Inside News

Clinical Radiology

Volume 12 No 4

September 2016

A Message

from the Dean

Medicare Reforms in Australia

Last month I attended the Diagnostic

Imaging Advisory Committee meeting

in Canberra. Following the re-

election of the Turnbull Government,

as promised during pre-election

campaigning, the government

will progress implementation of

the Quality Framework measures.

Further consultation will follow on the

recommended path to implementation

which has been substantially influenced

by RANZCR and ADIA. The agreement

by government to re-instate indexation

of diagnostic imaging rebates when the

rebate freeze for general practitioners

ends is also most welcome and

represents a major achievement due

to joint advocacy by RANZCR and

ADIA. We will continue to share key

developments with members as they

arise.

Telehealth Standards in

New Zealand

The Medical Council of New Zealand

(MCNZ) has recently published its

revised Telehealth Standards which

govern telehealth both within and

beyond New Zealand’s borders. The

Faculty responded to outline the

provision of telehealth within the clinical

radiology setting and provided key

principles which should be adopted

to safeguard patients. We continued

to engage with the MCNZ, partner

medical colleges and the NZ Medical

Association right up to publication of

the revised standards. Several of the

Faculty’s recommended changes have

been included, however we are still

working through the implications of the

new standards, particularly in relation to

how the registration requirements will

work. The new Telehealth Standards are

available on the MCNZ’s website and

I encourage all Fellows to have a look

www.mcnz.org.nz

Choosing Wisely

I would like to report back to members

that as one of the founding members,

RANZCR is provided with an opportunity

to comment on draft Choosing

Wisely recommendations from other

colleges and societies. We recently

worked closely and productively

with The Royal Australian and New

Zealand College of Obstetricians and

Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) on one of

their recommendations which relates

to diagnostic imaging and the place

of point of care ultrasound in obstetric

care. The final recommendation aligns

with RANZCR’s view on the distinction

between referred ultrasound and point

of care. I am grateful to Prof Stacy

Goergen, Chair of the Safety, Quality

and Standards Committee for her

assistance during this engagement with

RANZCOG.

Education Modules on

Appropriate Imaging

I had the pleasure of contributing to

the successful launch of education

modules and a phone app to support

appropriate referrals for diagnostic

imaging at the Royal Adelaide Hospital

last month. The education modules are

targeted to medical students and junior

referring doctors and the phone app

assists referring doctors at the point

of care. At this time it is anticipated

that the educational modules will

be incorporated into the curriculum

of medical schools at Adelaide and

Flinders Universities. I am grateful to

Prof Stacy Goergen and A/Prof Taryn

Bessen for leading the successful

presentation. This activity is part of a

joint initiative between RANZCR and

Choosing Wisely and follows on from

other such activity interstate. This

process also illustrates how the work of

the College and its Fellows can help to

shape appropriate and judicious use of

medical imaging in the future. I would

encourage Fellows with an interest to

seek to do likewise in their Branches. If

you would like to know more about this,

please contact jessica.brown@ranzcr.

edu.au

Upcoming Annual

Scientific Meeting

I am very much looking forward to the

upcoming Annual Scientific Meeting

(ASM) at the Gold Coast. The ASM

Committee and convenors have put

together an exciting program of

speakers with national and international

leaders in both clinical radiology and

radiation oncology. I am particularly

looking forward to the Appropriate

Imaging Forum which will showcase

the work to date of the College in this

critical area of medical practice. The

forum will bring together policymakers,

regulators, public health academics,

consumers and clinicians to discuss ways

we can work together by using medical

imaging appropriately to improve the

health of our community.

Prof John

Slavotinek