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AOPA News June 09

Thursday, 18 June 2009 10:56

Please remember Membership Early Bird Discount ends strictly on the 30^th June 2010.

Promoting the Prosthetic Orthotic profession:

Submissions & Comment :

Primary Health Care Strategy
Health & Hospital Reform Commission
NHWT Clinical Placement
TGA Draft Guideline
Device Modification Position Statement

At the meeting with the National Health & Hospital Reform Commissioners; AOPA supported a Primary Health Care strategy which co-ordinates a best practice multidisciplinary approach for optimum patient outcomes, however AOPA was concerned that with the current prediction of a 25% increase in diabetes within in the next 8 years, if best practice is not implemented the number of amputations could crush the public hospital system;

Best Practice multidisciplinary Allied Health team for Diabetes Health Care;

Dieticians Diabetic Educators

Orthotists Podiatrists

It was pointed out that P&O's are an integral part of Primary Health Care teams in every tertiary hospital in Australia but omitted from the MBS EPC allied health list, resulting in diabetics often not being referred to Orthotist's. The Commissioners requested supportive documentation which AOPA supplied.

Your guide to CPD is on the Web Site under Documents - Member Essentials

Submissions made by AOPA are also available under Documents - AOPA Comments & Submissions

Suppliers please consider applying for AOPA CPD-Accreditation for your next educational event. AOPA members will receive a known number of CPD points for attending your event and when you provide us with the attendee list, we will record the CPD points against each members CPD Activity log (so in June members are not stuggling to remember what they have attended during the year).

Allied Health Research Centre Scoping Study Summary

Wednesday, 28 January 2009 11:17

Summary of Consultations

Scoping Study for a Centre for Allied Health Research

The Menzies Foundation has provided funding for a feasibility study into establishing an Australian Centre for Allied Health Research in Melbourne. (see Project Plan, Perry, A., 2007).

People Involved:

A multi-disciplinary planning group was established to progress this study. Members consist of:

PI: Professor Alison Perry, School of Human Communication Sciences, La Trobe University.

CI: Professor Meg Morris, School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne

CI: Dr. Carol McKinstry, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University

CI: Ms Jenelle Loeliger, Senior Dietitian, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

CI: Prof Susan Paxton, School of Psychology, La Trobe University

Ms Carol Chenco was appointed on 1^st October, 2007 as a part-time Research Associate to this study and Ms Deb Benetti provides part-time secretarial support.

Since October, Carol has designed and set up an informational website and has contacted relevant key stakeholders (university Deans; academic groups, clinicians, health managers, professional and philanthropic organisations) to organise the running of focus groups and conduct interviews across Victoria.

Webpage:

An informational webpage was set up on the La Trobe University website attached to the School of Human Communication Sciences’ homepage. This details the background to the project; introduction to the planning group; how the project will be progressed, what we expect to achieve and progress updates. There is also a submission form for interested individuals or groups to document their views by completing the form and sending back to the Research Associate.

See: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/hcs/centreallied/index.html

Contact with Stakeholders:

Contact has been made with many stakeholders, to conduct an interview / discussion or to arrange to run focus groups or a forum. Contacts include:

· The Department of Human Services (DHS), Victoria

· Joanna Briggs’ Centre for Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Allied Health in South Australia

· Deans of the divisions of allied health at Monash, Melbourne and La Trobe universities

· Heads of the schools of allied health at Deakin, La Trobe, Swinburne and RMIT universities

· *Staff across the division of Allied Health La Trobe university

· *Staff across the division of Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne

· *Menzies scholars in allied health

· *A Victorian dietitians’ research group

· *The Orthopists Association of Australia

· The director of allied health services at the Royal Childrens’ Hospital and MCRI

· *Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Southern Health

· Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Northern Health

· *Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Loddon Mallee health districts

· Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Ballarat and Stawell

· The Chronic Illness Alliance network, and

· *Allied health professional organisations.

*Focus Groups / Forums conducted in 2008.

All Focus Groups are run with two members of the planning group in attendance. Participants’ views are either tape-recorded for later transcription, or documented in vivo, by one of the Team, while the other person runs the group.

Discussion revolves around four issues for each group: the need for a centre; the site for a centre; what a centre could/should provide; how should it be organised (i.e., governance).

All key points raised are identified, recorded, typed and a summary is sent back to all participants for everyone who attended to amend/agree before the data are logged.

At the end of the whole process, we will aggregate all the points raised in the focus groups, then analyse the recurring themes and points of concordance, as well as recording disagreement/divergent views.

To date, close to 100 people have participated, in 10 focus groups, but we have many more focus groups to run…

For those unable to attend focus groups or discussions and/or those people who have an interest in contributing to the consultations, we encourage you all to make submissions via the pertinent section of our website.

Carol Chenco, Research Associate

Wednesday, 21 January 2009

AOPA Partners with Guild

Sunday, 23 November 2008 08:14

AOPA Partners with Guild

As an orthotist / prosthetist, a professional liability claim made against you can affect your career, and lifestyle. That’s why it’s essential to protect yourself appropriately against the potential impact of a professional liability claim.

AOPA recognise the importance of members having the right protection and so, have forged a partnership with the Guild Insurance. As part of the agreement, AOPA refers members to Guild for liabilities and business insurances, while Guild works with AOPA to provide specialist insurances that meets members’ needs.

Consider the following benefits of Guild’s insurance cover, which are key factors in why AOPA choose Guild as the referred provider of liabilities and business insurances for members.

· Experience in servicing allied healthcare professionals.

Guild insures many allied healthcare professions, and are well positioned to identify risks and deliver solutions to orthotists and prosthetists.

Guild provides trusted services to over 40 professional associations and their members, including podiatrists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and rehabilitation providers, amongst others. Through these relationships Guild has developed an understanding of the insurance needs, and common risks, faced by allied healthcare professionals.

· Commitment to a prompt and fair claims process.

Unlike insurance brokers or intermediaries, Guild is a direct insurer. This means that Guild issues the insurance cover, so if you need help or advice on insurance matters, you will get a straight answer from the company managing your insurance cover. If you need to make a claim, Guild will work directly with you through the whole process, always keeping your best interests in mind. This is one of the reasons why in a recent survey of Guild claimants 98.5% of respondents said they “would recommend Guild to a colleague”. This is an outstanding result when compared to other providers.*

· A local team of support with a focus on personal service.

Guild’s national network of regional offices mean you’ll be dealing with a local team working within your state. With Guild’s focus on personal service, there is no need to deal with intermediaries, no phone menus, and no interstate/overseas calls.

Insurance for Orthotists & Prosthetists

Guild offers AOPA members an Orthotists & Prosthetists Liabilities Insurance. Guild’s insurance is referred to as a ‘combined liabilities cover’ as it combines cover for three key liability risks faced by orthotists & prosthetists, within a single convenient policy.

· Professional Indemnity

· Public Liability

· Products Liability

Key service features include:

· 24 hour / 7 day emergency call service

A Guild representative is always on hand to answer your call and provide service.

· Direct access to qualified legal experts

An in-house team of lawyers experienced in defending claims against allied health professionals is able to provide advice on how to handle the situation that arises. Sometimes the advice of an experienced lawyer is all that’s required to prevent a claim from even occurring.

· Cover for $25,000 in legal costs

Guild’s policy automatically includes $25,000 cover for legal costs and expenses associated with a disciplinary or coronial investigation, hearing or inquiry. Not all policies offer this cover. Disciplinary matters before Boards can be stressful situations, and not the time that you want to find out that you may also be out of pocket for your legal representation costs.

Guild recognises the importance of looking after individuals, their businesses and their broader professions and has built a strong reputation for delivering on this.

To review your insurance needs talk to a Guild representative on 1800 810 213.

Guild Insurance Limited AFSL No. 233791. The Guild Group supports AOPA through the payment of referral fees for certain insurance you take out with Guild Insurance Limited.