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Report Finds Correlation Between Multiple GPs and Reduced Shared Patient Information

Posted on | by Staff Writer

Facts and figures:

People with no usual GP were three times as likely as those who had a usual GP to report that their usual place of care did not seem informed about their most recent specialist visit.

They were also twice as likely to report that their usual place of care did not seem informed about their follow-up needs or medication changes following a visit to the emergency department.

Ask the expert:

Richard Juckes AIHW spokesperson

“The sharing of health information between health professionals and across care settings is an essential component of health-care management and continuity of care.”

 “Having access to complete information about a patient’s health history enables providers to deliver care that is appropriate, current, and meets a patient’s needs.”

The details:

The report is the second in the AIHW’s coordination of health care series.

The first report, Coordination of health care: experiences with GP care among patients aged 45 and over 2016, looked at ongoing relationships between patients and their usual GP or place of care.

Victorian Government to Change Discriminatory IVF Policy and Practice

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How it works:

  • Change legislation to ensure same-sex female couples are recognised as one family. Allowing same-sex couples to use donated sperm and eggs or embryo, removing discrimination and increasing the chances of being able to have biologically-related siblings by using the one donor.
  • Undertake further consultation on removing the discriminatory requirement that Victorians hoping to grow their family with IVF must first undergo police and child protection checks, which can cause long delays.
  • Ensure more Victorians can become a parent through IVF, without the high costs, with public IVF services – bulk billed and subsidised for low-income Victorians.
  • Improve quality and safety by investigating reports of rogue practitioners who put patients at risk or peddle false hope about their chances of conception.

Ask the Minister:

Jenny Mikakos Victorian Minister for Health

“We know that while IVF can be a life-changing experience for many families, it can also be an emotional and financial rollercoaster. That’s why this once-in-a-generation review was so important.”

“We’re removing unfair hurdles faced by too many families and making IVF easier and more affordable to access – it will mean the world to thousands of Victorian families.”

Ask the expert:

Dr Sue Matthews Chief Executive of the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria

“We welcome the report’s recognition that current regulation is not fit-for-purpose and are pleased to be playing our role in creating equitable access to IVF.”

“An important factor will be getting the structures and mechanisms right, including setting up appropriate governance and funding arrangements.”

The details:

The changes are in response to the findings of the landmark report commissioned in 2018.

The full report can be viewed at https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/perinatal-reproductive/assisted-reproduction/regulatory-review

Australian World First Surgical Robot

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How it works:

The project aims to design snake-like robots as miniaturised and highly dexterous surgical tools.

The robotic bodies will be fitted with computer vision capabilities and have the ability to navigate around obstacles in confined spaces such as the anatomy of the human body.

Ask the expert:

Ross Crawford, Medical and Healthcare Robotics Group Project Leader

“At the moment surgeons use what is best described as rigid ‘one-size-fits-all’ tools for surgical procedures, even though patients and their anatomy can vary significantly.”

“The surgical system being explored has the potential to vastly surpass capabilities of current state-of-the-art surgical tools.”

The details:

More information can be found in the latest annual report at https://www.roboticvision.org/wp-content/uploads/Australian-Centre-for-Robotic-Vision_2018-Annual-Report_Spreads.pdf

NSW Health On-Line Vaccine Care Training Module

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How it works:

All General Practitioners must ensure at least one staff member has taken the NSW Health on-line vaccine care training module.

NSW Health will be working with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Medical Association, the Medical Council of NSW, and the Primary Health Networks to assist in reminding GPs of their vaccine care obligations.

Why it matters:

The Medical Council of NSW and the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission are investigating and responding to incidents of patients that have been vaccinated with improperly kept vaccines.

Ask the expert:

Dr Kerry Chant, NSW Chief Medical Officer

“While NSW Health does not have responsibility for GPs, we are working with GPs and assisting co-regulators to ensure patients are correctly and effectively vaccinated.”

“Vaccines need to be stored at an optimal temperature range to ensure patients are protected from illness such as the flu, measles, or meningococcal disease.”

The details:

The free vaccine cold chain management online learning module is available at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/cold-chain-management.aspx

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health to Receive Boost in Funding

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How it works:

The funding will be distributed between six projects with the aim of supporting practical and innovative research into the best approaches to prevention, early intervention, and treatment of health conditions of greatest concern to ageing Indigenous communities.

The projects are:

Researcher Application Title Administering Institution Budget
Associate Professor Kim Delbaere Standing Tall-with our Mob: A holistic approach towards active and healthy ageing. University of New South Wales $  990,165.20
Associate Professor Edward Strivens A framework for health ageing in the Torres Strait James Cook University $1,100,540.00
Professor David Currow Exploring Healthy Ageing amongst Aboriginal Australians through the window of cancer The Sax Institute $1,167,301.20
Professor Leon Flicker Defining and predicting Healthy Ageing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Populations (HATS) University of Western Australia $  931,119.40
Professor Alex Brown Designing Indigenous aged care with a ‘whole of community’ perspective. University of South Australia $  741,947.30
Professor Robert Sanson-Fisher Improving implementation of Health Assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients in mainstream practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial. The University of Newcastle $  745,056.50

Why it matters:

Currently Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have poorer health outcomes and higher rates of disability than non-Indigenous Australians of the same age.

They are also more likely to live with chronic and complex conditions that lead to a poorer quality of life and to die at a younger age.

Ask the Minister:

Greg Hunt, Minister for Health

“Our government has a long-standing and important commitment to achieving health equity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.”

“The Government’s strong economic management ensures the continued record investment of funding into vital health initiatives including mental health, life-saving medicines, Medicare and hospitals.”

Prosthesis Program Bringing New Hope to Amputees

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How it works:

The TMR Program, allows the patient’s brain to directly control a specially engineered prosthetic limb through a process of surgery, rehabilitation, and brain training.

Patients must commit to an extensive virtual training program helping them achieve strong and consistent control of their new prosthetic, along with a home exercise program that takes for up to 30 minutes, four times a day.

Ask the patient:

Daniel Campbell, who lost his arm in a farming accident:

“After I lost my arm, I realised I couldn’t even do simple things like cooking a meal or picking up a clothes basket.

“It took a lot away from my capacity to work, but now I have my arm I’m keen to get back to it and have a go. Now I’ve been able to pick up boxes and carry things, it’s given me a lot of my independence back.

“Everyone is really intrigued by how the arm works and what it can do. I just think normal movements and I can move my hand – it’s a bizarre sensation.”

Ask the expert:

Dr Frank Bruscino-Raiola, The Alfred Hospital Director of Plastic Surgery:

“TMR and osseointegration is a new exciting frontier in the surgical and rehabilitation management of upper limb amputees.

“All of our patients who have completed the program are really excited about the potential for their new limbs. Where previously their movements were quite limited, this new technology opens up a new realm of what they’re able to achieve.”

DEVICE TECHNOLOGIES RELEASES GUIDE TO MEDTECH DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Medical distributor Device Technologies is championing this digital transformation, releasing a seven-part Digital Playbook. This provides insight into how changes in the digital landscape can benefit organisations in the Med Tech industry.

The Device Technologies Digital Playbook serves as a blueprint for building meaningful online consumer relationships, transforming user experience and taking a people-centric approach across various areas of business operations.

If you’re wondering how advances in technology apply to your organisation within the healthcare industry, download Device Technologies’ Digital Playbook to see how they approach digital. Be sure to follow them on LinkedIn for the next instalments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

MTANZ WARNS OF IMPACT OF MEDICAL DEVICE REGULATION CHANGES ON PATIENTS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]MTANZ CEO, Faye Sumner, said the “proposed Therapeutic Products Bill and the ongoing centralised procurement process by PHARMAC could have the joint effect of increasing the costs of medical devices and procedures while potentially reducing choice for the clinician and delaying access to life-saving, innovative medical technology.”

MTANZ has assured patients that medical devices used in New Zealand currently meet the highest quality standards both in New Zealand and internationally.

Currently, all devices entering New Zealand must be notified to the Government’s regulator, Medsafe. However, MTANZ argues that this will become a more complex registration process with associated costs, under the proposed NZ Therapeutic Products legislation replacing the Medicines Act 1981.

At the same time, PHARMAC is taking control of the procurement of medical devices supplied to the District Health Boards.

Ms Sumner says the New Zealand MedTech industry believes the proposed PHARMAC cost-based procurement system is not best suited to the procurement of medical devices.

“We propose a value-based procurement system that ensures clinicians have the autonomy and authority to acquire the right device for the right procedure. It is about treating a patient with the best possible device rather than the cheapest possible device.

“Our industry is very concerned at the multiplying effect of both significant changes being introduced in parallel and the potential disruption to the supply chain which could lead to the reduced availability of medical device products in the New Zealand market,” Ms Sumner said.

Ultimately the impact of both these changes will be felt by New Zealand patients.

These changes will no doubt be watched very closely by both the Australian MedTech companies and Private Health Insurers.

The Australian Private Health Insurance industry has been advocating for the introduction of a similar national procurement system here in Australia.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Back To School – The Parliament Returns

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Tax

As expected, the week was dominated by the Government’s signature election policy, $158 billion in personal income tax cuts.

By the end of the week the Government had a major victory in securing the passage of its income tax cuts package in its entirety.

In doing so it had to secure deals with key crossbench Senators from Centre Alliance and Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania.

Centre Alliance secured from the Government a commitment to bring down gas prices, through yet to be announced policy changes to ensure downward pressure is brought to bear on retail gas prices.

For Jacqui Lambie, the Government have committed to provide as yet undefined aid to help with Tasmania’s homelessness crisis.  As she said earlier in the week she couldn’t support tax cuts for high income earners, while many in her home state “don’t even have a roof over their head”.

The week was also notable for what the Government outlined as its third term policy agenda through the Governor-General’s traditional opening speech to Parliament.

Is Industrial Relations back on the Agenda?

In the speech the Government flagged potential industrial relations reform.

The Government announced that, “…the Minister for Industrial Relations is reviewing the impediments to shared workplace gains for employers and employees.”

While lacking in detail it does flag a renewed interest in industrial relations reform that the Coalition Government previously had been loath to touch, for fear of a Work Choices style campaign that cost them Government in 2007.

For business they will take some heart that at last, the Coalition Government is willing to engage in a debate around IR reform, which for many is a ‘holy grail’ of economic reform.

Given Work Choices was over 12 year ago now, many in business have been waiting for the Government to show signs of interest in workplace reform.

A Touch of Bipartisanship

In the spirit of bipartisanship both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader have agreed to work together on the issue of indigenous recognition in the constitution.

The Prime Minister has tasked his Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Ken Wyatt to work with Labor’s Shadow Minister Lynda Burney on a joint approach to this challenging issue.

What the final shape of such a joint approach will look is too soon to know, the issue of an indigenous voice to Parliament will no doubt feature prominently in discussions.

Summary

A big week for the Government and a big win for the Government with the passage of its $158 billion in personal income tax cuts.

The Parliament is now in recess until 22 July.

When the Parliament next resumes, no doubt the Government will be looking to resurrect its proposals to crackdown on lawlessness within unions and also implement its policy commitments from the April budget.[/vc_column_text][vc_zigzag][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”1915″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody Fassina is the Managing Director of Insight Strategy and has served as a strategic adviser to MedTech and pharmaceutical stakeholders.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

ZIMMER BIOMET AND APPLE COLLABORATION

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This collaboration has yielded Zimmer Biomet mymobility™, an app that uses Apple Watch to facilitate a new level of connection between patients and their surgical care teams, which can immediately impact the journey patients experience when they undergo these procedures.

In addition to the app, Zimmer Biomet commenced the mymobility Clinical Study in October last year, designed to study the app’s impact on patient outcomes and overall costs for joint replacement patients.

During this research study, patients are using Zimmer Biomet mymobility with Apple Watch as they progress through their hip or knee replacement journey. Researchers combine patient-reported feedback with continuous health and activity data from Apple Watch to provide new insights into the power of the Zimmer Biomet mymobility app to impact the standard of care for these common surgeries. The study launched in October 2018 for patients based in the US.

“We are incredibly excited to work with Apple to transform the knee and hip replacement experience for patients and surgeons,” said Bryan Hanson, President and CEO, Zimmer Biomet. “At Zimmer Biomet, we are committed to improving care decisions through digital health and we are thrilled to launch one of the largest evidence-gathering clinical studies in orthopaedic history.”

“We believe one of the best ways to empower consumers is by giving them the ability to use their health and activity information to improve their own care,” said Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Apple. “We are proud to enable knee and hip replacement patients to use their own data and share it with their doctors seamlessly, so that they can participate in their care and recovery in a way not previously possible through traditional in-person visits. This solution will connect consumers with their doctors continuously, before and after surgery.”

More than one million knee and hip replacements occur annually in the U.S. This number is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2035, yet standardization of care and recovery for the procedures is still lacking and costs to the U.S. healthcare system continue to rise. Zimmer Biomet mymobility and Apple Watch will act as a virtual and continuous care team on a patient’s wrist. Patients will be provided with support and guidance as they prepare for and recover from these surgeries, while surgeons will be delivered continuous data to optimize care.

The new Zimmer Biomet mymobility app has several features that use both Apple Watch and iPhone through the joint replacement journey, including the ability for surgeons to send education and therapy reminders directly to the patient’s Apple Watch.

The app also allows surgeons to monitor patient activity levels throughout the days and weeks while they are preparing for and recovering from surgery.