No images? Click here December 2020 NewsletterMessage from the PresidentAs I write my final President’s message for the year, there are two themes that stand out for 2020. One of the themes is the extraordinary challenges presented by COVID-19. In this year we have had to adopt new ways to connect and to perform our regulatory work. Our meetings and hearings have been confined to computer screens and our project on allocating research grant is currently on hold until the COVID-19 pandemic officially finishes. In consideration of potential financial hardship many practitioners may have experienced earlier in the year during the lockdown period, our Council has decided to freeze the registration fees for 2020-2021. The other theme is the opportunities that come with the challenges – Chinese Medicine Council members and HPCA staff reaching new heights, taking on challenges, developing new strengths and continuing to perform our regulatory function, ensuring safety and standards in the delivery of healthcare to populations, communities and individuals when and where they need care. These changes will help shape our future, so we can continue to go from strength to strength. Our work has not stopped throughout the year – from the COVID-19 seminar that the Council held at the beginning of the year, to various important pandemic update messages sent to all NSW practitioners during the outbreak period, as well as the most recent virtual roadshow held on December 10. At our recent roadshow, we discussed three important topics:
I strongly encourage practitioners who did not attend the roadshow to watch the recording and study the materials presented. Further information regarding access will be provided in the new year. On behalf of the Council, I hope your holiday season is full of peace, joy, and happiness. Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim President, Chinese Medicine Council of NSW A patient's perspectiveBeing aware of a patient’s perspective facilitates best practice as it influences your approach as a practitioner and fosters a better professional relationship. When we have a job to do, it can be very easy to focus on what we have to do – it is much harder to focus on how we affect others. That is why it is so important to consider a patient’s perspective. A simple model is:
Communication Communication is crucial! Typically, the patient comes to you in a vulnerable state. Practitioners know more than patients, and this automatically establishes a power dynamic wherein the practitioner is in a position of superiority and the patient is in a position of reliance. Communicating and disseminating information to a patient builds trust and allows you to align the desired outcomes to ensure you as practitioner and your patient are on the same page in respect of treatment expectations and process. As a practitioner you know what you are doing but the patient doesn’t, so explain. Knowledge is your greatest asset. Although the patient is vulnerable, this can be alleviated if you help them feel informed, reassured, heard and respected. Understand the patient’s agenda: what motivates the patient? Why have they come to see you? What is their priority? Understand the patient’s behaviour: what have they tried before now? What seems to help? What doesn’t? Does this influence how you proceed? Explain the diagnosis: use simple non-technical terms; seek understanding and acceptance from the patient. Describe a treatment plan: prioritise options with rationale; seek understanding and acceptance from the patient Consent Patients must be informed – in other words, educated about all potential benefits and risks. Consent also protects you, the practitioner, in the event something goes wrong. The need for consent is ongoing – to change the management plan, technique, treatment or any other material detail requires renewed consent from the patient. Modification (or, more so, the ability to consider making changes and to be flexible) If a particular course of treatment doesn’t produce the desired outcome, consider modifying the treatment and/or conducting further investigation. Always bear in mind the patient outcome is paramount. What can you change in your approach to best help the patient? Is the most appropriate action to refer the patient to another healthcare practitioner? Remember the model is a continuous loop, so if you change something consider any impact on the other aspects: do you need to communicate to the patient again? Do you require consent again? Understanding a patient’s perspective can alleviate their uncertainty and vulnerability and better align expectations for treatment outcomes. This results in a better experience for the patient and can only benefit your professional practice. AdvertisingPractitioners should be aware that Aphra’s revised guidelines of advertising a regulated health service will take effect on 14 December 2020. In 2020, the Chinese Medicine Council received numerous complaints in relation to advertising during COVID-19. From the complaints received this year, practitioners should be aware that advertising in relation to any COVID-19 treatments does not comply with section 133 of Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) 2009. Advertising anything with the words ‘COVID-19 treatment, protection, cure, can cure' or 'anti-COVID treatments' can be misleading and deceptive. Further, including such statements in advertising as this formula, herbs, drink ‘can cure COVID-19’, can also be misleading and deceptive. Practitioners should be mindful that non-compliance with the advertising requirements could have possible legal consequences and amount to a conduct issue on your professional practice. Other complaints that Council have received this year include practitioners not accurately displaying professional qualifications in their advertising. Practitioners should always be mindful about how to use ‘Dr’ in their advertising as the title. If you are not a registered medical practitioner, you should make it clear that you are a ‘Doctor of Chinese medicine’, regardless of whether you hold a Doctorate degree or PhD in Australia. To support you in understanding guideline please visit: Professional capabilities for Chinese medicine practitionersIn 2018, the Chinese Medicine Accreditation Committee began reviewing the professional capabilities standards and in February 2020 the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA) published the Professional capabilities for Chinese medicine practitioners. These standards are used in the assessment process of education providers and their programs to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills, and professional capabilities to safely and competently practice Chinese medicine. The CMBA’s Professional capabilities for practitioners can be found at Chinese Medicine Board of Australia - Professional capabilities for Chinese medicine practitioners. The CMBA uses the capabilities for the re-registration of individuals who were previously registered as a Chinese medicine practitioner in Australia and the evaluation of a registrant whose level of competence to practise may pose a risk of harm to the public: for example if a complaint or notification is made about a registrant. Capabilities may also be used by education providers to develop Chinese medicine curricula (learning outcomes and assessment), and to communicate to the public, consumers, employers, insurance companies and other stakeholders regarding the standards that they can expect from practitioners. Capabilities describe the required baseline or threshold level of a practitioner’s professional abilities. both at initial and continuing registration. Professional capabilities embrace professional decision-making skills, a practitioner’s judgement and how they apply their knowledge and practical skills in any given situation. A practitioner’s capabilities should be ongoing and change as a practitioner gains, expands and improves their experience with their practice which should also change and evolve – it is a continuum. Practitioners need to review the CMBA capabilities, identify any areas where they may not feel so confident, or may be a little deficient and use the capability document as a helpful tool in establishing and applying their continuing professional development plan. This will assist in keeping up to date with modern developments and innovations |