice Manager who recently enrolled one of their nurses in our program said, 'the amount of support for any new nurse to a GP clinic was exactly what we needed in our busy practice! This helped us ensure our new nurse learned all they could to become an effective team member,’ Practice Manager.
Brisbane South PHN developed our Practice Nurse Support Program after listening to what people said they needed. As part of the program, nurses are provided with peer support that meets their needs and experience; from nurses new to primary health care, through to experienced nurses transitioning to the field.
We love to support nurses. |
Digital technologies that improve person-centred care |
Digital health and related technologies are a strong focus of Australia’s Primary Health Care 10-year Plan 2022-2032. Harnessing technology drives improvement in care access, quality, value and integration.
We are presenting a free 1-hour webinar with Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) and national leaders in health care innovation, Dr Walid Jammal and Angelene True, to discuss how data and digital health technologies can positively influence your practice and consumers.
Dates and details: - 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm, Tuesday 26 July 2022, Digital health and technologies – Advances in digital health and technologies and illustrations of how they can be used to enhance person-centred care.
|
Learn health literacy skills |
Better health literacy improves people's ability to access health care and also improves health equity. To support health workers to enhance their health literacy skills, Brisbane South PHN is providing 2 free training workshops in August on effective spoken and written communication.
In these free workshops, you will learn:
-
how to improve your spoken communication, to support consumers with low literacy skills
- the 'teach-back' method, and other techniques to improve your spoken communication skills
- health literacy practices to improve your communication with consumers
-
how to apply tools that improve your written communication and boost consumer understanding.
Who should attend: Practice managers, community and health service providers, commissioned service agencies. -
Effective spoken communication, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, Thursday 11 August 2022
-
Effective written communication, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, Friday 12 August 2022
|
Education and workforce development events |
We offer education and workforce development to support Brisbane south's primary health care workforce.
View and register for events via our calendar of events.
|
Workforce development and training |
|
|
Understanding practice data quality |
For many reasons, including a higher-than-usual proportion of inactive patients, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the quality of data recorded within general practices.
Analysis of the Brisbane South PHN region’s average data indicates that, while some measures are well reported, others fare poorly. These include the proportion of active patients with: - gender recorded = 100%
- allergies recorded = 94%
- ethnicity recorded = 79%
Did you know that your monthly Brisbane South PHN practice benchmark report includes information on the completeness and accuracy of your data? Keeping current and accurate information on patient risk factors supports you to provide care for your patient population.
Consider reviewing Figure DQ1. Data Quality and Accreditation graph in your benchmark report (page 7) and setting a goal to increase the proportion of patients recorded.
To request practice support to access or interpret your benchmark report, contact the quality improvement team at support@bsphn.org.au. |
|
|
Chair honoured with Excellence in Health Care Medal |
|
|
The Brisbane South PHN Board Chair, Professor Cindy Shannon AM, was awarded the AMA Queensland Excellence in Health Care Medal on Friday 15 July 2022.
Professor Shannon is a descendant of the Ngugi people from Moreton Bay, an Emeritus Professor and one of Australia’s foremost Indigenous higher education leaders.
She is the first Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous) at Griffith University, where she works alongside colleagues to enable all aspects of the university’s First Nations engagement.
Prof Shannon led the development and implementation of Australia’s first degree-level program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. |
| |
|
She also played a key role in supporting the establishment of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, which improves the health of First Nations people across South-East Queensland.
Professor Shannon was recognised as a Queensland Great in 2017 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2020 for her contributions to Indigenous health and medical education.
The AMA presents a range of awards to recognise outstanding achievement by those working to better the health of Australians, and is committed to recognising and honouring those who exemplify medicine's highest values.
|
|
|
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and of the many different nations across the wider Brisbane south region. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, as the holders of the memories, the traditions, the culture and the spiritual wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation. We acknowledge any Sorry Business that may be affecting the communities as a whole. In the spirit of reconciliation, partnership and mutual respect, we will continue to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to shape a health system which responds to the needs and aspirations of the community.
|
|
|
This information is accurate as of the publication date listed. All information and content in this newsletter is produced in good faith by Brisbane South PHN and is based on sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of development. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure information and content is up to date and accurate, viewers/readers should not rely on the data cited but treat it as indicative only. Brisbane South PHN does not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage as a result of any errors, inaccuracies, incompleteness or any discrepancies in the data, nor does Brisbane South PHN guarantee or make any representations in the data.
While the Australian Government has contributed funding for this material, it has not reviewed the content and is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided herein. |
|
|
|
