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Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over (unless contraindicated). The National Immunisation Program (NIP) funds influenza vaccines for people most at risk. The public are encouraged to start to book their appointments from mid-April to ensure the best protection at the peak of the season which is usually between June and September. The WA Department of Health would like to provide a vaccine ordering update to immunisation providers:
As the public health measures are eased in WA, it has been highlighted that we may see a steady rise in the Influenza rates this year. Some of the most vulnerable patients in our communities will be at high risk of contracting the flu. This year it is even more important to get the flu vaccine and practices may consider looking at how they will deliver their flu vaccine program in 2022 and ensure they are not missing any of their patients that fall into the high-risk category. A poster identifying who is eligible for a FREE Flu vaccine and many other resources are available at Department of Health. The PIP QI Incentive rewards practices for participating in continuous Quality Improvement activities in partnership and with the support of their local Primary Health Network. There are ten specified Quality Improvement measures (QIM) to assist practices meeting their requirements for PIP QI, three of which are listed below and directly related to immunisation against flu. 4. Proportion of patients aged 65 and over who were immunised against influenza. 5. Proportion of patients with diabetes who were immunised against influenza. 6. Proportion of patients with COPD who were immunised against influenza. General practices sharing unidentified patient data with WA Primary Health Alliance or their local PHN, have been provided access to the Pen CS suite of tools. Using Pen CS practices can access recipes to identify various cohorts of patients and patient groups to assist with their Quality Improvement activities.
Should you require any assistance, please contact Practice Assist 1800 2 ASSIST (277 478) or practiceassist@wapha.org.au and our friendly team will put you in touch with your QI coach and Navigator who will be more than happy to support your practice.
In preparation for flu season the HealthPathways WA team is currently undertaking a review of the following pathways within the immunisation suite:
These pathway updates will soon be available via the HealthPathways WA website and will include the latest ATAGI advice on co-administering the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccinations. There has been no change, since 2021, to the eligibility for government funded influenza immunisations. To gain access to the site email the HealthPathways team at healthpathways@wapha.org.au
The following clinical information and resources are available to support immunisation providers:
COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations can be administered at the same time and may be provided to patients at one visit. The Australian Government Department of Health advises that GPs have no obligation to bulk-bill patients receiving an influenza vaccination. However, patients who receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination at the same appointment must be bulk-billed for the COVID-19 vaccine part of the service. The Department have provided the following case study for further clarification.
Read the MBS FAQs for more information.
Residential aged care facility managers may have begun to contact local general practice to administer COVID-19 booster (winter dose) and influenza vaccines at in-reach clinics. If your general practice has in-reach clinics booked at a residential aged care facility, please notify WA Primary Health Alliance via email as this is part of our Commonwealth reporting requirements.
With 2022 seasonal influenza vaccines now available across Australia, AusVaxSafety has commenced active surveillance to monitor the adverse event profile and safety of the vaccines in near-real time. AusVaxSafety sends out a short online survey via SMS or email to individuals (or their parent/carer) who receive their influenza vaccine at a participating AusVaxSafety site, allowing participants to report any side effects they may have experienced after vaccination. De-identified data from completed surveys are analysed and monitored by epidemiologists and vaccine experts to ensure that vaccines are performing as safely as expected in real-world conditions. AusVaxSafety data for the 2022 influenza vaccines will be available on the AusVaxSafety website from Wednesday 20 April 2022 and updated weekly. Read more here
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has developed advice for immunisation providers regarding the administration of 2022 seasonal influenza vaccines. It includes information about:
Access here
There are several webinars and online modules available to update providers on the 2022 influenza immunisation program.
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance and Metropolitan Communicable Disease Control (MCDC) Join us for the return of our popular Immunisation Update for general practice staff. More information here
On Wednesday 23 March 2022, the Immunisation Program, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health hosted the ‘2022 WA Influenza Update’ for all immunisation providers in WA.
According to the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition), it is important for general practices to engage and collaborate with other health services to deliver comprehensive care to patients whose healthcare requires the integration of multiple services. The value of this engagement was recently demonstrated by HJ Lochner General Practice in Hopetoun. Working with other health service providers in the region, Dr Hermanus Lochner was able to assist an 83 year-old, COVID-positive patient with comorbidities into the WA COVID Care at Home program and commence antiviral treatment within 24 hours of diagnosis. Practice Manager/Practice Nurse at HJ Lochner General Practice, Alison Bell, said that Dr Lochner was able to provide local medical care for the patient and her family members who tested positive to COVID-19. “The patient and her family were very impressed with the frequent phone calls and advice they received from the WA COVID Care at Home program. They felt very supported during the time they were in isolation and were able to access all the care they required,” she said. To stay up to date with the latest news and information during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at HJ Lochner General Practice regularly refer to the Practice Connect Newsletter, GP Connect Newsletter, Practice Assist COVID-19 Practice Resources and the COVID-19 HealthPathways. “For up-to-date clinical information, our go-to resource is HealthPathways, which helps us stay across the frequent clinical changes in the management of COVID-19. We also found the Practice Assist Living with COVID-19 Pandemic Checklist and Toolkit a valuable tool in developing our practice procedures because all the information we required was in one document,” Ms Bell said. From Ms Bell’s experience, having direct communication between general practices and WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) is very beneficial for improving patient outcomes. Alison Bell and Dr Hermanus Lochner from HJ Lochner General Practice in Hopetoun.
The Statewide Paediatric and Adolescent Remote Care (SPARC) COVID team is a specialised multidisciplinary service under the broader COVID Care @ Home program. SPARC COVID service facilitates virtual home monitoring (telephone and telehealth reviews) for children across WA with significant underlying medical conditions associated with increased risk of severe COVID disease. View the flyer here for more information.
The Australian Government Department of Health has provided funding to WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) to allocate for the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations for non-Medicare patients.
WAPHA can reimburse general practices to the value of the relevant MBS item number to support non-Medicare patients being vaccinated against COVID-19. General practices can only be reimbursed for services administered between 4 April 2022 to 30 June 2022. Claims for some historical vaccinations may be accepted, however this would be decided on a case-by-case basis. As reimbursement can occur from now until the end of June 2022, WAPHA is keeping the process simple. The invoicing process and requirements for reports from practices will be minimal (reports would include: numbers vaccinated, dose interval and any good new stories). Note: To claim, practices will be required to declare reimbursement (ie. private fee charge) has not already been received for the services claimed.
However, practices with a large cohort of non-Medicare patients wishing to make the most of available funding can be supported to submit an expression of interest to join the program. Note: Being a provider of the National Immunisation Program (NIP) is a requirement for joining the COVID-19 vaccination program and sites must be able to meet relevant site requirements. Please contact the Practice Assist team for further information.
The HealthPathways and Digital Health Teams have created a short video for clinicians to provide an introduction to prescribing antiviral and monoclonal treatments for COVID-19. The five minute video is designed to complement the COVID-19 Assessment and Management pathway and:
View the video here
Practices can continue to submit PPE orders via WA Primary Health Alliance form using their personalised link throughout the Easter and Anzac Day holiday period. As usual, orders which are accepted, will be sent to the national logistics provider. However, the Australian Government Department of Health has advised it cannot guarantee orders will be processed by the national logistics provider until after the public holidays.
When consumers call the helpline – after a short introduction they will hear the following prompt:
To register for free household Rapid Antigen Tests, assistance uploading a positive test result, if you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are a close contact, need information about isolation requirements or to register for care at home following a positive COVID result or information on where to get tested press one.
If an individual needs welfare support from the Department of Communities, they need to press Option 4 and then Option 2.
Your practice may want to direct patients who present with a positive RAT to the helpline, alternatively the following script could be shared on social media:
A rapid antigen test (RAT) is a quick at home test to check if you may have COVID-19.
To register a positive RAT call 13 COVID (13 26843) or register your result online at www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/ratregister
After registering a RAT, WA Health will send a follow up text message with a short survey. You can use this survey to indicate if you need urgent help or extra support while isolating with COVID-19.
The VOC operating hours have permanently changed to the following:
With the following operating hours over the Easter and Anzac Day public holidays:
Delivery schedules have also been adjusted during this period:
In our last edition of Practice Connect, we discussed the new Digital Health - 'How To Series' available by visiting our Digital Health Toolkit webpage. Each fortnight we will upload, videos, imagery and written information on all the important Digital Health tools. All you have to do is click here choose what way you want to learn more. This fortnight we are fully focused on Secure Messaging. You will find written information as well as videos on everything to do with Secure Messaging. We have pulled together an FAQ on Secure Messaging so if you have a specific question, we are sure it will be answered there, if it is not please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss further. As this ‘how to’ series is new to WAPHA we would love to hear your feedback, especially if you find the information useful and if so, what medium do you prefer it in. You can email us with your feedback or any questions you may have on ehealth@wapha.org.au
The Department of Health has funded access to the HealthDirect Video Call platform to 30 June 2022. This provides free Video Call access for general practitioners working in private practice and/or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs).
World Immunisation Week is just around the corner and aims promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases. To help counteract some of the myths surrounding vaccines, our Immunisation Myths campaign, features a series of short videos debunking some of the myths and encourages people to seek further advice from their GP. You can watch and share the videos below or visit our website for more information:
If you are a general practice and want to find out more about how we can help you to increase your childhood immunisation rates, please contact your usual Practice Support team member, or contact our toll free Practice Assist helpdesk on 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478) or email practiceassist@wapha.org.au
ATAGI, CDNA and the Department of Health has produced clinical guidance and advice regarding JEV vaccines. They are monitoring the unfolding situation in Australia concerning the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It has been declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance. As at 6 April 2022, there are 35 human cases of JEV in Australia. 23 have been confirmed with definitive laboratory and 12 are probable cases where the person has been linked epidemiologically and/or has symptoms of the disease and has laboratory suggestive evidence. None of these cases have occurred in WA. The following resources and webpages are available regarding Japanese encephalitis:
A new resource has been developed to assist providers with information about the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and the transition to web services.
Web services is a technology that is available over the internet. It enables two-way communication between two devices on a network, which means they can talk to each other securely and share data and services. The resource provides information about the transition to web services. Web services compatible Practice Management Software (PMS) will allow providers to access AIR and view a patient’s immunisation history without needing to log on to the AIR site. All providers who use PMS to do business with Services Australia need to transition to web services compatible software to ensure their organisation can continue to do so. This includes transmitting vaccination encounters to AIR. The resource is also available on the NCIRS website (under Vaccines delivery and AIR) for public access by all health professionals and immunisation providers. Please note that this document will be updated when new information is received and version control should be considered. Once printed, this document is no longer quality controlled.
Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Australia and accounts for 9% of all cancers. It is responsible for almost one in five cancer deaths in Australia. Cancer Australia, in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health, has commenced the early scoping of a potential national lung cancer screening program. As part of this work, Cancer Australia has engaged the University of Melbourne to undertake initial scoping work on workforce requirements for a potential Lung Cancer Screening program. You can contribute to this work through a short survey (7-10 minutes) to identify future training and education needs across the healthcare workforce. The survey takes 7-10 minutes to complete and closes on Tuesday 26 April. You can access the survey here or by clicking the QR code below.
In an age where data can be used to great benefit, it is helpful for GPs and general practices to understand how patients’ and practices’ sensitive data is kept safe and their privacy protected. Read more here
A new Assessment and Referral Phone Service will open for calls statewide from July 2022. The mental healthcare initiative is formed under the national Head to Health network of services, as part of the Australian Government National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. Operating alongside the Midland Head to Health adult mental health centre and Head to Health digital platform, the service provides state-wide access to telephone-based assessment and referral to match people to services to meet their mental health needs. WAPHA is leading the service establishment, with the tender process now commenced. An update on procurement for the awarded service provider is expected May 2022. The service model aligns with the person-centric principles identified by stakeholders through the initial pilot design phase for a service that is:
The dedicated landing page for the project can be accessed here
Improving the safe use of medicines with anticholinergic effects for older people can have a positive impact on quality of life and reduce the risk of side effects. The NPS MedicineWise website offers a range of evidence based education and resources on Anticholinergic Burden. The website includes:
Are you looking for ways to provide a better patient experience with improved outreach and engagement? Topbar is a decision support system designed to help you and your practice team. It supports more productive workflows, greater billing efficiency, and more comprehensive care – by better identifying patient needs. Top bar has a number of integrated apps that can customised to each user. The FLU app helps practices identify patients eligible and at risk of flu as soon as they present in your waiting room. For more information on Topbar access the Topbar Brochure and contact our Practice Assist team on 1800 2 ASSIST (277 478) or practiceassist@wapha.org.au for further assistance.
The Tool Kit provides useful fact sheets, user guides, checklists, business plans, posters and other resources covering all aspects of the day-to-day operations of successful general practices.
Practice assist in conjunction with Pen CS is running a series of webinars developed to provide you with a refresher on how to use Pen CS. These webinars will support you to evaluate your data and ensure it is squeaky clean.
Regular review of your data will enable you to see opportunities for Quality Improvement which our team of Quality Improvements coaches can support your practice to implement.
Along with our Primary Care Solutions team we have a dedicated Pen CS expert who will guide us through the fundamentals of using your data, in creating positive patient outcomes.
These sessions start on Wednesday 27 of April at 12:30pm and will run weekly on Wednesdays at the same time until July. Topics and booking links are below.
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance As Australians continue to live longer, they are more likely to develop multiple health conditions and chronic diseases. Recent evidence suggests that the adoption of integrated care is needed to provide the best possible care for older adults especially for those with multiple care needs and comorbidities. Join WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) and a panel of experts in the field to learn about the available resources in Western Australia for integrated care for older adults, pathways to incorporate integrated care into practice and the new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items to support the provision of comprehensive care for residents in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) including items for multidisciplinary care plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. This interactive and informative webinar will feature relevant clinical case studies and a panel discussion. View the flyer here for more information. Register online here
Dementia puts enormous strains on people living with declining cognitive function, their families, carers and their GPs. There’s a degree of scepticism about the value of early diagnosis given there are no effective medications; but in fact making the diagnosis as early as possible has enormous value and there are interventions, management options, pathways and sources of support which make a difference. Join us as we open up this very important conversation, with world authority on dementia, Professor Henry Brodaty, Dementia Australia’s Kaele Stokes, two GPs with a strong interest in the disease, metro based Dr Steph Daly and leading rural GP Dr Ewen McPhee. The panel will also be joined by a person living with dementia, sharing their invaluable real-life insight of the importance of diagnosis, management and support. This webinar is totally focussed on primary care and will offer valuable insights and an opportunity for interaction and discussion. Don’t miss it. Register Now.
Presented by WA Primary Health Alliance and Metropolitan Communicable Disease Control (MCDC) Join us for the return of our popular Immunisation Update for general practice staff. This presentation will cover:
View the flyer here for more information Certificate of Attendance will be issued. Register here
Following his extremely well-received presentation in November 2021, the Better Health, Together forum again welcomes esteemed Professor Jeremy Nicholson as keynote speaker for our May Forum. This time, Professor Nicholson will share his insights and facilitate discussion on:
Spirometry Quality Assurance in Primary Care Presented by Asthma WA 20 April
Upcoming changes to Provider Reporting on Resident and Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination Presented by the Department of Health 27 April
Practice Owners National Conference registrations are open Presented by RACGP 14 to 15 May
Hepatitis C in Drug and Alcohol Settings Presented by ASHM 28 May
2022 ACNP National Conference: Inspiring Future Growth for Nurse Practitioners and Advanced Practice Presented by ANCP 13-15 October