The Advance Project is in conjunction with Hammond Care, Care Search, The University of Sydney, The University of Queensland, UTS, The University of Wollongong, Austin Health Ongoing.

Advance is a free toolkit of screening and assessment tools and a training package, specifically designed to support nurses in Australian general practices to work with general practitioners (GPs) to initiate advance care planning (ACP) and palliative care in everyday general practice.

Advance aims to enable better care outcomes in Australian GP practices through:

• enabling earlier consideration and uptake of ACP
• enabling more efficient use of GP and nurse time in providing palliative and supportive care
• enabling more appropriate and timely referrals to specialist palliative care services if required
• increasing confidence and comfort levels for general practice nurses (GPNs) in initiating conversations with patients and their carers about screening for supportive care needs and ACP

What are the benefits of Advance for general practice?
The Advance training package will help general practice nurse(s) to work with GPs to initiate ACP and, where appropriate, palliative care for elderly and/or chronically ill patients within the practice.

ACRRM has a purpose-built Online Learning platform – RRMEO – that will enable you to maintain or extend your skills from anywhere in the world.

You can enrol and complete online modules and participate in virtual classrooms as part of a blended learning environment, all accessible through your My College Dashboard.

ASHM Training Courses

CPD Points: Various

Synopsis: The ASHM Professional Education Division is constantly updating and improving its offering of courses and training activities.

Becoming More Gay Friendly in Your Practice

Australians live in a multicultural, muti-layered society. We identify ourselves by our backgrounds, gender, culture, experiences and by our sexuality. Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) have diverse health needs. This module aims to inform health professionals about the diversity within the LGBTI community and to reduce stigma and discrimination, particularly for gay men and men who have sex with men, by ensuring their specific health needs are being met.

The case-based modules explore stigma and discrimination, sexual health screening, common STIs, and specific issues faced by gay and other homosexually active men.

The Becoming More Gay Friendly in Your Practice Online Learning Module (OLM) has been developed by STIGMA. The OLM focuses on the diversity of health needs within the LGBTI community.

Target audience: GPs, health professionals
Duration: One hour
CPD: RACGP 2 Category 2 QI&CPD points
Funding Body: STI in Gay Men’s Action Group (STIGMA)

More information: www.stipu.nsw.gov.au/stigma/becoming-more-gay-friendly

To support general practitioners in the Sydney North Health Network during the CIOVID 19 pandemic, Armchair Medical are offering every GP 10 weeks free access to armchairmedical.tv

https://www.armchaircpd.com.au/snphn

Like many organisations in our sector ASHM has been closely monitoring and considering the potential impact of COVID-19 on our staff and stakeholders. We also appreciate the additional strain being felt by the healthcare sector at all levels and have been focused on how to support our colleagues in our event planning and with the information we provide.
With that in mind a COVID-19 BBV and STI Sector Briefing was held today jointly with AFAO and Hepatitis Australia, and we were gratified by the high attendance. We also want to thank everyone who participated and hope that the webinar was beneficial and answered any questions you may have had. To those who were unable to join, we are pleased to advise that the recording is now available on our website.

Webinar recording now available. Click here to view.

View AGPAL’s webinar and additional resources on ‘Bushfire recovery – tools and techniques to assist during the primary care disaster recovery effort’

Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) hosted a complimentary webinar on ‘Bushfire recovery – tools and techniques to assist during the primary care disaster recovery effort’.

The webinar includes practical advice on how to respond to a crisis. This includes assessing impact on people, processes, infrastructure, providers, and business performance; business continuity planning; and moving forward as a practice.

The webinar recording, PowerPoint slides and additional resources are available here: https://www.agpal.com.au/news/complimentary-bushfire-recovery-webinar/

ACP Learning has new online learning modules to assist health professionals and care workers to support advance care planning in a variety of settings. The latest modules address advance care planning implementation, best practice in a primary care setting, and advance care planning for people with dementia.

See the full list of learning modules below.

1. Advance care planning – an introduction
2. Advance care planning conversations
3. Advance care planning decision-making – the legal implications
4. Advance care planning implementation
5. Advance care planning in the primary care setting
6. Advance care planning and dementia

Cancer Australia has undertaken work to develop six breast cancer online modules in collaboration with ACRRM, for supporting  the needs of people affected by breast cancer.

http://cancerlearning.gov.au/topics/breast-cancer

The modules are available free of charge on the Rural and Remote Education Online (RRMEO) platform to any health professional(even if they are not a member of ACRRM).

All that is required is to fill in the registration form and ACRRM will provide a login password.  This will only apply to the Cancer Australia Breast Cancer course.

Please  note that, in the medium-term future some of the modules may be updated with current practice changes and to reflect national work in shared follow-up care for early breast cancer.

Provider: Dementia friendly communities

Synopsis:

A Dementia Friend is someone who wants to make a positive difference to the lives of people living with dementia through increased awareness and support.

It means you have increased your understanding of dementia and how small things you can do can help support people with dementia to remain included, accepted and connected with their community.

A Dementia Friend is someone who understands small acts can make a big difference.

By having a better understanding of dementia, you are empowered to do small, everyday things that can make a difference to someone with dementia.

More information and registration: click here to register

Help Life Get Better: Life after cancer treatment

Synopsis: When treatment has finished, you may experience new challenges and have questions you didn’t know you had. The Cancer Council can help answer th …

Practice nurses can upskill in chronic disease management and healthy ageing from the comfort of their own couch with APNA’s 12-month program. It includes an online workshop worth up to 6 CPD hours, comprehensive self-assessment, a huge suite of online learning, community of practice and nurse support. Find out more and register at www.apna.asn.au/education/cdmha. Spots are limited – closes 7 June 2020.

The National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer in a cost-effective manner through an organised approach to screening. On 1 December 2017, the NCSP moved to a five yearly HPV(Cervical Screening) Test for women aged 25 to 74 years.

Information on the current NCSP is available at: http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/cervical-screening-1

Online Training Modules are available at NPS MedicineWise: https://learn.nps.org.au/mod/page/view.php?id=7804

This comprehensive set of online learning modules provide healthcare providers with information on the following areas:

• The Dec 2017 changes to the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP)
• Changes to practice and the cervical screening clinical pathway
• Communicating the importance of screening and test results to patients.

All six interactive online modules are accredited for CPD points with RACGP, ACRRM, ACN, ACM and APNA.

The Cervical Screening Online Training Modules are based on the National Cervical Screening Program: Guidelines for the Management of Screen-Detected Abnormalities, Screening in Specific Populations and Investigation of Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding (2016 Guidelines).

These can be found at http://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Cervical_cancer/Screening.

At this website are real-life scenarios aimed at healthcare providers to assist them to understand the 2016 Guidelines: http://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Cervical_cancer/Screening/E-learning.

Missed the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine’s (ACRRM) first webinar on codeine rescheduling? It’s now available online, free of charge for all members and non-members.

The webinar, brought to you in partnership with the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), CRANAplus, and the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), gives you expert advice on the impact codeine rescheduling could have on rural and remote health providers.

First Trimester Screening

CPD Points: 3 Category 2 points

Synopsis: This 90 minute Category 2 training module has been developed by the NSW Health Centre for Genetics Education and the Royal Australian College of GPs.

Diagnosis and Management of Eating Disorders

CPD Points: Category 1 and 2

Synopsis: The Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders Online Learning Program addresses the nature, identification, assessment and treatment of eating disorders …

Details of the course include:

• Duration: 12 hours
• Modules: 16
• CPD: 12 hours (APNA endorsed)
• Price: $110 – subsidised by the NDSS – LIMITED NUMBERS (normally $325)

Learning outcomes:

• Update your knowledge on diabetes management
• Improve your ability to support the person living with diabetes and have a more helpful conversation using health literacy principles
• Know how to ask the right questions, and when to refer to other health professionals for more individualised advice
• Have the tools and resources to implement what you’ve learnt in your workplace, improving health outcomes for your patients

Click here to register.

Provider: Diabetes Qualified

Title: Diabetes in Practice for Nurses

Date: Online

Who is this course for?

• Nurses
• Enrolled Nurses

Delivery mode: Online

Synopsis:

As a Nurse, you play a pivotal role in supporting the person living with diabetes.  This course will provide you with increased knowledge and understanding of diabetes, enabling you to explain diabetes and how to manage it, and answer questions that might be asked in a consultation. By completing this course , you will:

• Update your knowledge on diabetes management
• Improve your ability to support the person living with diabetes and have a more helpful conversation using health literacy principles
• Know how to ask the right questions, and when to refer to other health professionals for more individualised advice
• Have the tools and resources to implement what you’ve learnt in your workplace, improving health outcomes for your patients

Once you have completed the modules and passed the 4 assessments, a ‘certificate of completion’ becomes available for download.  There is also a further reading and resources document provided.

More information and enrolment link: https://www.diabetesqualified.com.au/course/diabetes-in-practice-for-nurses/

Provider: RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners)

Synopsis: The RACGP eHealth webinar series presents monthly webinars to support general practice teams in their use of, understanding of and obligations relating to, the use of technologies in general practice. Webinars are developed and delivered by members of the RACGP Expert Committee – Practice Technology and Management (REC—PTM) and other eHealth experts.

Webinars are complimentary for all participants and are accredited for those who register and attend the live sessions. Webinar recordings are available at the conclusion of each month’s webinars.

More information and registration: Register for upcoming webinars via the RACGP website.

For further information or assistance, please email ehealth@racgp.org.au

Understand e-Mental Health resources and how they can be integrated into primary care to deliver effective stepped care treatment to patients with common mental health conditions.

At the end of this program, you will:

• understand what e-Mental Health (eMH) means
• be able to explain to patients the evidence supporting the use of eMH
• recognise appropriate patients for eMH referral
• develop strategies / processes for implementing eMH in practice and providing follow up to these patients.

Completion of the full ALM (full 6-part series) will provide RACGP ALM 40 Cat 1 QI&CPD points. Completion of individual modules will provide RACGP Cat 2 QI&CPD points.

For more information please contact the Black Dog Institute Education and Training section on 9382 8518 or email education@blackdog.org.au

To select and register for the course you are interested in, please click here.

A collaborative course with Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, an independent medical research facility.
The ECG Basics course is suitable for all healthcare professionals who need to be able to recognise cardiac rhythms and interpret echocardiograms (ECGs). The ECG Basics course includes nine modules covering topics such as cardiac anatomy and physiology, components of the ECG waveform, rhythm recognition, and a systematic format for interpreting an ECG. Course content is reinforced with knowledge checks at the end of each module and two final assessments.  This course is designed for postgraduate healthcare professionals working in emergency, primary care settings, cardiac wards, rural and remote settings.

For more information please contact: info@healthec.com.au

To register for this course please click here.

A collaborative course with the Australian Orthopaedic Association, the peak professional body for orthopaedic surgery in Australia.
The Fracture Management course covers the essentials of managing fractures in primary care. The course is delivered in a blended format incorporating online and face-to-face learning. Topics covered include basic anatomy, physiology of the musculoskeletal system, different types of fractures and associated complications, emergency management, investigations, diagnosis and referral, splinting, casting and post-application management. The course is designed for postgraduate healthcare professionals working in health facilities such as emergency departments, primary care, casting clinics, specialist rooms and rural and remote settings.

For more information please contact: info@healthec.com.au

To register for the course please click here.

GPA Webinars

Synopsis: These webinars are designed to assist practices in understanding the requirements of the Standards, and how to meet them.

HSR UK 2020 – recordings now available

This year, the Health Services Research UK annual conference went online.  It featured six live plenaries, over a dozen sessions and 150 research presentations, all available to watch on their website, for everyone with an interest in health services and care research, and its use in policy and practice. 

The opening plenary at 7pm AEST on 1 July was ‘Lessons for International HSR from the COVID-19 Pandemic’ featuring keynotes from Prof. Trish Greenhalgh and Prof. Josep Figueras.  Other plenaries and sessions explored topics including mental health, urgent and emergency care, data analytics, workforce, co-production, and diversity and inclusion in HSR. 

Watch other sessions from the conference at https://hsruk.org/conference-2020

The Re-imagining General Practice webinars look at the politics, philosophy, finance, policy, practice and principles of general practice using the Standards as a quality framework.

They are free for anyone who wants to be part of Re-imagining General Practice in a post COVID era to really make it better for patients, practices, their people and the community.

The first series focused on remuneration, funding and the general practice workforce.  If you missed them, you can catch up below.

Re-imagining how we pay our General Practitioners

Re-imagining the Funding of General Practice

Re-imagining the General Practice Workforce

Medical Director Training

CPD Points: NA

Synopsis: HCN provides various training options, including classroom, webinars, product demonstrations and e-Learning modules, to suit the requirements of their …

Free Training in Intellectual Disability and Mental Health

Synopsis: Would you like to gain knowledge, skills and confidence to improve the mental health care of people with an intellectual disability?

Aboriginal Health Workers online training – to help talk to patients about the importance of bowel screening.

This series of modules covers the basics of bowel cancer, screening and management and takes approximately 45 mins.

The training is one component in a broader initiative to encourage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 to 74 to take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP).

For more information or to start the online module, please visit the website.

Provider: The University of Melbourne

Title: Identifying and Responding to Domestic and Family Violence

Synopsis: 

This short e-learning course provides practical ways that health practitioners can increase their skills in identifying and responding to domestic and family violence. We outline how and when to ask about this sensitive issue and what to do when a patient discloses to enable a best practice response and referral.

CKD & Diabetes: A sinister combination

CPD Points: Various

Synopsis: This education investigates the relationship between kidney disease and diabetes.

COPD Online Training

Lung Foundation Australia has developed a range of training programs, including an interactive program on COPD for primary care nurses.

MD BriefCase and MD Passport Online Education for Health Professionals

CPD Points: Various

mdBriefCase provides free online accredited medical education for Australian and New Zealand Health professionals.

This webinar will lead to:
– An understanding of motivation and change
– An awareness of what motivational interviewing is and when it is useful
– Knowledge of the core motivational interviewing skills that evoke change talk and lead to behaviour change
– An ability to apply MI skills in your practice

Visit: https://vimeo.com/338979866

This two day virtual workshop aims to develop skills in comprehensive mental health assessment and management planning, derived from the person’s experiences of illness, and is based on a recovery-focused model.

Participants benefit from an interactive experience with experts from psychiatry, general practice, trauma-focused care and addiction medicine, along with shared perspectives from persons with lived experience.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the workshop will be conducted virtually, while still being interactive.

CPD points:

Participants who successfully complete all course and assessment requirements will be issued with a Statement of Attainment.

This education is a CPD Accredited Activity (40 points) under the RACGP CPD Program.

ACRRM PDP Accredited Activity

GPMHSC – Accredited Activity Mental Health Skills Training

Cost: $500

More information: Registration opens on Tuesday, 23 September 2020 and closes on Wednesday, 30 November 2020. If you have any questions about the GP workshops or your enrolment, please contact Erica Khattar on 02 9844 6309 or email support@heti.edu.au

Register here.

MHPN Webinar Recordings – Now available!

CPD Points: Self notification

Synopsis: MHPN is offering practitioners access to review past webinars for educational upskilling.

To assist GPs manage the care of mental health consumers, the team of psychiatrists from the Psychiatry Support Line is producing a series of webinars. Headed by renowned psychiatrist Dr Martin Cohen, these videos invite psychiatrists to present a topic they specialise in, followed by Q/A. These are accredited for professional development points by the RACGP, as well as the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.  These activities are designed exclusively for GPs and have proved to be very popular.  In the second webinar, Professor Sadanand Rajkumar joins Dr Martin Cohen to discuss Depression and Mental Health in Older People.

To access the webinars, go to https://www.gpsupport.org.au/webinars and register for free.

Click below to see the Psychiatry Support Line for GPs’ YouTube channel, with previews of the active webinars.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuGtWGH0XRZfbaRudsf99g

Provider: The Department of Human Services

Synopsis: Use the Gateway to find eLearning programs relevant to your profession. Topics available include: HPOS, PRODA, PIP, AIR, MBS etc.

It’s easy to use, interactive and self-paced.

The treatment landscape in advanced melanoma has been transformed in recent years with the development of novel pharmacological agents, with a shift towards higher response rates, prolonged disease control and the possibility of cure for some patients.

Melanoma Institute Australia has developed a comprehensive RACGP-accredited interactive module to give you an overview of the available treatments for patients with Stage III and IV melanoma, including the common adverse effects that GPs need to be aware of. It also covers the role of the GP in referring to a melanoma specialist and providing supportive care.

Free log in required for access to the Melanoma Education Portal: https://melanomaeducation.org.au/courses/melanoma89/

NPS MedicineWise Online Learning Opportunity

CPD Points: Various

Synopsis: Online learning resources for health professionals and health professional students, promoting and supporting quality use of medicines.

This seminar/webinar, available to all health professionals, will cover the history of the human battle against deadly diseases and the current measles threat. Visit the NCIRS website for further information and to register.

Sexual health online education programs

CPD Points: Various

Synopsis: Online education programs available through partnership between ThinkGP and the NSW STI Programs Unit …

Provider: GP Psychiatry Support Line

Title:  Psychiatry Webinar Series

Synopsis: 

The University of Sydney has launched a new MOOC (massive open online course) in collaboration with Coursera.

The course is free and covers the basics of recognising and managing mental illness as well as aspects of positive mental health and strategies for prevention and self-management of illness.

Topics include exercise, nutrition concepts, sleep hygiene, stress management, mindfulness, attachment concepts, the role of work, identifying strengths, recovery principles, lived experience stories and many more.
It is presented by over 30 different experts in psychiatry, psychology and mental health research from the University and around Australia.

It is a 5 week course containing over 40 x 10 minute video lectures with some basic assessments; however it could be used selectively, just browsing and identifying the relevant modules for each individual.

Provider: Think GP

Synopsis:

RACGP Online Learning Opportunities

CPD Points: Various

Synopsis: The RACGP offers a wide range of programs and activities via many delivery modes. The activities reflect current technology and best practice in the d …

Provider: Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)

Cost: Free for members

Synopsis: 

Enquiries: onlinelearning@acrrm.org.au

Provider: Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)

Cost: Free for members

Synopsis: 

Enquiries: onlinelearning@acrrm.org.au

Provider: Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)

Cost: Free for members

Synopsis: 

This learning module provides an introductory overview of current sexually transmissible infections (STI)/HIV surveillance trends, patient groups who are at risk and STI/HIV testing recommendations. The module also highlights the important role GPs play in detecting and treating STIs/HIV among patients and preventing the spread of STIs/HIV through communities. Also provided are practical tools and resources to enable comprehensive STI/HIV management as part of routine patient care.

Enquiries: onlinelearning@acrrm.org.au

Provider: NCIRS (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance)

Title:  Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation – e-learning activity

Synopsis: This e-learning activity from NCIRS (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance) is designed to help you adapt your clinical communication skills to meet the needs of all parents whether they are ready to vaccinate, have questions or intend to decline vaccination.

GPs, Practice Nurses and Allied Health Professionals (the care team) have the opportunity to apply for this course which is self-paced. The presentation length is 68 minutes and the resources to read would take approximately 15-30 minutes.

Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss Impacts and considerations to Telehealth care planning
• Understand how to create engagement and effectively communicate virtually
• Framing the consultation
• Setting the consultation agenda
• Implementing COVID considerations to prevention and screening activities
• Coaching your clients through SNAP discussions
• Disease Prevention and screen questions
• Creating self-management agreed goals the SMART way
• Understanding a client’s readiness to change

  Includes Downloadable resources:

• Detailed model of Telehealth chronic disease management workflow
  Inclusive of skills, roles and activities in a swimlane format
• Powerful inquiry resources
• Demonstration videos on how to provide a tele coaching care planning; review and nursing video call

If you are interested in undertaking this course and committed to completing it, please send your name, practice and contact details to Alex Jaksetic ajaksetic@snhn.org.au.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our ThinkGP members for their overwhelmingly positive feedback so far regarding the ‘Covid-19 coronavirus in Australia‘ education module. We’re very glad this has proved to be a useful and timely resource for you and we’ll continue to update it biweekly.

If you didn’t have a chance to enrol in or complete the module at the weekend, then we’d encourage you to simply enrol in today’s up-to-date version of the module.

Key learning outcomes from this CPD activity:

• Outline clinical evidence and information regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus virus globally and in Australia.
• Implement strategies for managing suspected cases of COVID-19 in your practice, including triage, testing, isolation, and contact tracing.
• Set up and manage effective infection control procedures in your practice related to COVID-19.
• Answer patient and local community questions about COVID-19 with evidence-based information.

We trust this will provide much of what GPs have been requesting and will help you stay up to date with best practice and recommendations for COVID-19.

To access the module follow this link: https://www.thinkgp.com.au/education/covid-19-coronavirus-australia

Provider: CareSearch TEL

Synopsis: 

Death is a part of life. Too often death is a taboo in our society, and people avoid talking about or planning for it. This taboo is even more obvious when people with intellectual disability are part of these conversations. People with intellectual disability should learn about dying and death just as they learn about every other aspect of life. Teaching about the end of life is hard though.

Talking End of Life …with people with intellectual disability (TEL) shows you how to teach people with intellectual disability about the end of life.

TEL is designed for disability support workers but is also helpful for others including families, health professionals, and educators.

Please watch the video below to see Professor Roger Stancliffe from the University of Sydney describe why TEL is important.

The arrival of COVID-19 has pushed the fast forward button on the rollout of telehealth in Australia. In this webinar, the panel will offer their perspectives on telehealth and discuss their personal experiences of providing virtual care in allied health and interprofessional settings.

Panellists will discuss the following in both pre- and post-COVID-19 contexts:

– How they have leveraged technology to advantage their profession and patients
– What was involved in the transition to telehealth (or how they have scaled up or down as a result of the pandemic)
– When telehealth is (or is not) appropriate and the practical aspects of implementation
– Where they source advice on platforms, technology and digital capabilities
– How they communicate with patients, manage consent and address concerns about data safety and security
– Recent telehealth developments within and across allied health professions and between disciplines
– The current legislative environment, evolving best practices, future possibilities and unresolved issues.

Provider: RACGP

Synopsis: 

Twilight Online is a series of webinars for RACGP members and their colleagues to improve access to quality QI&CPD. Developed by the NSW&ACT Faculty, these webinars provide time efficient and convenient opportunities to keep up to date and engage in learning with key opinion leaders and peers.

Online learning for Professionals: The Heart Foundation

Synopsis: The Heart Foundation supports professionals working in health by providing online learning modules focused on improving cardiovascular care.

Understanding Dementia – online course

Synopsis: The University of Tasmania’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Understanding Dementia, is a nine-week online course that builds upon the latest …

https://www.torrens.edu.au/understanding-depression-learning-from-lived-experience

Produced by Torrens University Australia in partnership with Beyond Blue, this free online short course has been developed to enable participants to be more aware about the broader impacts of living with depression. We want to encourage people and communities to talk more about mental health, and engage those with a lived experience to be in conversations and discussions about recovery.

Open to anyone with a personal or professional interest in understanding depression.