twrama 1990_final oc.. - AMA WA

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SNIPPET TIME TO END THE INTERNSHIPS BLAME GAME T he Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) is calling for an end to the political stand-off that threatens to send Australian-trained doctors overseas. AMSA President James Churchill said it was disappointing that the recent goodwill from the Commonwealth Government to provide $10 million to address the internship shortfall had not been matched by commitments from the States. “It is appalling that the states have simply turned their backs on Australia’s future doctors by not agreeing to fund the internship positions required,” Mr Churchill said. “Communities are desperate for Australian-trained doctors, but without internships these graduates will be forced overseas or to pursue careers outside the healthcare system. “The Commonwealth Government has committed funding for 100 of the 182 extra internships required, and it is time that states came to the table and paid their fair share. “This issue is not about political point scoring, it is about investing now in the future of Australia’s health system. “We are not talking about a large amount of money – about $8 million split among the states. It is a small price to pay to keep Australian-trained doctors in our health system and serving our communities. “A funding agreement needs to be reached immediately to allow time for accreditation of these positions before new doctors are due to start treating patients in January 2013. “We don’t have time for the State and Federal Governments to continue to quibble; we need an agreement now,” Mr Churchill said. GO FROM ORDINARY TO SUPERB Go from ordinary weekends to Superb ones. Where dropping the kids at footy becomes a limo ride; the drive to the beach, an escape. It’s because we’ve thought of everything to make your journey Superb. Enjoy head-turning European style with Volkswagen Group technology throughout. Explore our great indoors with exceptional legroom and up to 1,865 litres of luggage space 1 . Feel the performance of powerful yet fuel efficient engines, a choice of TDI, TSI and V6 in either Sedan or Wagon, with 4x4 standard on our V6 and optional on our 103 TDI. Be reassured, with Bi-Xenon 2 auto headlights that can see around corners, nine airbags, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, 24-hour ŠKODA Roadside Assist and Electronic Stability Control. Appreciate the ease of Park Assist 3 that automatically slots you into the tightest spaces, luxurious leather seats 2 , dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, Bluetooth® phone connectivity and loads of simply clever touches you won’t find anywhere else. Take this weekend’s car search from ordinary to Superb. UK Wagon of the year 2012 ŠKODA Superb 1 Wagon with rear seats folded down. 2 Standard on Elegance trim only. 3 42 Standard MEDICUS on Wagon only. October BARBAGALLO ŠKODA OSBORNE PARK 352 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park WA 6017 DL 2061 Phone : (08) 6500 0732 barbagallo.com.au/skoda
HIGHER RISK OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST SOME INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES I nternational medical graduates are more likely than their Australian-trained counterparts to have complaints made against them to medical boards and receive adverse disciplinary findings, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. However, the results differed markedly by overseas country of training, according to the lead author Katie Elkin and leader of the research group Professor David Studdert, from the School of Population Health and Law School at the University of Melbourne, and their co-author. The researchers found that doctors who qualified in Nigeria, Egypt, Poland, Russia, Pakistan, the Philippines and India had higher odds of complaints than Australian-trained doctors. The numbers of international medical graduates (IMGs) in Australian clinical practice have grown and now account for nearly 25 per cent of doctors in this country. According to the authors, some high-profile cases featuring incompetent IMGs have ignited public concerns, but there is very little hard evidence about whether the quality of care delivered by this large section of our national medical workforce is better or worse. The researchers analysed over 5000 complaints resolved by the medical boards in Victoria and Western Australia between 2001 and 2010 and found that overall, IMGs had 24 per cent higher odds of attracting complaints than Australian-trained doctors, and 41 per cent higher odds of having adverse disciplinary findings made against them. The big differences were among IMGs themselves. For example, complaint rates against doctors trained in some countries were more than five times greater than complaint rates against doctors trained in other countries. Despite having relatively high complaint rates, the contribution of IMGs from some countries to total complaints in Victoria and Western Australia was small, the authors wrote. The authors added more research was needed to uncover the reasons for the inter-country differences. The data used in the study preceded the move to a national practitioner registration system. “The recent move to a national registration framework should expand opportunities for research in this area,” they wrote. “Findings from this study should provoke and inform discussion about more sophisticated approaches to regulating IMGs”, the researchers concluded. In an accompanying editorial published in the same issue of the MJA, Professor Balakrishnan Nair and his co-author, from the Centre for Continuing Medical Professional Development at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, wrote that the report highlighted “the need for a proactive and tailored approach in assessing, mentoring and supporting IMGs, which, in turn, will improve patient care”. According to the authors, an unpublished survey conducted by their centre showed that, of 243 IMGs, one-quarter reported receiving no formal orientation and fewer than half received orientation lasting less than one day. “Instead of setting IMGs up to fail, we should be doing everything to set them up to succeed. If IMGs fail, both the Australian community and the medical profession will suffer,” they wrote. SNIPPET AUSTRALIA’S FIRST LIVER–INTESTINAL TRANSPLANT HAILED A SUCCESS Australia’s first intestinal transplant recipient remains well two years after his operation who described the breakthrough procedure in detail in the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Mayur Garg and Dr Adam Testro, gastroenterologists with the Liver Transplant Unit at Austin Hospital, and their co-authors described how a team of 20 surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre staff performed the operation. Austin Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital in Victoria recently joined the ranks of 35 centres worldwide that are equipped to perform this procedure, which can save the lives of patients with irreversible intestinal failure. The 32-year-old recipient had experienced bowel dysfunction since birth and had had multiple operations by the age of 18 years. Since the operation, his psychological well-being and quality of life had improved markedly. He is now able to eat and has returned to full-time work for the first time in 14 years. According to the authors, there have been enormous advances in immunosuppression protocols, surgical technique and post-operative care since the first human intestinal transplant was performed three decades ago. Figures now show five-year survival rates of more than 50 per cent for intestinal transplants performed between 2006 and 2011. Prior to the establishment of this service, Australians who needed this operation either succumbed to their condition or had to travel overseas at great financial and psychosocial expense, said Associate Professor Simone Strasser, a senior staff specialist at AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, in an editorial in the same issue of the MJA. However, medical advances such as intestinal transplant would be stymied unless organ donation rates improved, she wrote. “We must have an effective and sustained improvement in organ donation rates to bring Australia in line with countries in North America and Europe that are able to provide transplantation to two to three times as many patients as we do.” October MEDICUS 43
Page 1 and 2: WESTERN AUSTRALIAMEDICUS Journal of
Page 3 and 4: Council President Dr Richard Choong
Page 5 and 6: FROM THE EDITOR AMA (WA) advances i
Page 7 and 8: GP BREAKFAST Please clarify: Dr Ste
Page 9 and 10: EVENT Walking the tightrope Maintai
Page 11 and 12: INDUSTRIAL A matter of record The A
Page 13 and 14: A good Practice to get into Benefit
Page 15 and 16: Simplify YOUR Life We can help with
Page 17 and 18: Osborne Park Volkswagen AMA Members
Page 19 and 20: Food reform on the agenda The Austr
Page 21 and 22: OPINION systems will improve what
Page 23 and 24: OPINION Some other health professio
Page 25 and 26: COVER STORY SILENCE KILLS It’s ti
Page 27 and 28: COVER STORY FIFO CONCERNS Fiona Kal
Page 29 and 30: Determined: Associate Professor Gar
Page 31 and 32: FEATURE for both health professiona
Page 33 and 34: OPINION day worked, one must contin
Page 35 and 36: Moving to Best Practice, easy as Li
Page 37 and 38: OPINION A hard-earned thirst by Ben
Page 39 and 40: OPINION Continued from page 36 A ha
Page 41 and 42: TOMORROW’S HEALTH in screening th
Page 43: SNIPPET BREAST CANCER SURVIVAL IMPR
Page 47 and 48: Medfin helps make finance easy with
Page 49 and 50: DRIVE Crown Perth Casino Internatio
Page 51 and 52: EVERY JAGUAR CAN DO THINGS MACHINES
Page 53 and 54: DR YES Kimberley callinG Students a
Page 55 and 56: AMA IN THE MEDIA WHY HAY FEVER IS G
Page 57 and 58: TRAVEL Kansas City, Missouri is one
Page 59 and 60: WINE Online networks yield success
Page 61 and 62: DRIVE communication ability. We ins
Page 63 and 64: TECHNOLOGY iOS 6 Highlights Apple
Page 65 and 66: The good news is the loss of images
Page 67 and 68: On the TOWN To win a double pass to
Page 69 and 70: AMA MEDICAL PRODUCTS introduces Wel
Page 71 and 72: RADIOLOGY/NUCLEAR MEDICINE Oceanic
Page 73 and 74: BICTON MEDICAL CLINIC VR GP require
Page 75 and 76: WESTERN WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA
Page 77 and 78: PostgraduateNews Please forward sub
Page 79 and 80: General Ultrasound Same day appoint

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