A message from your President

Greetings to all.

With the year coming to an end, it is often a time for reflection. Like 2020, much of 2021 has been dominated by COVID-19 and rapidly evolving developments. Now that our borders are opening, we are learning of a new strain of the virus known as the Omicron variant.

For me personally, my experience in Victoria has been very strange, as it has been for many. We have had a rolling series of lockdowns in Victoria. The Health Service in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in which I work has been one of the most affected in the country, with very high rates of infection in the local (vulnerable and marginalised) community. Our COVID-19 Positive Pathway in Community and COVID-19 Monitoring and Early Treatment (COMET) Program has cared for nearly 16,000 patients and supplied over 2,500 oximeters, 700 budesonide treatments and 300 sotrovimab infusions in the last three months. This capability now has the potential to be used for trials of emerging therapies in the Early Treatment and Pre/Post Exposure Prophylaxis space, and will require deepening collaboration between clinicians, scientists and public health physicians.

None of this is possible without the incredible generosity of spirit, collaboration and willingness to serve on the part of our wonderful clinicians, many of whom have come from services which could not be continued under peak COVID-19 conditions. Leadership is so much more than the stuff that is written in management books and Ted talks. It is simply this, from the poem Beowulf: "behaviour that is admired is the path to leadership amongst good people everywhere". Our physician colleagues who stepped up have my undying admiration and gratitude for their leadership. I am sure this has been repeated by many physicians across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The College provides members with regular updates from the Australian Government, Department of Health and the Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Health. Useful resources including a two-part webinar series on long COVID developed by the Expert Reference Group (ERG) can be found on the RACP website. Other resources include the 2020 COVID-19 Learning Report and 2021 member survey report Are you COVID-19 safe?.

I would like to thank the Adult Medicine Division (AMD) members and representatives for their ongoing contribution to the AMD Committees and cross-College committees and working parties. Details about the 2022 committee election process will follow in due course.

I would like to acknowledge and congratulate AMD trainees for their perseverance through yet another tough and unprecedented year.

Looking ahead to 2022, we look forward to the RACP Congress, with the AMD sessions being very ably developed by Dr Sharmila Chandran. I would like to thank Dr Chandran for her time and dedication to the program.

The Adult Medicine Division Council and Executive Committee will continue to progress their work plan initiatives including the delivery of a leadership course in mid-2022 and the Model of Collaboration (MoC) project with the Specialty Societies.

If you would like to discuss any of the above, I encourage you to reach out to me via the AMD secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au or on the ROC.

Wishing you all a healthy and restful festive season. Stay safe.

Best wishes

Professor Don Campbell
Adult Medicine Division President

AChSHM President’s Post

I am pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the online 2022 AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), being held on Saturday, 19 March 2022.

The theme for our 2022 ASM is “Towards new horizons” focusing on important topics such as:

• HIV in women
• complex cases
• STI testing and treatment paradigms
• online sexual health and new technology.

I also invite you to share your knowledge, expertise and advice with other members by registering as a mentor as part of the RACP Mentor Match via the RACP Online Community (ROC). Please watch this video to see how easy it is to participate.

The next AChSHM Committee meeting is scheduled for March 2022. 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 or reach out via the ROC.

I wish you all a safe and happy break over the summer.

Professor Kit Fairley
Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine President

AChPM President’s Post

I would like to open my final post for this year by extending my thanks and appreciation to all Fellows and trainees who attended the AChPM Fellows Update meeting on Friday, 12 November 2021. I apologise for the confusion around the time of the meeting and thank all participants for their forbearance. A special thank you to Ana Gomes and Debbie Barham for ensuring that Fellows logging on at 1pm AEDT had access to the information and discussion points.

I would like to congratulate Associate Professor Jenny Hynson on being the inaugural recipient of the AChPM Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline of Palliative Medicine. Associate Professor Hynson is Head of the Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program, a state-wide service for children with palliative care needs based at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Jenny advocated for, established, and developed this important service some 20 years ago and has overseen its growth into an internationally respected program.

Congratulations also to Dr Ahmed Nagla, who received the AChPM Best Trainee Research Project Award for his project entitled “Attitudes of Palliative Care Practitioners towards Enrolling Patients in Clinical Trials.” The project has recently been accepted for publication by the Journal of Palliative Care.

The Spirituality Training Working Group (STWG) is making great progress with reviewing the workshop content and format. Four modules will be developed to be delivered online and I look forward to keeping you informed on further updates as more information becomes available.

I invite you to share your knowledge, expertise and advice with other members by registering as a mentor as part of the RACP Mentor Match via the ROC.  Please watch this video to see how easy it is to participate.

Our next AChPM Committee meeting will be held in early 2022, with the exact date still to be confirmed. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments for the Committee, please feel free to get in touch via our secretariat at pallmed@racp.edu.au, alternatively you can also post through the ROC.

I wish everyone a wonderful and safe break over the summer, and the very best for 2022. For the Victorian Fellows, who may be facing a busy December and January due to COVID, on behalf of the Chapter Committee, I offer our support and encouragement.

Dr Michelle Gold
Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine President

AChAM President’s Post

I would like to thank all Fellows and trainees who attended the AChAM Fellows Update meeting during the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) conference. It was a great opportunity to meet with a large number of Fellows (albeit online), and to update members on recent activities and plans for next year.

I am pleased to advise that our Chapter’s RACP Online Community (ROC) has now launched. I encourage you to log into the ROC and begin connecting with other members at your earliest convenience. The ROC is a secure location and a valuable tool for us all to share, debate, and network. I look forward to meeting and engaging with members (Fellows and trainees) regularly via the ROC.

I invite you to share your knowledge, expertise and advice with other members by registering as a mentor as part of the RACP Mentor Match via the ROC. Please watch this video to see how easy it is to participate.

The Chapter continues to provide expert input into the College’s ongoing policy and advocacy activities regarding reducing the harmful effects of alcohol. The Drug Policy Working Group continues to discuss the scope of the evidence review, the position statement, and the proposed timeline for this work. The outline of the position statement is currently being developed and members will be provided with an opportunity to provide feedback in due course.

The Chapter Committee will hold its next meeting in February 2022. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments for the Committee, please get in touch via our secretariat at AddictionMed@racp.edu.au or reach out via the ROC.

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful and restful break over the Christmas and new year period.

Professor Nick Lintzeris
Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine President

Reminder to participate

A reminder for cardiology and rheumatology RACP Fellows to complete this one-minute online questionnaire, in affiliation with the University of Sydney and Western Local Health District, assessing clinician perspectives on psoriasis.

Your responses will be used to inform to standard practices of care, which is important for establishing a collective approach to managing this cohort. We strongly encourage you to participate.

Please complete the online survey now:

• Cardiologists
• Rheumatologists

Please disregard this reminder if you have already completed the survey.

Dr Belinda Lai, Dr Fiona Foo, Associate Professor Peter Wong, Professor Clara Chow, Professor Pablo F. Peñas, Dr Annika Smith.

Discover RACP Online Learning

We understand that you’re busy and that’s why our online courses are created to allow you to dip in and out, or just do the parts that are relevant to you. Developed by members, for members, the interactive nature of our online courses enables you to learn from your peers.

Covering important professional and clinical topics, such as ethics, cultural competence, communication skills, genomics, quality and safety, plus more, RACP Online Learning is free for members and counts towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

Safe training environments: addressing bullying, harassment and discrimination

Many of us are aware of ongoing reports from our members which indicate bullying, harassment, discrimination, and uncivil behaviours are significant issues within medicine.

Hostile interactions in training and work environments negatively impact safe patient care, lead to psychological stress and inhibit learning.

The RACP ethos holds that respect and care for our patients and colleagues is of the utmost importance.

The RACP has an unambiguous responsibility to lead, promote, and support Members in delivering safe patient care and facilitating positive learning environments.

In response to these reports, the Safe Training Environments Summit on Friday, 5 November 2021 brought together members of the College Education Committee, College Trainees’ Committee, and invited guests to collaborate and agree on a strategic approach to tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination in training environments.

We were grateful to hear from Dr Sally Langley, President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, regarding their approach to dealing with bullying, harassment, and discrimination in surgical training programs. Summit participants worked together to explore the root causes of these issues and prioritise key strategic areas where the RACP can take action.

In coming months, the RACP will be developing and sharing with you a strategic action plan to support this important work.

Physicians have a critical leadership role in setting the tone and behaviour of healthcare teams to foster respectful behaviour and attitudes. We call on you to be involved and join us in creating safe work and training environments.

Associate Professor Mitra Guha AM                       Dr Davina Buntsma
Chair, College Education Committee                       Chair, College Trainees’ Committee

Seeking your input to develop our new International Strategy

A new five-year RACP International Strategy is being developed, and we are seeking your advice and input.

We want to know what you are doing in the international space, what you feel the College should be doing, and how you view the future role of the RACP internationally.

Please take time to reflect and advise on the following:

• What activities are you involved with in the international space that involve (or should involve) the College?
• What do you think is important in shaping the future role of the RACP internationally?

Please email your responses to international@racp.edu.au.

Focus areas of international engagement

We have identified three focus areas of international engagement by the College and its members:

• Learn through partnership – including benchmarking, research and teaching collaborations with selected international colleges and similar entities
• Trusted provider – micro-credentialling, educational provider, expert resource to doctors world-wide, but especially in our region
• Global health supporter (LMIC) – we have rich and historical links with partner countries in our region. These are guided by RACP engagement principles:

• Are we wanted/have we been asked for assistance?
• Is there an identified need that supports and builds capacity?
  • Local clinicians
  • Builds the in-country health system
• Is the engagement robust and sustainable?
• Will it displace an existing, functioning activity?
• Does it use the College’s core capability in postgraduate training?

Sweeping change or incremental steps?

RACP Congress 2022 is bringing together a packed program that explores the ideas of what specialists can do to bring about positive change and the best approaches to achieve this. Hear from Keynote speaker Dr Sandro Demaio as he draws on his background and personal experiences in the session, and how health promotion is helping to rebuild a healthy population.

We explore what more we can be doing in the session, improving the workforce and support for rural and remote communities, and reflect on the global game changing lessons learnt during COVID-19.

Don’t miss your early bird discount.

There is still time to secure your early bird discount for RACP Congress. To do so, simply register for either an in-person or virtual ticket before Friday, 31 December 2021.

Explore the RACP Congress 2022 program.

Raise awareness of your research

One of the features of RACP Congress is the opportunity to share your research with a broad audience. You are now able to submit your abstracts for consideration for RACP Congress 2022. Don’t miss this chance to raise awareness of your work. 

RACP Foundation Awards

RACP President's Indigenous Congress Prize

The RACP President's Indigenous Congress Prize is open to medical students, Junior Medical Officers and RACP trainees who identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori. The selected applicant will receive support to attend the 2022 RACP Congress to gain educational and networking opportunities and exposure to career pathways within the College.

Please encourage anyone you know who is eligible to apply before the deadline on Monday, 31 January 2022. See the website for further details.

Best Poster Prize in Adult Medicine

The College awards this prize to a Fellow and a trainee who each demonstrate excellence of hypothesis, scientific merit and oral presentation for a poster presentation at the RACP Congress. Each recipient is awarded A$1,000 and a certificate.

See the website for further details. Abstract submissions close Friday, 4 February 2022.

Join the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy Reference Group

If you want to be more involved in shaping the College’s alcohol and other drugs (AOD) policy and advocacy, consider joining the AOD Policy Reference Group (PRG). The RACP regularly consults, collaborates and partners with Fellows and trainees through the PRG.

College PRGs allow members to engage with the policy and advocacy (P&A) activities in ways other than joining a formal College Body. We understand that members’ time is limited and we need to provide options that work around busy schedules and varied needs. By joining the PRG members are kept informed of P&A activities such as calls for input to College submissions, positions and policies, opportunities to apply to be representatives on College and external bodies, and alerts to advocacy campaigns on relevant health issues.

To help amplify the voice of your profession through advocacy activities within your own networks and aimed at key decision-makers, please email PAOps@racp.edu.au and express your interest.

Join the Working Group: Providing Healthcare to Patients with Cognitive Disability

Expressions of interest are being sought from RACP members and subject matter experts to join a working group to develop a new online learning resource for patients with cognitive disability.

The resource is being developed in response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. It will address recommendations to improve the education and training of health professionals in relation to people with cognitive disability.

To apply, submit an expression of interest form and your CV to Clare.Slater@racp.edu.au Applications close Monday, 13 December 2021.

Pomegranate Health Podcast

Episode 76: Making Amends - Medical Injury Part 3

Making Amends - Medical Injury Part 3 (Ep76) is the third podcast in a series about medical injury. In the first podcast - Saying Sorry - Medical Injury Part 1 (Ep74) - we talked about what patients and their families want to hear after an iatrogenic injury, and how practitioners can provide victims of adverse healthcare incidents with the comfort they seek.

In the second podcast - Feeling Guilty - Medical Injury Part 2 (Ep75) – we explored the guilt that can come about from having caused harm, and the cognitive dissonance this creates in one’s professional identity as a healer.

We also heard how fear of medicolegal suits is a major obstacle to greater transparency, at least in Australia, where litigation is virtually the only way for victims to get financial compensation for their hardship and ongoing care. While Aotearoa New Zealand, by contrast, operates a no-fault compensation scheme where all such costs are born by the government.

In Making Amends - Medical Injury Part 3 (Ep76) we’ll look at the advantages this system has, for patients and practitioners, and also some of the issues that remain unresolved.

Guests:

• Associate Professor Marie Bismark FAFPHM (Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne).

• Associate Professor Katharine Wallis FRACGP FACRRM (Head, Primary Care Clinical Unit, University of Queensland)

Note: We are looking for new members to join the Podcast Editorial Group for 2022.

Key responsibilities are to:

• discuss potential new podcast topics and prioritise them for development

• for a chosen topic, suggest themes to explore and people to interview

• listen to audio drafts and provide feedback to the producer to improve it before publication.

If you are interested in joining the RACP Podcast Editorial Group, please complete the application form and return by email to podcast@racp.edu.au. Applications close Monday, 31 January 2022.

Transcripts and supporting references are available on the Pomegranate Health website.

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

Fellows of the RACP can claim CPD credits for listening and learning via MyCPD.

Updated AFRM Position Statement on the Use of Stem Cell Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy

The AFRM Stem Cells Working Group has completed the update of the Position Statement on the Use of Stem Cell Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy based on a review of peer-reviewed literature.

Currently, health professionals lack summary information about current medical research to enable informed discussion. The purpose of the updated position statement is to provide a brief introduction of stem cells, a concise summary of the current clinical research landscape on stem cell treatments for cerebral palsy and recommendations to support discussion between physicians and their patients.

The key contents of the updated position statement contain:

• a summary of recommendations
• types, sources and current clinical use of stem cells
• the use of stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy
• current research available for families and health professionals
• implications for families

Victorian Coroner’s Findings in Anaphylaxis Case

We draw your attention to an important extract from the Victorian Coroner’s Findings into the anaphylaxis death of a young person. Please be aware of the coroner’s recommendation directed to RACP members outlined below.

Coroner Bracken recommended that, in order to reduce the risk of harm associated with food allergies and anaphylaxis RACP members be aware of the dangers and consider referring all patients (especially children and young persons) who present with food allergies to a specialist immunologist or immunology clinic such as that at the Royal Children's Hospital for assessment and management of such allergies.

Click here for the case findings.

Appraisal by the Medical Services Advisory Committee

Scheduled agenda items for the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) Meeting –
31 March to 1 April 2022.

Application 1354.1 – Intravascular ultrasound guided coronary stent insertion

Application 1613 – Permanent acute coronary syndrome event detector (insertion, removal or replacement of) for monitoring of the heart's electrical activity

Application 1614.1 - Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for the treatment of medically refractory essential tremor

Application 1646 – Whole genome sequencing of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens

Application 1669 – KRAS G12C variant testing to determine eligibility for PBS-subsidised sotorasib second-line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung cancer

Application 1673 – Single operator, single use, peroral cholangiopancreatoscopy for diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures and removal of difficult biliary stones

Application 1678 - Integrating practice pharmacists into Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (The IPAC Project)

Application 1679 – Improved medication management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Feasibility Study (IMeRSe Feasibility Study)

Application 1695 – Procedures for the implantation and refill-exchange of the Port Delivery System with ranibizumab to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Application 1699 - National Lung Cancer Screening Program

Consultation input

MSAC values consultation input from individuals and organisations with an interest in an application that it is considering, including experience of the medical conditions, services or technologies being addressed by the application.

Consultation input must be received by no later than Friday, 11 February 2022 for it to be considered by MSAC at its March/April 2022 meeting. A Consultation Survey Form is available on the relevant application webpage.

For more information regarding MSAC, including how to apply for a new MBS item or a change to an existing MBS item, status of reviews and completed reports, or subscribing to the email bulletin, please refer to the MSAC website or contact the Health Technology Assessment Access Point via:

MSAC website: www.msac.gov.au
Email: hta@health.gov.au

Events

The RACP 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.

Specialty Society Webinar Series

Our College collaborates in many ways with the affiliated specialty societies. One such collaboration is the Specialty Society Webinar Series. The College facilitates webinars for specialty societies as part of this, providing the technology for the event. The webinar series has been running since 2017, with societies applying to be part of the series. In 2021, 11 societies were part of this, presenting 34 webinars. On average, each webinar had 65 registrations and 23 attendees. Webinars are recorded and available from the College website. We would like to extend our thanks to the societies for their engagement, and to all those who gave their time to present and attend.

Australian and New Zealand Affiliate of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine: Improving Diagnosis Conference – Virtual, 28-29 April 2022

Previously known as the Australasian Diagnostic Error in Medicine Conference, the Improving Diagnosis conference will be hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Affiliate of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (ANZA-SIDM).

ANZA-SIDM will bring together diverse multidisciplinary groups including researchers, patients, physicians, surgeons, radiologists, paramedics, linguists, psychologists, medical administrators, and others, all dedicated to the subject of making diagnosis safer.

The conference will be held virtually on 28-29 April 2022. For further details please go to the Improving Diagnosis Conference webpage. 

AChSHM ASM coming in March 2022

Coming to you in 2022 as a wholly virtual experience, the AChSHM ASM promises once again to provide a day packed with engaging sessions and fascinating insights.

Featuring leading voices such as Professor Catriona Bradshaw, Dr Judith Dean, Professor David Lewis, and Dr Shema Tariq and covering a range of topics, such as:

• HIV in women
• complex cases
• STI testing and treatment paradigms
• online sexual health and new technology.

Explore the program and register here.

Health Sector Women's Leadership Summit

Created by Australia’s leading authority on women’s leadership, Women & Leadership Australia, The Australian Health Sector Women’s Leadership Summit is a major new online event for women leaders at all levels and across all facets of the health sector.

Guiding our health sector organisations through the coronavirus pandemic and continuing to prioritise patient care has placed extraordinary demands on leaders across Australia and the world.

The world as we knew it has changed, and for some, a level of ambiguity will remain. This critical juncture presents a timely opportunity to reflect and learn from our recent experience and rethink the way we do things.

The Summit supports leadership development through strategic industry-based networking, targeted skills development, and opportunities for leaders to share their experiences. The Summit will also provide access to an unparalleled group of inspirational women leaders and role models.

This interactive, online event will feature inspirational keynote presentations, expert workshops, panel discussions, participant breakout sessions and discussion forums.

 Date and time:

• Friday, 25 March 2022
• Attendee registration will commence at 8:40am (AEDT)
• Summit sessions will conclude at 3.40pm (AEDT)

Fees and registration:

To launch this exciting event, we are offering the first 100 delegates an incredible Super Saver registration rate of A$295 + GST (standard rate is A$695 + GST).

Click here to register for the event or find out more about the Summit.

Register for your Super Saver ticket via this link.

Expressions of Interest

• Represent your region on the Tasmanian Regional Committee
• Become an RACP accreditor
• Participate in the 'Your CPD Journey' research study
• Gastroenterology project markers needed
• Advanced Training Research Project markers needed in Cardiology
• Be an Advanced Trainee Representative on the CJCT in Haematology
• Calling all Adult Medicine Fellows
• Calling all AMD Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Trainees
• Rheumatology project markers needed

Career opportunities 

View career opportunities on the RACP website.