What’s in this issue?
PRIMARY CARE CLINICAL DIGEST
MAY 24 2024
New Zealand Patient Summary – sharing primary care data
Public Health Alert re significant rise in Pertussis cases
Update on the funding for CGMs, insulin pumps, and insulin pump consumables
Webinar: Protecting against measles May 28 2024
Sign up for RNZCGP’s second ‘Your Work Counts’ diary study
Scholarships for rural students
Therapeutics Products update
Rural Research Snapshot highlights struggle to have good health outcomes in rural areas
Better Health Through Partnership Conference July 2024
Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline consultation
Building the future of health stakeholder virtual hui June 6 2024
Update on supply issues May 24 2024
Top Weekend Viewing
New Zealand Patient Summary – sharing primary care data
The NZ Patient Summary will give clinicians secure access to a patient’s summary health information wherever they are in the country, and in situations when a person may not be able to communicate, such as in the emergency department.
Information is being shared to clinicians for the purposes of better treatment and care decisions. This information is only to inform clinical care, not for research, health service planning, or any other purposes.
Data for the NZ Patient Summary will be accessed from a variety of sources. Where a national repository of data exists, such as AIR, data will be accessed from there.
Over time, information shared from general practice PMS will include:
problems/conditions
allergies and adverse reactions
vital signs
smoking and vaping status
past encounters
clinical information will be shared from free text fields that further describe in-scope structured clinical information, for example, free text around a problem or adverse reaction.
Information from the clinical notes field in the PMS such as consultation or progress notes will not be shared with Health NZ for the NZ Patient Summary.
Public Health Alert re significant rise in Pertussis cases
Alert here
Update on the funding for CGMs, insulin pumps, and insulin pump consumables View online
Problems/conditions will be available in a clinician-toclinician view only, they will not be viewed by healthcare consumers.
General practices will elect when they begin to start sharing the data to Health NZ, for the NZ Patient Summary.
When data sharing is enabled within a PMS, the practice will need to activate that feature before data will be shared. Health NZ understands that while some practices are ready to share data now, others will need more time.
Health NZ is developing privacy and consent information so that patients are aware that their health information may be shared. Patients will have the option not to participate in information sharing.
GPNZ is working closely with the Hira Programme, with a focus on the process for sharing specific pieces of patient information for the NZ Patient Summary from the general practice setting.
An in-depth information pack for practices is in development and will be shared in the coming weeks.
For questions or concerns contact the Hira team at contact@tewhatuora.govt.nz.
The attached alert regarding the significant increase in Pertussis cases across the motu covers information on: vaccination testing, treatment and isolation high-risk groups treatment of symptomatic or high priority contacts further information
See the attached update on funding for continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps and insulin pump consumables.
Webinar: Protecting against measles May 28 2024
Sign up for RNZCGP’s second ‘Your Work Counts’ diary study
You are invited to attend a webinar on Protecting against measles which is being held 12.15 to 1.15pm on Tuesday 28 May 2024. Meeting link: Join the meeting now
The webinar is open to anyone who is interested in the topic, especially all kaimahi – vaccinators, hauora providers, administrators, kaiāwhina and clinicians.
Topics include:
Clinical insights into measles infections and why it is so important to increase MMR vaccination rates – Dr Owen Sinclair, Māori Paediatrician, Waitemata Key messages to stakeholders on the importance of being prepared for measles in the community - Dr Sharon Sime, Medical Officer of Health, National Public Health Service
Research uptake on barriers to vaccination in New Zealand – Samantha Marsh, Auckland University
The webinar will also discuss the need for ensuring kaimahi are vaccinated, and MMR dose zero information. Please ensure the webinar details are in your diary or alternatively, email immunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz for a Teams invitation.
The College’s ‘Your Work Counts’ team are undertaking a second diary study asking their members to track the hours they spend each day on five key tasks, for seven consecutive days, starting on Monday June 10.
The data will build on the results from the first diary study carried out at the end of 2023 and be used to show the gap between what GPs actually do and what they are funded to do, to help the College develop evidence-based guidelines around:
safe and sustainable patient loads what a fair and reasonable 40-hour week looks like ratios for how many GPs per 100,000 patients each region and the country needs. Participate in the project by completing a registration form by Wednesday 5 June.
Check the College’s website for more information about the project and what is required as a participant.
Scholarships for rural students
View online
Therapeutics Products update
View online
Click on the attached link to find out more information on Te Whatu Ora’s new scholarships to help tackle rural health workforce shortages.
For more information from Manatū Hauora on medicines, medical devices and natural health products, see the attached link.
Rural Research Snapshot highlights struggle to have good health outcomes in rural areas
Media release here
Better Health Through Partnership Conference July 2024
View online
Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline consultation
Attached is a media release from Hauora Taiwhenua on the Rural Research Snapshot highlights. The key research findings can be found at Rural Health New Zealand Snapshot 2024
For those of you not attending GP24, you may be interested in the NZ College of Sexual Health & Reproductive Health (NZCSRH) and the Abortion Providers Group Aotearoa NZ (APGANZ) combined conference on ‘Better Health Through Partnership’ conference in Christchurch July 25 –27 2024. See the attached link to register and for more information.
The Venous Leg Ulcer Guideline Committee are releasing the first section on ‘Assessment’ for the updated Clinical Practice Guideline for the Prevention and Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers for consultation across Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand.
They are seeking feedback from anyone interested in leg ulcers, including patients and their families/whānau and would especially like indigenous peoples’ voice to ensure they are providing the best guidance to improve healthcare and outcomes for people affected by leg ulcers.
Consultation closes on June 23 2024 and the consultation site can be accessed here https://vlug.lineguide.net
Building the future of health stakeholder virtual hui
June 6 2024
View online
Update on supply issues
May 24 2024
View online
Top Weekend Viewing
To attend this virtual hui please click the online link.
See attached link to view the Pharmac update.
This week, we have some mainly local detective content, all of these series can be viewed on TVNZ+ with lots of familiar faces!
One Lane Bridge - When an ambitious young Māori detective saves a life and inadvertently awakens a long-forgotten spiritual gift, he puts himself and everyone around him in danger. See trailer
My Life is Murder - Alexa Crowe, a fearless private investigator, puts on her detective shoes to solve some of the most baffling crimes while dealing with the everyday problems of life. See trailer
The Gone - When a young Irish couple vanishes from a small town in the North Island of New Zealand, Irish
Detective Theo Richter teams with Kiwi Detective Diana Huia to find them. See trailer