GP Insights – A HealthCert Podcast

Practical tips on how to treat hair loss with Helena Rosengren

Did you know hair loss affects more than 50 per cent of Australian men? If you see patients with hair loss in your practice, listen to this latest podcast with Dr Helena Rosengren on the primary care management of hair loss, including treatment with supplements, topical creams, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, and more.

In this episode of HealthCert’s GP Insights podcast, we talk about hair loss with Dr Helena Rosengren, an experienced Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Medicine Physician based in Townsville.

In the podcast, Dr Rosengren explores the sorts of hair loss and hair thinning concerns she sees in her primary care practice and explains who these conditions typically affect. She discusses the different types of hair loss and their causes, which of course affect the clinician’s approach to management.

Dr Rosengren talks about the primary care treatments available for hair loss and how they work (including supplements, topical creams, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, and more), plus which patients are the best candidates for these treatments and which patients aren’t typically suitable.

The podcast looks into hair loss treatments a GP can realistically expect to incorporate into their primary care practice and what sort of training and equipment they would require in order to get started.

Dr Rosengren also gives practical advice on the risks and limitations involved with hair loss treatments and when to refer a patient onwards to a specialist dermatologist.

Screening for skin cancer in different ages and skin types

How does skin cancer detection vary in different age groups and among patients with different skin types? In this podcast, Paul Elmslie (Founder & CEO, HealthCert Education and National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Dr Kerry Summerscales (National Skin Cancer Centres) about screening for skin cancer in different ages and skin types.

Dr Kerry Summerscales is a doctor at CQ Skin Cancer Centre in Mackay, Queensland, who diagnoses and treats skin cancer every day. In this podcast, she talks about her personal experiences with screening patients of all ages and skin types for skin malignancies and offers her practical advice on how not to miss a melanoma.

Dr Summerscales speaks about how she approaches patients of different age groups – from children to adults to the elderly – when screening for skin cancer, including the different risk factors that each of these population groups may hold. She says that skin checks can be an ideal opportunity to teach children about body autonomy and to help them to understand their own skin from a young age.

She talks about checking for skin cancers in young people, including teenagers and those in their 20s, with a particular focus on melanoma, as this is the most common cancer in Australians aged 15 to 39 – with real patient stories. She discusses how she determines a patient’s individual skin cancer risk and sunburn history, and her systematic approach for conducting skin cancer checks across the entire skin surface.

Dr Summerscales discusses how she helps patients of all ages to feel comfortable and at ease during the skin exam and some of the questions she asks her patients to get a better understanding of their skin history, skin cancer risk, and what’s brought them into her clinic that day.

She also talks about skin cancer screening in older Australians aged 65+ who are at highest risk of non-melanoma skin cancers.

Practical tips for mole removal with Dr Helena Rosengren

Do you see patients seeking cosmetic mole removal in your practice? In this latest podcast, listen to Dr Helena Rosengren's practical tips for performing mole removal procedures, covering patient suitability, how to conduct a preliminary lesion assessment, necessary tools and training, and more.

In this episode of HealthCert’s GP Insights podcast, we talk about mole removal with Dr Helena Rosengren, an experienced Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Medicine Physician based in Townsville.

In the podcast, Dr Rosengren explains the prevalence of mole removal procedures in her primary care practice and why some patients want benign moles, skin tags, and other lesions removed from their skin.

Dr Rosengren talks about which patients are the ideal candidates for mole removal procedures, and takes us through her step-by-step process for consulting with patients seeking mole removal, including the vital importance of first conducting an assessment of the lesion for signs of malignancy. She explains why all moles must be carefully checked with dermoscopy before any removal procedure is carried out, as it can be very dangerous to remove a malignant lesion without appropriate diagnosis and surgical margins.

Dr Rosengren discusses the tools and methods for mole removal that you can realistically use in primary care, including radio ablation. She explores the benefits of radio ablation for mole removal and how it compares to other approaches such as excision. She further looks into the risks, side effects, downtime, and expected results, including scarring.

The podcast further explores the kind of equipment and training that a primary care practitioner would need to carry out mole removal services in their practice, and how they might get started.

Paul Elmslie and Matt Woollard - Medicare billing changes

Do you see patients with skin cancer concerns in your practice? In this podcast, Paul Elmslie (Founder & CEO, HealthCert Education and National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Matt Woollard (COO, National Skin Cancer Centres) about the recent changes to Medicare item numbers for clinically suspected melanoma.

New Medicare item numbers have been introduced for the surgical excision and repair of clinically suspected melanoma. In this podcast, Matt Woollard provides a comprehensive update on the new item numbers that came into effect on 1 November 2022.

Seven new MBS items have been created for initial excision of clinically suspected melanoma and amendments have been made to the item descriptors for the existing definitive excision items to resolve confusion around the claiming of melanoma excision services.

These changes are relevant for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, general surgeons, skin cancer doctors and general practitioners practising in Australia.

 

How to integrate thread lift treatments into your practice

How can you get started providing thread lifts in primary care? In this latest podcast, listen to Dr Helena Rosengren’s expert advice on how thread lifts can be used to address your patients’ cosmetic concerns in the primary care setting, and how you can begin to include this treatment in your service offering.

In this episode of HealthCert’s GP Insights podcast, we talk about thread lifts with Dr Helena Rosengren, an experienced Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Medicine Physician based in Townsville.

In the podcast, Dr Rosengren explains what thread lifts are and how they work, including the cosmetic concerns thread lifts can address for your patients. She highlights the areas of the body that can be treated with thread lifts, which patients are the best candidates for the procedure, and the treatment limitations.

The podcast also compares thread lifts with other aesthetic treatments, such as cosmetic surgery, outlining the benefits and risks of both.

Dr Rosengren further discusses how a medical practitioner can get started providing thread lifts in their practice, including the necessary training and equipment, with her top tips for introducing thread lifts as a service offering in a medical clinic.

Quality improvement activities for a GP practice

In this podcast, Paul Elmslie (Founder & CEO, HealthCert Education and National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Narelle Davidson (Area Manager at National Skin Cancer Centres) about how to elevate the quality improvement strategies in your general practice to improve patient outcomes and deliver the best possible medical care.

In the podcast, Narelle and Paul discuss software, services and training to improve the quality of your GP practice and services to ensure patients’ needs are met and their expectations are exceeded.

“I think there’s been a general consensus within general practice that quality improvement activities are simply an admin task, simply a a tick box that we use to ensure that the clinic can be accredited and ensuring all of the paperwork in the clinic is up,” says Narelle.

“I think what’s important to note is that that’s not exactly the case. Quality improvement activities can mean anything within a practice. It can mean bettering the care level that we give to our patients, bettering the processes so that we’re able to deliver better care to a patient.

“We need to be looking at what that means for a general practitioner in treating their patients, making sure that what they’re doing within their own practice as an independent practitioner is quality improvement.

“Quality improvement is every aspect of the business, not just the admin side.”

Narelle has 26 years’ experience in general practice business and practice management and currently manages a dozen skin cancer clinic across Australia.

How to use cosmeceuticals for patients’ skin health with Tania Romano

How can cosmeceuticals help to enhance your patients’ skin health when used in combination with medical skin treatments? In this latest podcast, Professor David Wilkinson (Chief Medical Officer, National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Tania Romano (Scientific and Education Communications Manager, Head of Medical, SkinCeuticals) about how skin cancer doctors, GPs and other physicians can use topical skincare products as part of their medical and cosmetic medicine toolkit.

In the podcast, Prof Wilkinson and Tania discuss why maintenance with topical skincare is so important for patients. They discuss the types of skin concerns physicians can manage with cosmeceuticals, as well as how topical products can be used in conjunction with aesthetic procedures to enhance or prolong results.

The podcast covers the effects and benefits of cosmeceuticals and why they are a useful component in a primary care physician’s toolkit as part of an overall treatment plan.

The limitations are explained, as well as things to be aware of before you begin prescribing these products in your practice.

 

CPD Home explained: Changes to CPD in 2023

CPD accreditation is changing for doctors from 2023. In this podcast, Paul Elmslie (Founder & CEO, HealthCert Education) and Prof David Wilkinson (Chief Medical Officer, National Skin Cancer Centres) explain the upcoming changes and what doctors need to do to prepare.

How is CPD changing?

In the podcast, Paul and Prof Wilkinson explain how from January 2023 all doctors practising in Australia will be required to complete CPD on an annual basis rather than within a triennium. CPD will shift to hours instead of points. Each year, all doctors must complete 50 hours of CPD activities, consisting of:

• Minimum 12½ hours education
• Minimum 5 hours performance review
• Minimum 5 hours outcome measurement

All doctors must meet these requirements, regardless of hours worked. A transition period will take place in 2023. About 5% of doctors will be audited. The purpose of these changes is to place a greater emphasis on measuring clinical outcomes in the practice.

What is a CPD Home?

All doctors must meet these requirements, regardless of hours worked. A transition period will take place in 2023. About 5% of doctors will be audited. The purpose of these changes is to place a greater emphasis on measuring clinical outcomes in the practice. From 2024, it will be compulsory for all
doctors to belong to a CPD Home, where their CPD hours and annual activities are collated. There will be various CPD Home providers, including HealthCert Education, and doctors can belong to more than one provider.

What do doctors need to do from 2023?

Listen to the podcast to understand what you need to do to be ready for the new system when it commences in a few months’ time.

Please complete a short CPD survey & enter the draw to win a free course and 'Dermoscopy Bible'

Please answer a 6-question survey to help us understand doctors' expectations and concerns about the upcoming CPD changes. Your input will help improve our programs and provide you with relevant support to meet CPD requirements. 

Every survey participant will enter the draw to receive a free HealthCert online course (valued up to $2,495) and a hard copy of the Dermoscopy & Diagnosis of Benign & Malignant Skin Lesions.

Winner announced 30 September via Facebook. T&Cs apply. 

 

How to manage acne in primary care with Dr Helena Rosengren

In this episode of HealthCert’s GP Insights podcast, we talk about acne management with Dr Helena Rosengren, an experienced Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Medicine Physician based in Townsville.

In the podcast, Dr Rosengren talks about patients she typically sees presenting with acne to her primary care clinic, including the kinds of concerns these patients have. She explains how she conducts a preliminary acne consultation, and how to determine the cause of the acne.

Dr Rosengren further describes the treatment options primary care physicians can offer for their patients with severe acne , and when to refer patients onwards to a specialist dermatologist for acne management.

The podcast also explores what to do when a standard treatment regimen is not working, and how to deal with challenging aspects of managing acne in primary care.

Dr Rosengren shares success stories from her own practice and offers practical advice for practitioners interested in introducing primary care dermatology to their practice.

How to implement a patient recall policy with Paul Elmslie and Narelle Davidson

In this podcast, Paul Elmslie (Founder & CEO, HealthCert Education and National Skin Cancer Centres) speaks with Narelle Davidson (Area Manager at National Skin Cancer Centres) about how to implement a patient recall policy through the effective use of your existing medical software to ensure repeat patient visits.

In the podcast, Narelle discusses the importance of patient recalls for ensuring continuity of care. It is vital that patients return to the practice for follow-up of their medical concerns so that they can be treated quickly and effectively.

Additionally, it is important for patients to return to the practice so that doctors have an ongoing patient base.

Narelle explains the systems, processes and software a practice can implement to make sure patient recall is properly executed – ensuring ongoing patient care and continued income for the practice – and how to effectively target patients to ensure they don’t slip through the cracks.

Narelle has 26 years’ experience in general practice business and practice management and currently manages a dozen skin cancer clinic across Australia.