Issue 32
Relationships Portfolio/ Fellowship Affairs/ Regional Committees/ Research/ Safety in Private Practice/ Continuing Education & Quality Assurance/ Continuing Education/ Faculty Meetings/ Other Meetings of Interest/ Trainee Affairs/ Examinations/ Positions Vacant
News and Views for Fellows and Trainees
August 2008 - Issue 32
Pain Medicine e-Newsletter
This format for Synapse is best viewed in html. This and past issues of Synapse can also be viewed on the Faculty website at http://www.anzca.edu.au/fpm/news-and-reports/synapse-newsletters
Welcome to the August issue of Synapse. The Faculty Board last met on 4 August.
RELATIONSHIPS PORTFOLIO
Liaison with RANZCOG
Faculty representatives are working with RANZCOG with the aim of producing a document on pelvic pain. It is anticipated the process will take six months to complete.
Liaison with RACS
Associate Professor Leigh Atkinson, with the help of Professor Peter Teddy, a Melbourne Fellow, organised a three day Pain program at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons meeting in Hong Kong. In all there were 35 papers which included four research papers which made for a positive initiative for the meeting. The conjoint sessions were best attended and visiting guests included Professor Michael Cousins, Dr Paul Graziotti, Dr Richard Bittar and Dr Malcolm Hogg. These visitors were supported by the members of the Faculty of Pain Medicine from Hong Kong. This event was so well received that RACS, have allocated a budget for the 2009-2011 triennium for the Pain Medicine program at the RACS Annual Scientific Congress. Opportunities are being explored for the Faculty’s ASM Visitor to be included in future RACS Meetings.
Liaison with RACP
The Faculty has a nominated representative in the writing group to review the RACP Guideline Statements: Management of Procedure-related Pain in Neonates, Children and Adolescents.
Corporate Affairs
A workshop on Board Member responsibilities, accountability and processes will be convened in conjunction with the October Board Meeting. Terms of reference for the Board and Board members will be delineated following this workshop.
FELLOWSHIP AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO
Fellowship
Three new Fellows were admitted by training and examination and Honorary Fellowships were awarded to two notable contributors to the science and practice of our specialty. The number of Fellows is now 254.
Alternate Pathway to Fellowship
The Board resolved to re-establish an Alternate Pathway to Fellowship for applicants for election who have been working in Pain Medicine, have a qualification acceptable to the Board, but whose knowledge base is not clearly known to the Board. These applicants may be advised that to satisfy the requirements for election they need to pass the examination.
Regional Committees
The FPM Queensland Regional Committee circulated its first quarterly e-newsletter (The Transmitter) in August.
http://www.internal.anzca.edu.au/fpm/news-and-reports/the-transmitter-newsletters
A call for nominations to the committee was undertaken in March. A postal ballot was not required, as the number of nominations did not exceed the number of available positions.
Composition of the Committee has been confirmed as:
Dr Paul Gray ANZCA (Chair),
Dr Jason Ray ANZCA (Vice-Chairman),
Dr Mark Tadros AFRM (RACP) (Honorary Treasurer/Secretary),
Dr Richard Pendleton, ANZCA,
Dr Wilbur Chan (CME Officer), AFRM, ANZCA
Dr Frank New RANZCP, Dr Brendan Moore ANZCA and Professor Leigh Atkinson RACS (Ex-Officio Board Members).
NSW Fellows have expressed an interest in forming a Regional Committee. The Faculty Board is keen to see this established and is currently investigating the provision of administrative support. Fellows in other regions with an interest in forming a Regional Committee are encouraged to contact the Executive Officer or a local Board Member.
Fellows Survey
A survey of Fellows has recently been circulated electronically to seek Fellows’ input in determining the future direction of the Faculty and their interest in contributing expertise to Faculty activities. The Faculty would appreciate your feedback.
Research
FPM Research Committee Questionnaire: What do Fellows do in Their Practice?
To assist the Research Committee in developing further projects, all Fellows are invited to participate in this questionnaire.
APAGBI – Good Practice in Procedural and Postoperative Pain
Fellows’ attention is drawn to the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland document “Good Practice in Procedural and Postoperative Pain”. A Faculty Fellow, Dr Suellen Walker, was a member of the APAGBI Acute Pain Guideline Working Party, which also included representatives from the Royal College of Nursing (UK), Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, British Pain Society, British Association of Paediatric Surgeons and the Patient Liaison Group of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. The document has been ratified by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and endorsed by the British Pain Society and the Royal College of Nursing and will be referenced in the upcoming Third Edition of the ANZCA/FPM Acute Pain Medicine: Scientific Evidence document.
The document can be viewed at: www.apagbi.org.uk/docs/APA_Guidelines_on_Pain_Management.pdf
Appendix: www.apagbi.or.uk/docs/APA_Guidelines_on_Pain_Management_Appendix.pdf
Safety in Private Practice
The Royal Australian College of general Practitioners have developed a set of tips and tools focused on the safety of private practices - covering physical issues like break-in, but also 'soft' issues like staff skills and sources of information like restraining orders etc. Click the below link to be transferred to this safe place project on the RACGP website. http://www.racgp.org.au/gpissues/safety
Continuing Education & Quality Assurance
Patient Education
Two further Patient Information leaflets on Epidural Injections http://www.internal.anzca.edu.au/fpm/resources/patient-information/FPMPatientInfoEpidural%20FINAL.pdf and Caudal Epidural Injections http://www.internal.anzca.edu.au/fpm/resources/patient-information/FPMpatieintInfoCaudal%20Epidural%20FINAL.pdf were accepted for promulgation to provide information for patients and for use by Fellows in the informed consent.
Educational Documents
A Paediatric Pain document has been published in FPM Forums for Fellows input. (http://www.anzca.edu.au/fpm/fpm-forums/document-discussions/637957327)
Register of Publication
The Faculty is keen to establish a register of the annual publications of its Fellows. It would be appreciated if you could email the Faculty Office at painmed@anzca.edu.au with details of any publications in 2007 and any concurrent research you are involved in.
Faculty Meetings
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Spring Meeting 2008 – 18-20 September 2008
The Faculty’s Spring Meeting is being held at Voyages Ayers Rock Resort in conjunction with the ANZCA/ASA/NZSA Acute Pain SIG and the IASP Acute Pain SIG has a capacity attendance and registrations are closed.
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ASM 2009, Cairns – 2-6 May 2009 (Faculty Refresher Course Day 1 May 2009) http://www.anzca2009asm.com/
The FPM ASM Visitor, Dr Andrew Rice (UK), will be invited to the RACS Meeting in Brisbane and to visit Adelaide following the Faculty’s Refresher Course and Annual Scientific Meeting. Dr Steven Passik (US) has accepted the invitation as the FPM Queensland Visitor.
The theme of the 2009 Faculty Refresher Course will be “Risk Management”.
The 2009 Spring Meeting will be held in Melbourne. Dates and venue are to be confirmed.
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ASM 2010, Christchurch – 1-5 May 2010 (Faculty Refresher Course Day 30 April 2010)
Dr Jeffrey Mogil (Canada) has accepted the invitation as the FPM ASM Visitor for the 2010 ASM in Christchurch. Dr Richard Rosenquist has accepted the invitation as the FPM New Zealand Visitor.
Other Meetings of Interest
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4th Bi-annual Australian Health & Medical Research Congress
Date: 16 – 21 November 2008
Venue: Brisbane
The 2008 Australian Health & Medical Research Congress (AHMRC) will be held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. On Thursday November 20 from 8.30-10.30, three professional societies (Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists, Australian Pain Society and the Faculty of Pain Medicine are sponsoring a symposium entitled "Chronic Pain and its Treatment: from molecular to clinical".
The speakers and titles are:
Prof. Macdonald Christie, Director of Basic Research and Pain Management Research Institute University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney "Molecular basis of Pain- new targets".
Dr. Luke Henderson, Anatomy, University of Sydney "Imaging as a tool for pain detection and assessment".
Prof. Maree Smith, School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland "Preclinical development of new drugs for pain treatment".
Prof. Stephan Schug, Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Western Australia and Royal Perth Hospital "New clinical developments in pain therapy".
The symposium will allow Faculty members and
trainees to update their knowledge on the latest developments in the
treatment of chronic pain. More information on the Congress can be obtained
from
Website: http://www.ahmrcongress.org.au
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25th Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine 2009
Date: 28 – 31 January 2009
Venue: Hilton Hawaiian
Village, Honolulu, Hawaii
Website: http://www.painmed.org/annual_mtg/index.html
Note: Scientific Poster Abstract Extended to September 1st
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Change Champions Clinical Management Seminars
Date: 2007 – 2008 Program
Venue: Various states
Website: http://www.changechampions.com.au/
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CHILD 2008 12-16 October 2008
Venue: Port Douglas at the FCAP National Conference
Registration is Now Open - Visit the conference website www.child2008.com and click on the ‘registration’ page, complete your details and submit.
If you have any questions, please contract Vicki Lont, Registration Manager at vicki@wsm.com.au
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National Forum on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Date: 29 - 31 October 2008
Venue: Adelaide
Theme: Safety and Quality is Everyone’s Business
Website: http://sapmea.asn.au/forumsqhc2008
to register interest and receive updates
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13th Annual Advanced Interventional Pain Conference and Practical Workshop
Date: September 8 to 10, 2008.
Venue: Budapest, Hungary
Website: http://www.kenes.com/wip08/mailshots/ms4.htm?ref4=db1
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World Institute of Pain 2009 5th World Congress
Date: 16- 19 March 2009
Venue: New York, USA
Website: http://www.kenes.com/wip/mailshots/ms4.htm?ref4=db1
TRAINEE AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO
Case Reports
Following recommendations from the Examination Committee, the Board resolved that changes be made to the Case Report requirement as follows:
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That the requirement of a letter to the referring GP be removed, and
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That the option of submitting published research for the purposes of the Case Report requirement be removed.
These changes will be updated in detail in the Trainee Support Kit and will be forwarded to all Trainees yet to submit this component of training. Either the old or new format will be acceptable during a transition period until January 2009.
Training Unit Accreditation
Singapore General Hospital was accredited for Pain Medicine training. This is the first unit to be accredited by the Faculty outside of Australia and New Zealand. St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney were reaccredited for Pain Medicine training.
Examinations
The Faculty’s Pre-Exam Short Course will be held at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 11-12 September 2008.
The 2008 Examination will take place on 26-28 November at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.
Registration forms for both the Pre-Examination Short Course and the 2008 Examination have been circulated. Please contact the Faculty Office if you are eligible to participate but have not received any documentation.
Three new examiners have been appointed and nine re-appointed for a further 3 years. There are currently 27 on the examination panel: 15 ANZCA, 4 RACP, 1 RACS, 2 RANZCP, 4 AFRM(RACP) and 1 FARCSI. Observers for the 2008 examination will include two new examiners, the New Fellow Representative and Dr Michel Dubois, Chief Examiner for the American Board of Pain Medicine.
Dr Mark Tadros, a Rehabilitation Specialist has been appointed to the Examination Committee as the New Fellow representative.
Careers Expo
The Faculty has participated in a number of careers expos including the recent Vocational Expo in Brisbane. Our thanks go to those who organised and participated in this event.
A range of promotional materials is available from the Faculty Office if there are any forthcoming events in your hospital or region.
Positions Vacant
For any further information on any of the below positions then please visit the website http://www.internal.anzca.edu.au/fpm/fellows/positions-available
The Faculty is happy to
advertise any positions and a number have been advertised via the
website. Details for publication should be forwarded to painmed@anzca.edu.au
.
Queensland
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Director, Professor Tess Cramond Multidisciplinary Pain Centre (MPC), Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
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Clinical Director/Staff Specialist- Pain Management, Townsville Hospital.
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Pain Management Specialist, Gold Coast
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Senior Lecturer, Pain Management Research Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital
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Part time locum pain medicine specialist, The Barbara Walker Centre for Pain
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Pain Management Specialist, The Back Institute, Auckland, New Zealand
Faculty Website
Fellows and Trainees are invited to provide feedback and contributions to: painmed@anzca.edu.au .
Synapse
We look forward to receiving any contributions which should be directed to the Faculty Office.
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