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9. VASM educational activities
The VASM educational seminars commenced in 2012 and continued into early 2015 as a collaborative effort between
the VASM, the DHHS, the VSCC and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority. The seminars and workshops are
intended for interns, surgeons rural and urban, nurse managers and educators, health specialists, administrators,
CEOs, and quality and safety officers. Seminar programs can be downloaded from
www.surgeons.org/VASM.The following educational programs were offered in the 2015 period;
•
Improving outcomes in the surgical patient (23 February 2016)
This seminar aimed to raise awareness on contemporary surgical challenges facing surgeons and health
professionals. Topics included the management of the deteriorating patient, risks in the frail orthopaedic
patient, reducing treatment and diagnosis delays in high-risk patients, operating on the obese patient, insights
into trauma and transfer patients, lessons from the coroner, medico-legal issues and a trainee’s perspective.
It was attended by over 100 delegates.
•
Would you have changed the management of this patient’s course to death? (16 October 2015)
The VASM and the Tasmania Audit of Surgical Mortality hosted a collaborative workshop at the Victoria
Tasmania Annual Surgical Meeting in Hobart.
The workshop raised awareness on the process of identifying and responding early to surgical adverse events
in a hospital setting. It emphasised the value of the audit in which peer review was conducted from an
empathic, educational standpoint rather than as a punitive exercise.
Plenary sessions were held covering topics such as the value of surgical and anaesthetic peer review
assessments, laparoscopic surgery complications, reducing surgical, diagnosis and transfer delays, legal
implications of the peer review process and the importance of understanding basic risk management
practices.
The invited guests and speakers created an excellent foundation for lively discussions between speakers and
delegates.
The seminar was attended by 70 delegates and feedback survey results indicated that the event was valued
and well received by the attendees.