Have You Heard ?
Where to now , Superclinics ?
We were told that putting GP clinics alongside EDs was going to save millions ( by cost shifting to the Commonwealth ?) and relieve overburdened EDs . Not really , according to a study published in the MJA last month that looked at 2009-11 ED attendances at Freo Hospital , Charlies and RPH . Researchers say the AIHW figures were flawed as they considered urgency status ( ED triage scale ) instead of complexity , as judged by them . As a consequence , estimated GP-type attendances dropped from 25 % to 11 %. They concluded that After-hours GP clinics , superclinics and polyclinics fill service gaps but have minimal effects on ED attendances . The AIHW has since announced that it is reviewing its research methodologies , including consultation with some of the researchers who contributed to the MJA article .
Test may reduce overdose
Risk profiling through genetic testing is highlighted by a press release Medical
Forum received for DNAdose testing out of Melbourne under clinical geneticist A / Prof Les Sheffield . He suggested the test could reduce drug overdose deaths in Victoria , which outnumber road accident deaths . GenesFX markets the test for genetic markers for ultrarapid metabolisers of codeine derivatives (< 10 % of the population ), or of antidepressants ( enzyme CYP2D6 ), or slow metabolisers of tranquillisers ( 20 % of the population ) who are prone to overdose . It costs $ 270 each test and Healthscope Advanced Pathology is involved .
All in together
Web marketing of practices is hotting up with a report that IPN is unhappy with Primary Health Care ’ s marketing of its 1800 Bulk Bill website , which lists this group ’ s bulk billing practices , based on a location search . And if you type “ Primary Care Practices in Perth CBD ” into Health Engine you now get a collection of physiotherapists , GPs afterhours , chiropractors , Chinese
medicine practitioners , optometrists , podiatrists and nurse practitioner clinics . With Dr Marcus Tan as CEO , and the injection of funds from Seven West Media and Telstra , it appears Health Engine has moved from primarily listing medical practitioners .
Big Guns gun for polio
The Australian Government responded to lobbying from Global Poverty Project ’ s Australian Director , Samah Hadid and pitched in $ 80m for worldwide polio eradication . Microsoft billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates was close by . The Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 also had Canadian and UK Governments contributing , and The Bill Gates Foundation was chipping in a US $ 1.8 billion , with US $ 5.5 billion calculated to end this disease worldwide by vaccinating in hard-to-reach areas . Akram Azimi , the 2013 Young Australian of the Year [ who appeared in Medical Forum in June ], is an ambassador for the campaign run by 25-year-old West Australian Michael Sheldrick , who holds a UWA arts and law degree and has food , education and other vaccines as part of the package .
Snapshot of rural GPs
November 2012 census figures have yielded some interesting trend data from the Rural Health West report Minimum Data Set Report and Workforce Analysis Update 2012 . It looks at the GP workforce in RA 2 to RA
Practice stress reduction
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