President's Post

Greetings to all.

The first meeting of the AMD Council for this year was held on 10 March 2021, with specialty societies, Chapters, trainees, and Aotearoa New Zealand well-represented.

This meeting focused on progress made against the Division’s 2021–2022 work plan initiatives:

• increase equity and fairness in Advanced Training selection
• grow the Indigenous physician workforce
• improve capacity to identify workforce composition and areas of need
• support and grow the physician leader
• improve understanding and clarify the value of the AMD.

Members’ discussion highlighted the value of increasing Indigenous cultural recognition in the life of the College. I look forward to incorporating te reo (Māori language) and tikanga (cultural practices) as appropriate in future AMD meetings, as these practices complement our work supporting growth of the Indigenous workforce in both our countries.

During the meeting, AMD Council members received an update on the RACP Constitution Review Project. Members were reassured that the Board is not recommending a particular model at this point and that member feedback is eagerly sought by the College.

To that end, I refer you to a consultation paper that was circulated to members in February, with feedback sought by close of business Friday, 9 April 2021 to constitution@racp.edu.au.

My feedback to this process will highlight the valuable role that the AMD plays in assisting our College and Board to fulfil their responsibilities, and the importance of ensuring that the College Council is fit-for-purpose and appropriately representative of the College membership.

Reviewing AMD activity since we last met, I am struck by the fact that much of our activity has been built on reciprocity. There has been a clear focus on building relationships with specialty societies, the Chapters, and the Board. To that end, we see the establishment of effective models of collaboration between the College, through the AMD, with its affiliated special societies as a particularly important one, and I look forward to providing you with more information about this initiative in my next post.

Finally, I want to draw your attention to Congress this year. It is fair to say that the new model of delivery is one that brings the Congress to the membership in a way that has not been attempted before. The two speakers selected by the AMD reflect the reasons why: The Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Oration will be given by Professor Sharon Lewin from the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, and the Cottrell Memorial Oration will be given by Dr Michael Ryan, the Director of Pandemic Response for the World Health Organization, and an inspiring speaker and public health advocate. I commend AMD Lead Dr Sharmila Ramessur Chandran for her work forming a varied and interesting AMD program for Congress. That program can be viewed on the Congress website and I encourage you to register.

If you have any questions or feedback for me, you are welcome to contact me via the Adult Medicine Division secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au.

Professor Don Campbell
Adult Medicine Division President

AChSHM President’s Post

The AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) was held virtually on 20 March 2021, followed by the Chapter’s Trainees’ Day on 21 March 2021.

I would like to thank ASM Lead Convener Dr Rick Varma, Trainees’ Day Lead Convener Dr Mark O’Reilly, and the two Program Committees for their efforts in planning these two days. I’d also like to thank all speakers and delegates for contributing to making the event a success.

We had our second meeting of the clinical directors for Australasia (with the exception of NSW directors, who have a similar meeting) and many attended and were pleased with the opportunity to discuss practical issues of running STI services. This meeting was run ‘under’ the Chapter banner although not supported administratively. It was interesting to meet with the Presidents of the Australasian Chapters of Addiction and Palliative Medicine in February, and to identify a shared interest in increased opportunities to meet and network with colleagues. I am hopeful that the new RACP Online Communities, the trial of which the AChSHM Committee will participate, supports such initiatives in the near future.

Lastly, I would like to advise that the Jan Edwards Prize for the Best Abstract Oral Presentation by a registered AChSHM trainee is now open, with applications closing on Sunday, 2 May 2021.

The next AChSHM Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23 June 2021. If there are any issues you would like to raise with the Committee, or if you have any feedback for us, please feel free to contact us through our secretariat at shmed@racp.edu.au.

Professor Kit Fairley
President
Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine

AChPM President’s Post

I would like to provide members with updates about some policy and advocacy activity that the College and Chapter have been involved with in recent months.

As many of you will be aware, the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has been released and is now being considered by the Australian Government. This report laid out an extensive plan to overhaul Australia’s aged care system. I am pleased to note that several of the College’s recommendations have been addressed by the Royal Commission, including improving the provision of resources and outreach services for end-of-life and palliative care services, and increasing funding for palliative care services for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is good to see the way in which our members help to drive positive health reforms.

For those interested in reading more about implications of the Royal Commission for palliative care, I recommend that members refer to the Palliative Care Australia media release.

One of the topics discussed at our most recent Chapter meeting was the implementation of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) across different jurisdictions. I know that this is a topic of deep interest to many Chapter members. I would like to let members know that the College made a submission to the Queensland Law Reform Commission’s (QLRC) legal framework for VAD in November last year, which lists the College’s positions if and where VAD is legalised, including the clear statement that “Every patient should have access to timely, equitable, good quality end-of-life care, with access to specialist palliative care where appropriate. These services must not be devalued.” Many recommendations are contained in this submission.

I would like to thank Dr Eswaran Waran for his contributions to the Chapter while serving as Chair of the Training Committee in Palliative Medicine (TCPM). I would also like to welcome Dr Sadie Dunn, who joined her first Chapter Committee meeting in February as incoming Chair of the TCPM.

The TCPM is currently seeking expressions of interest from palliative medicine Fellows who have trained via either the FRACP or the FAChPM pathway for the Lead in Assessment (Division) role. I encourage all eligible members to apply before applications close on Friday, 30 April 2021.

I attended the Adult Medicine Division Council meeting on 10 March 2021, where members had the opportunity to discuss a range of issues that will be of interest to AChPM members. These included growing the Indigenous physician workforce, identifying areas of need in the physician workforce, and the RACP Constitution and Governance Review. I encourage all members to respond to the consultation currently being held as part of this review, by Friday, 9 April 2021.

Finally, I am very excited to announce a new Chapter award – the AChPM Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Fellow to the discipline of palliative medicine. The prize is now open for nominations and will close on Wednesday, 30 June 2021.

The AChPM Committee will next meet on Friday, 4 June 2021 via videoconference. If you have any feedback, questions or comments for the Committee, please get in touch via our secretariat at pallmed@racp.edu.au.

Dr Michelle Gold
President
Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine

AChAM President’s Post

The Committee continues to contribute regularly to policy and advocacy efforts aimed at reducing the harms of alcohol and other drugs.

As part of this effort, the Committee recently provided feedback on the NSW Ministry of Health consultation on proposed amendments to the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation (2008) to enable implementation of a Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) solution in NSW.

Despite some delays, the Drug Policy Working Group will soon progress the development of a Drug Policy, which will set out the College’s position on effective drugs policy including preventative measures, evidence-based treatment services and regulatory options to reduce harm from substance use disorders, and the use of drugs more broadly.

The AChAM Committee will next meet on Tuesday, 6 April 2021 via videoconference. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments for the Committee, please get in touch via our secretariat at AddictionMed@racp.edu.au.

Professor Nicholas Lintzeris 
President 
Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine

Australian Government Department of Health (DoH) update: COVID-19 Health Response – Extension of COVID-19 specialist telehealth items until 30 June 2021

As part of Australia’s COVID-19 health response the Government will extend the COVID-19 specialist telehealth items in their current form, for a further three months, from Thursday, 1 April 2021 to Wednesday, 30 June 2021. Further information about the extension of Australia’s COVID-19 health response is available via the Prime Minister of Australia’s media release.

The DoH continues to review the ongoing role of COVID-19 telehealth in supporting patients during the pandemic and plan a longer term arrangement for MBS specialist telehealth in consultation with peak medical professional groups, including the RACP.

Cancer and COVID-19 vaccines in Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand is embarking on a national COVID-19 vaccine roll out.

Before a COVID-19 vaccine can be administered in Aotearoa New Zealand, it must be approved by MedSafe. This provides assurance of its safety, quality and effectiveness. Information about the COVID-19 vaccines in general can be found at the New Zealand Ministry of Health website.

Information on the national COVID-19 roll-out strategy can also be found at the New Zealand Ministry of Health website.

Te Aho o Te Kahu has released advice for clinicians on COVID-19 vaccines and cancer. Some answers to frequently asked questions for whānau living with cancer have also been provided:

• Te Aho o Te Kahu guidance for clinicians on COVID-19 vaccines and cancer (Word 127 KB)
• Te Aho o Te Kahu guidance for clinicians on COVID-19 vaccines and cancer (PDF 193 KB)
• Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and cancer (Word 53 KB)
• Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and cancer (PDF 98 KB)

Updated PREP 2022 program requirements and COVID-19 interim changes now available online

The updated 2021 COVID-19 interim changes and PREP 2022 program requirements are now available on the relevant Basic Training and Advanced Training speciality pages.

Basic Training

Please check the eligibility criteria of each 2021 COVID-19 interim change to see if they apply to you.

There are no changes to the PREP 2022 program requirements for Basic Training in Adult Internal Medicine and Paediatrics & Child Health.

Advanced Training

Please check the eligibility criteria of each 2021 COVID-19 interim change to see if they apply to you.

The updated PREP 2022 program requirements apply to all trainees registered in a PREP program in 2022.

PREP trainees and their supervisors should familiarise themselves with the updated 2022 program requirements for their specialty to ensure you are following the correct requirements for each training year.

Congratulations 2021 Research Award Recipients

Congratulations to the Fellows and trainees who have been awarded 2021 RACP Foundation Research Awards:

The Foundation would like to express its appreciation to the Grants Advisory Committee and the Aotearoa New Zealand Grants Advisory Committee, as well as other Fellows whose generous contribution of time and expertise have made the review process for these awards possible.

The next round of applications for the 2022 RACP Foundation Research Awards will open Monday, 3 May 2021 on the new RACP Foundation online grant portal powered by SmartyGrants. More information on awards available for this round is available at the RACP website.

Chapter Awards

AChPM Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline of Palliative Medicine

Nominate a Fellow for their outstanding contribution to palliative medicine. The award includes a cash prize of $500 and a certificate formally presented at the ANZSPM Conference in September 2021. Please see the RACP website for further details. Nominations close Wednesday, 30 June 2021.

AChSHM Jan Edwards Prize

The Jan Edwards Prize is awarded for the best research-based abstract oral presentation by a registered AChSHM trainee. The prize includes $500 and a certificate. For further details and to apply please visit the website. Applications close Monday, 31 May 2021.

Why attend RACP Congress 2021?

Exclusive access to all RACP Congress content

RACP Congress 2021 sessions will only be available to those who register. Aside from being able to live stream all sessions, registration includes six months of exclusive access to all sessions so you can watch them at your leisure.

For those who are attending one of the face-to-face events, your ticket also includes access to the entire Congress event via our live stream and the ability to access all Congress content for six months.

Along with a growing list of speakers, other great sessions coming to you at RACP Congress 2021 include Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director the World Health Organization. He will be delivering his oration 'Only Time: Reflections on the importance of time in responding effectively to COVID-19'. Another interesting session is on 'Unlocking the power of physician advocacy' by Dr Robert Lethbridge. This presentation will highlight how physicians can inspire and promote systemic change, and the ways in which the College is promoting physician advocacy.

Make sure you visit the RACP Congress website to see the latest additions to the program.

Important information for those attending Congress in person

For those who are attending a one-day face-to-face event in their local city, whilst all the RACP Congress 2021 venues have a COVID VenueSafe plan, if a face-to-face event must be cancelled, those who have purchased a face-to-face ticket for that city will be switched to a virtual ticket and be refunded for the difference.

New online course: Physician wellbeing in challenging times

Physicians often fail to put on their own oxygen masks when dealing with the challenges and stresses that come with practising during a pandemic. This new online course explores in-depth how to better support your own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of your staff and colleagues through compassionate leadership. The course covers concepts, strategies, and tools to help you mitigate the impact, set healthy boundaries, prevent burnout, and build support networks during a crisis.

Enrol in the new developing effective teaching skills QStream course

Fellows and trainees of all specialities are invited to enrol in this new Qstream course, which has a mid-May start. The course is designed to provide practical strategies to help you enhance your teaching skills and effectively balance teaching with a busy workload.

You'll access in-depth case studies with questions that are sent directly to your inbox at spaced intervals over a three-week period. Each question takes just ten minutes to complete, and participants are encouraged to discuss the case studies and share opinions with others through secure, online discussion forums.

The course is designed to enhance your knowledge in adult learning, provide practical strategies to incorporate effective teaching skills into day-to-day settings, and encourage self-reflection and peer discussion.

Telehealth: Is it helpful or does it damage the patient relationship and increase your stress?

All Australian members are encouraged to attend this topical telehealth webinar held on Monday, 12 April 2021 at 7pm (ACST). Hosted by Avant Mutual, you'll understand your telehealth responsibilities, learn strategies to mitigate your risk, and hear some of the most common pitfalls and complaints. 

Artificial intelligence for healthcare webinar now on Medflix

Tune in to Medflix and watch the recording of the recent Artificial intelligence for healthcare: your questions answered webinar. Associate Professor Clair Sullivan FRACP, Dr Olivier Salvado and Professor Enrico Coiera hosted an interactive panel discussion covering key topics including how physicians can implement artificial intelligence (AI) models into clinical practice, and other technical and cultural challenges of AI.

Watch recording

Submission to the NSW Government’s Regulation to support Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) consultation paper

The RACP welcomes the Commonwealth Government and the NSW Government’s actions towards implementing Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) of targeted high-risk medications as a way of reducing harm from prescription medicines.

This submission led by the College’s Chapter of Addiction Medicine outlines potential unintended consequences of RTPM and makes recommendations to the NSW Government to ensure it meets its goal of reducing harm from opioid and other prescription medicines that can cause dependence. These recommendations include implementing wider service planning, increasing funding for addiction medicine and other evidence-based alcohol and drug treatment services, training and education for prescribers and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of RTPM.

Learn more

Evolve ‘Top-5’ recommendations on low-value practices in nephrology

On World Kidney Day 2021, the RACP and Evolve launched the latest Evolve ‘Top-5’ recommendations on low-value practices in nephrology.

Kidney function and kidney disease impact human health across an array of systems and specialities. The new Evolve recommendations on low-value practices in nephrology span and interact with a wide range of conditions, populations and disciplines.

Learn more about the newest recommendations

FASD update: report of Senate inquiry and launch of Australian Registry

Recently, the Senate Community Affairs References Committee into Effective approaches to prevention and diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) handed down its final report. The report includes 32 recommendations covering the prevention, diagnosis and management of FASD.

Key recommendations stress the need to:

• improve data collection on FASD, including a national prevalence study and research into the cost of FASD in Australia
• introduce Medicare Benefits Schedule items that cover the range of clinical practices involved in FASD assessments, diagnoses and treatments
• include FASD in the Australian Government list of recognised disabilities
• screen children and young people within the child protection and youth justice systems for FASD
• engage with First Nation organisations to improve access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme for people in remote Australia and the development of community-led projects to prevent and manage FASD.

The Committee also urges reforms to address the broader culture of alcohol use that contributes to higher-risk consumption, including the introduction of marketing, pricing and taxation measures set out in the National Alcohol Strategy.

The report references the RACP submission to the Senate inquiry into FASD and discusses the testimony offered on behalf of the College by Professor Elizabeth Elliott.

FASD Australian Registry (FASDAR)

In related news, the FASDAR was launched recently. The FASDAR aims to maintain a central database of cases to help develop a greater understanding of FASD, inform new research and support families. FASDAR invites all health professionals who look after Australian families with children under 15 years with a FASD diagnosis to inform them about the FASDAR.

Recap of World Obesity Day 2021

On World Obesity Day 2021, we joined a range of leading health organisations in a joint statement to call for new clinical guidelines for overweight and obesity. An evidence-based approach to supporting people with obesity will help improve people’s health and quality of life, reduce harmful stigma and decrease wasteful investments in ineffective approaches. The initiative was covered by the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, Brisbane Times and WA Today, as well segments on ABC 24 and WIN News.

On 4 March 2021, our partners at the Obesity Collective hosted a series of rapid talks by speakers from across Australia who explored the many health, social and personal facets of obesity. We invite members to watch the talks at the Obesity Collective website.

A new ‘More than meets the eye’ campaign was also launched to mark World Obesity Day. The campaign is designed to tackle one of the less known drivers of obesity and psychological harm – weight stigma. The campaign is based on focus group research completed by the Collective and the University of Sydney. The first video in the campaign shares the story of Emma whose history with obesity stigma echoes the experience of millions of Australians. Please share her story and our call for obesity guidelines with your professional networks and on social media.

Pomegranate Health podcast

Ep68: Gendered Medicine – Pain

Gender can be considered a social determinant of health in the different pressures and expectations it puts on women and men. For example, the taboos around menstruation are so profound that many young women are dangerously naive about their own reproductive health. Meanwhile, endometriosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and other conditions associated with chronic pain have a stigma around them that means self-reports are often not taken seriously by health professionals. Historic notions of hysteria have a more profound impact on medical thinking than we might imagine, and in this podcast we ask what can be done to erase these.

Guest

• Gabrielle Jackson (Associate News Editor Guardian Australia, Author Pain and Prejudice)

Listen to podcast

Subscribe to email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.

Membership of Specialty Societies

Specialty societies bring together physicians and research and clinical scientists who are actively involved in the study of a particular specialty. The RACP maintains close links with specialty societies and draws upon their expertise for guidance on matters relevant to their specialty. AMD members are encouraged to explore what societies may offer to them. A list of all RACP-affiliated specialty societies is available on the RACP website.

Keep up-to-date with RACP events

We understand there’s a lot going on at the College and that it can be difficult to keep informed about all of the upcoming RACP events. To help make life easier, we’re introducing a new monthly event digest, which highlights the key RACP events that are coming up in the next two months. It also helps you plan ahead, by saving the date for events that will be held later in the year.

We’re hosting more online events than ever before, which is a window of opportunity for you to virtually attend events from all over Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. You will still be informed about RACP and industry events in our regular communications and can access the RACP events listing webpage at any time. This is a condensed monthly digest to make life easier for you.

You can expect to receive the event digest on the first Wednesday of each month, with the first one launching on Wednesday, 7 April 2021. Keep an eye out for it, which will feature the above banner image. We hope this makes your life that little bit easier and we look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Webinar – Using health data for practice reflection: Changing expectations on the role of data in professional development

The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre is kicking off a series of virtual events covering hot topics in the field of practice analytics. The first webinar will be held on Wednesday, 21 April 2021 from 9am (AEST) and will explore the potential use of health data for practice reflection and professional development. The event will consider how this aligns with the Medical Board of Australia’s Professional Performance Framework. The panel will include Anne Tonkin (Medical Board of Australia Chair), Professor John Wilson AM (RACP President), Adjunct Professor Julian Archer (Executive General Manager for Education, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons), Dr David Rankin (Director Clinical Governance and Informatics, Cabrini Health) and chaired by Tim Shaw (Director of Research, Digital Health CRC).

Register now

SMS subsidy extension

On behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Health, the Australian Digital Health Agency advises that the SMS subsidy funding currently applied to the sending of electronic prescription tokens will be further extended from Wednesday, 31 March 2021 to Wednesday, 30 June 2021.

The Department and Agency are keen to work with the health sector to establish an ongoing model to support the provision of electronic prescriptions to consumers. To enable this consultation to occur, the extension of the SMS subsidy funding to Wednesday, 30 June 2021 will allow for further consideration on future funding arrangements.

It should be noted that SMS costs are specific to the provision of electronic prescription tokens to patients on their mobile phone. Alternatives exist for prescribers and dispensers to send electronic prescriptions to patients via email or through mobile applications that do not incur these SMS costs. The Active Script List, once implemented across Australia, will also provide health professionals an option for token management that will not incur the SMS charges. Innovations across the digital landscape will undoubtedly also offer other alternatives as more digital health initiatives become a reality over time.

Internal Medicine Journal (IMJ) March 2021 now online

The March 2021 issue of the IMJ (Volume 51, Issue 3) is now live on the RACP website (log in using RACP log in credentials).

Key highlights from the issue are:

• frailty in patients with aortic stenosis
• advances in management of melanoma
• febuxostat treatment in gout patients on dialysis
• reducing medical errors for hospital Parkinsonian inpatients
• peritonitis, peritoneal dialysis and cardiovascular disease
• mental illness in chronic respiratory disease.

This month’s Editor's Choice is an Original Article titled 'Portopulmonary hypertension: prognosis and management in the current treatment era – results from the REHAP registry' by Maria Lazaro Salvador, Carlos A. Quezada Loaiza, Luis Rodríguez Padial, Joan A. Barberá, Manuel López-Meseguer, Raquel López-Reyes, Ernest Sala-Llinas, Sergio Alcolea, Isabel Blanco and Pilar Escribano-Subías, on behalf of REHAP Investigators.

Expressions of Interest

• Gender Equity in Medicine Reference Group (GEMRG) seeking trainees and Fellows
• The AMC seeks Fellows to review medical specialties
• Training Committee in Palliative Medicine seeks Lead in Assessment (Division)
• Māori trainee representative role open
• Calling all Aotearoa NZ Trainees
• The ATC in Medical Oncology seeks Project Reviewers
• Represent NSW and ACT trainees
• RACP Congress seeks Trainee Representative

Check the Expressions of Interest page at any time, to find out if there are any opportunities that are of benefit to you.

Conferences and events

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians publishes notices of events and courses as a service to members. Such publication does not constitute endorsement or mandating of any such events or courses.

Go to the events list at any time to see what events are coming up.

Career opportunities 

Please see the College website to view all medical positions vacant.