COVID-19 update from SEMPHN

Register now for tomorrow's Lunch Update with SEMPHN CEO and GP Peers: 16 June at 12.30pm.

Read more notes and view previous recordings on our website. 

Visit our COVID-19 information for health professionals page for a full overview and regular updates from the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Download posters to encourage and reassure patients

During the pandemic it is important to encourage patients to continue to take care of their health and reassure them it is safe to visit their GP. 

We have developed a few social media tiles and A4 posters for general practices interested in sharing this message with their patients.

Visit the SEMPHN website to view and download these resources for free!

Videos: Navigating SEMPHN's Pathways pages

SEMPHN's Pathways pages host over 150 pathways across a variety of specialties.

Do you need help navigating the Pathways pages?

Watch these short videos to find what you need. 

• Locating the online care pathways
• How to find referrals
• Statewide Referral Criteria – Public Specialist Clinics

Additionally, there are instructions on the Pathways page to bookmark the page for easy access and how to use a Control + F search function on your keyboard. 

ENT pathways now available

Referrals to six specialist clinics in Victoria changed in November 2019 as part of the new Statewide Referral Criteria. 

Amongst others, new referral and clinical pathways are now available for ENT specialist clinics.

Find the ENT referral and clinical pathways here.

The statewide referral criteria provide guidance to referring clinicians about which patients will be seen in adult public specialist clinics and what investigations are required to support triage.

Referrals that do not meet the statewide referral criteria are expected to be declined by all Victorian public hospitals.

When a referral is declined, referring clinicians should receive correspondence from the health service explaining why the referral has not been accepted. If a referral is declined due to being incomplete, that is, there is missing essential information, the referring clinician must resubmit the entire referral again in full.

The new statewide referral criteria are available on SEMPHN's Pathways pages, alongside related clinical and referral pathways from October 2019. Alternatively, the Statewide referral criteria can be viewed on the official DHHS website at src.health.vic.gov.au.

ePrescribing vs email/fax/SMS scripts – what’s the difference?

This month, ePrescribing will become available in most clinical software. Your practice is probably currently emailing, faxing, or sending prescriptions via SMS (as authorised under the temporary COVID-19 arrangements). So what difference will ePrescribing make? Here's a comparison showing the benefits:

Opioid Pharmacotherapy Needs Survey

Do you work in the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) sector? Are you aware of areas where your clients have difficulties in accessing opioid pharmacotherapy services (suboxone and/or methadone, prescriber and/or pharmacy)? 

Please complete this short survey that will help the Area 4 Pharmacotherapy Network better understand the areas of pharmacotherapy prescriber and pharmacy shortages within our region.

The survey is available until 22 June and is open to all staff working in the AOD sector in Southern and Eastern Metropolitan Melbourne (see A4PN region – scroll down to our catchment).

The Area 4 Pharmacotherapy Network will use the survey results to inform their prescriber/pharmacy recruitment and support activities, with an increased focus on areas identified as having a greater level of need.

Please contact A4PN@semphn.org.au if you have any questions in regards to this survey.

Resources to support patients who are experiencing family violence

The impacts of COVID-19 and self-isolation on stress, job losses, financial strain and health concerns will increase the cases of family violence.

General practitioners play an important role in being the first point of contact for people who are experiencing family abuse or violence.

RACGP has developed a resource to help GPs navigate conversations about family violence including ways to manage consultations on the phone or by video in ways that keep your patients safe.

Access the resource here. 

Online ECG course available 

Health Education Collaborative (HEC) has announced an ECG Basics course in Collaboration with Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. This course is entirely online so you can work at your own pace.

This course is suitable for all healthcare professionals who need to be able to recognise cardiac rhythms and interpret ECGs.

This is a comprehensive introductory course in ECG interpretation and provides all the essential knowledge required to interpret rhythms and basic ECGs.
Special introductory offer $395 (normally $455).

For more information and to enrol, click here.