5 in WA . An additional 39 FIFO doctors ( equal GP / registrar split ) made up the largest workforce increase . Average age of the overall GPs was 48.4 years , with doctors aged 55-64 making up 23 % of the workforce ( 64 % male ). Only 8.5 % of the doctors lived in RA 5 ( Very Remote ) locations . There was a 14 % turnover of the workforce in a year , with most moving to Perth ( 39.5 %), interstate ( 14 %) and overseas ( 9.3 %). There were nine additional doctors in the 65 + age group in 2012 . Amongst 202 proceduralists , a third was overseas trained . The number of IMGs working in the bush is the lowest since 2007 but they still accounted for 51.8 % of the rural and remote medical workforce in WA . There were a record 86 GP registrars in the rural workforce – 19 more than 2011 and they are getting older . Their average age had increased from 32 years in 2002 to 36.5 years in 2012 .
Gestational diabetes risk
UWA researchers say that while obesity in the obstetric population is increasing , the
risk of gestational diabetes is increasing . This risk is better predicted using a series of cardiometabolic risk factors in pregnancy , including body mass index ( BMI ), blood pressure , lipids , glucose , insulin and highdensity lipoprotein ( HDL ) – better than blood sugars or BMI . They ’ ve derived a formula to help clinicians identify women who should be targeted for post-pregnancy intervention .
Eye test for Alzheimer ’ s trialled
Prof Ralph Martins [ McCusker Alzheimer ’ s Research Foundation ] and Prof Yogi Kanagasingam [ CSIRO ] are leading a local team trialling an eye test with 1000 volunteers which may become a screening tool for Alzheimer ’ s disease . The goal of the trial is to see if the NeuroVision eye test can detect amyloid proteins earlier . If the eye tests correlate with what is occurring in the brains , then a screening tool for Alzheimer ’ s will be developed .
Driving kids to drink
A line of kids clothing for four-year-olds sporting the logos for the Jim Beam Racing Kids Team , liquor ads outside schools and sporting commentators slipping in booze promos are among the “ Top 10 alcohol advertising shockers of 2012-13 ” according to the first annual report of the Alcohol Advertising Review Board led by Prof Fiona Stanley and Prof Mike Daube . Both said that the findings showed that self-regulation of alcohol advertising was
failing , irresponsible alcohol promotions were common , young people were heavily exposed to alcohol advertising , and there is an urgent need for regulation on alcohol promotion .
New disclosure guidelines
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has put its new Open Disclosure Framework up on its website with the major changes being a move away from open disclosure as an exercise in risk management to one of ethical practice , patient rights , professional obligation and quality improvement . There is a greater emphasis of involving patient , family and carer in open disclosure and more support for staff involved in adverse events . Read the full framework at www . safetyandquality . gov . au / search / open + disclosure + framework . �
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