General Practice Education eNewsletter
August 2020
Upcoming GP Education Gut Health Management: Bowel disease, bowel cancer & the microbiomeDate: Thursday, 27 August 2020
Time: 7.00pm - 8.45pm
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants Presented by:
• Dr Hooi Ee, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
• Dr Claire Gordon, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital & Hollywood Private Hospital
• Catalina Lizama, Bowel Cancer Screening Coordinator, Cancer Council WA This education is a CPD approved activity under the RACGP CPD Program & PDP ACRRM
Women's Health Day 2020 webinar Our Women's Health Day (developed and delivered in collaboration with Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ), BreastScreen WA, and King Edward Memorial Hospital) is the most popular event on the Cancer Council WA GP Education calendar. This year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be presented as a series of online seminars. Part 1 - Skin cancer and Palliative care presentations
Date: Saturday, 5 September 2020
Time: 9 - 11am
Presented by:
• Dr Gary Moloney - Dermatologist
• Sally Blane - SunSmart Coordinator, Cancer Council WA
• Dr Derek Eng - Palliative Medicine Physician This education is a CPD approved activity under the RACGP CPD Program & PDP ACRRM.
Part 2 - Atrophic vaginitis and Ovarian cysts presentations
Date: Tuesday, 8 September 2020
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm Presented by:
• Dr Cathy Brooker - Medical Director (SHQ)
• Dr Mat Epee-Bekima - Obstetrician-Gynecologist This education is a CPD approved activity under the RACGP CPD Program & PDP ACRRM
Call for greater general practice involvement in bowel cancer screening
Participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening program (NBCSP) is low: Recent data shows that only 4 in 10 eligible people in Western Australia participated in the program over 2017-2018. General practice endorsement and support of the NBCSP is vital and can improve patient participation significantly. Research shows that people are more likely to participate if prompted by health professionals, with 92% of people nominating their GP as the most influential source. How can you support your patients to screen for bowel cancer?
• Visual prompts: Display brochures, flyers, and posters in your practice – these are free to order from the NBCSP website and Cancer Council.
• Know the test and talk to your patients: Be familiar with the test used in the NBCSP so you can explain it to patients. Free demonstration kits can be ordered from NBCSP@health.gov.au
• Understand the program: Online training modules are available for GPs and Practice Nurses through RACGP and APNA. CPD points are available on completion of the module.
• Send a letter or SMS: Send a letter or SMS to 49-year-olds to encourage participation when they turn 50. Free templates are available on the NBCSP website. Ask your patients to nominate you as their GP, so you are notified of their results.
• Set up patient reminders: Record the results of your patients' test kits in your practice system. Flag patients who are due or overdue to complete their home test kit.
Primary healthcare research into national cancer screening A project funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health is investigating how the primary healthcare workforce engages with the national cancer screening programs (bowel, breast and cervical). Practice Managers are invited to participate via telephone interview. A nominal reimbursement s offered for participation. Findings from this study will lead to the development of materials and initiatives to assist in boosting participation, education and engagement.
'13 Cancers' & '16 Teaspoons of Sugar' Campaigns
Cancer Council WA has launched the third wave of the LiveLighter® '13 Cancers' campaign. The campaign highlights the link to weight and 13 different types of cancer. It also highlights that one way to reduce the risk of unhealthy weight gain is to cut down on consumption of sugary drinks. The campaign will appear in WA on TV, cinema, radio, bus shelters, shopping centres, and online. A new sugary drinks poster has been produced in partnership with the Australian Dental Association showing the number of teaspoons of sugar in drinks. This poster, along with other supporting resources can be ordered for GP practices from the LiveLighter® website.
Cancer Council WA's Wellbeing after Cancer program offers support to people after their cancer treatment has finished. A Registered Nurse will assist participants to identify their specific needs and support them to achieve their goals through a series of coaching phone calls and other useful tools. One such tool is the individualised wellbeing care plan which is an important means of addressing the needs of cancer survivors, involving a summary of diagnosis, treatment, surveillance or intervention, and ongoing communications with the patient’s treatment team. Wellbeing after Cancer participants are encouraged to take their care plan along to their GP appointment to discuss their health and wellness needs and develop a formal health management or follow-up plan. Calling 13 11
20 Information and Support Line connects you to our Cancer Nurses. They provide health professionals with accurate information and support for any cancer-related queries. We would warmly welcome your call between 9am-5pm Mon-Fri; or your email to Questions@cancerwa.asn.au
Life Now - Applications for Online Yoga and Online Mindfulness courses now openAs GPs, you will be aware of the significance of mind body activities such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation and exercise in supportive cancer care, and the range of mental and physical health benefits provided. Please encourage your cancer patients to register for Cancer Council WA’s Life Now courses, which are free of charge for people affected by cancer, and their primary carers. Due to the ongoing situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Life Now courses are currently being delivered online, following Department of Health guidelines. Term 4 applications are now open for Online Yoga (six weeks) and Online Mindfulness (8 weeks), commencing in October 2020.
Cancer Council WA Research Funding Program Over $300,000 is available for the 2020 grant round to fund research projects of $50,000 - $65,000 in the fields of laboratory, clinical, epidemiological, psychosocial, behavioural science and health service research. To support implementation of the WA Cancer Plan 2020-2025, funding for one grant has been set aside to encourage applications for research that sets out to investigate one of the following strategies relating to the delivery of cancer services in WA:
a) Priority Two, Strategy 1: Implement Optimal Care Pathways to guide the delivery of consistent, safe, high quality and evidence-based care;
b) Priority Two, Strategy 4: Actively engage primary and community care practitioners as key care providers across the cancer pathway (for the CCGS, particularly in the area of management of the long-term effects of cancer and healthy lifestyle behaviours relevant to cancer survivors).
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