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Timely News for Australian
 Medical Practice Managers

 
August 2015
LATEST NEWS!

Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition Updated
The Australian Immunisation Handbook (10th Edition) has recently been updated - 24 chapters of the handbook contain amendments which include some changes to clinical recommendations. GPs, nurses and immunisation providers can refer to the website ... read more

My Child's eHealth Record Mobile App

Your patients may be interested in the free my child's eHealth record App which can be used for children under the age of 14 years and allows parents (and other authorised representatives) to access their child's eHealth record. Available for Apple and Android smart phones:


New Clinical Guidelines
The RACGP has produced a new guide, Prescribing drugs of dependence in general practice, Part B Benzodiazepines for prescribing benzodiazepines which  focuses on patient-centred care and accountable prescribing. The guide explains that benzodiazepines should be regarded as a short-term therapeutic option ... read more

HPOS Enhancements and New Services
The Health Professionals Online Service (HPOS) website has been updated and it can now be navigated via a tile menu. The new style is designed to make it easier for Health Professionals to find relevant services ... read more

Assignment of Medicare Benefit Through Easyclaim
Before lodging a claim through Medicare Easyclaim, practices need to use the assignment of benefit form to show evidence of their agreement with the patient; get the patient to sign the form; provide the patient with a copy of the agreement; and let the patient know that to assign their benefit for bulk bill claims to you, it is a legal requirement for the patient to press OK on the EFTPOS terminal ... read more

Primary Health Care Reform Discussion Paper Released
The government has just released a discussion paper 'Better outcomes for people living with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions through Primary Health Care' which is aimed at being an opportunity to address the increase in chronic and complex conditions and ensure that health professionals and patients continue to be central to this process ... read more
 
Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Online
The 1 July 2015 MBS data files (XML, DOC, PDF and ZIP) can now be downloaded. 
Read more on the MBS Online website.

Did you know that ... 
exposure to noise is a known cause of one third of the cases of hearing loss and damage to hearing from noise is cumulative. 

The louder the sound, the less time you can safely listen to it. While a lot of daily activities are not harmful, some can start to cause damage after only a short time.

How loud is too loud - try the noise simulator.

Hearing Awareness Week this year will run from 23-29 August 2015.

TOP TIPS FOR ACCREDITATION

Our practice participates in quality improvement activities 

 

Your practice needs to demonstrate that you engage in quality improvement activities to improve quality and safety for patients - this includes your practice systems as well as clinical care. This should be a collaborative commitment involving the whole practice team.

 

This can be achieved by reviewing your procedures and systems on a regular basis as well as your clinical care. Data can be collated (by the use of a clinical audit tool) and gathering patient feedback can also be useful in analysing practice systems. Patient feedback is an essential component of quality improvement activities ... also refer to Criterion 2.1.2 Patient feedback. 
 
ACCREDITATION - ARE YOU READY?

Is your practice's Accreditation coming up this year?
Medical Directions can help to identify areas of your practice that may need improving by guiding you through the Accreditation process and assisting in implementing any changes that may be necessary. 
We offer a full Accreditation Package which includes onsite visits and ongoing consultation via phone, Skype and email. 

Other ways we can help ...
  • Create a new Policy and Procedure Manual to comply with the 4th Standards
  • Set up your new practice and assist with purchasing equipment
  • Orientation of new GPs to your practice 
  • Staff training in Best Practice and Medical Director
  • Practice Manager mentoring
  • Treatment Room policies and procedures
Medical Directions can help in lots of ways! Let us customise a package to suit your practice. Click here to find out more about our Consulting Services or visit our website.


KNOWNOW! TIP

Practice Managers - did you know that there is a 'Reminder Manager" on knowNOW! that helps you to keep up with all those due dates e.g. software licences; insurances; rent; etc. Once the reminder has been set, you will get an email alert as well as a pop-up alert on the homepage. This can be found in the Non Clinical/Practice Management section.

Haven't seen how knowNOW! works yet? Then sign up today to receive one month's free trial of knowNOW! and once you realise how much it will help your practice it's just $38.95 per month which includes unlimited users! 


RECIPE OF THE MONTH  
 
Eggplant Bolognese  
Yummy served with noodles or zucchini spaghetti
 







Ingredients

1 kilo eggplant - diced

˝ kilo ground beef

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion - chopped

3 cloves garlic - minced

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs thyme

1 tbsp tomato paste

˝ cup red wine

1 can whole tomatoes

6 leaves fresh basil

 

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. 

Add in the onion and beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is browned. 

Stir in the eggplant, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and sauté for an additional 15 minutes.

Once the eggplant is tender, stir in the tomato paste. 

Add the wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. 

Stir in the tomatoes and slightly crush with a spoon. 

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt to taste. 

Serve warm garnished with fresh basil.


 

ENJOY! 
If you have a favourite recipe that you would like to share, please send it to chris@medicaldirections.com.au and we'll include it in our newsletter.
The Paleo Place
The Sunshine Coast's favourite Paleo Cafe - come and try us!

We are open for breakfast and lunch with a selection of delicious Paleo meals, snacks, desserts, juices, smoothies and coffee available. Coffee, fresh squeezed juices and smoothies are available daily from 7:00am and meals from 7:30am. 

Find out more ... www.thepaleoplace.com.au
Kathryn Davis
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I would love to hear your feedback on my newsletters or if you have a story to share or a question to ask please email me.
 
Until next time ... take care!
Kath Signature PNG  

P: 1300 978 897 | E: kathryn@medicaldirections.com.au | W: www.medicaldirections.com.au