WINTER 2005
NSPAR Program Begins: Replaces APMPR Random Office Audits
The Nova Scotia Physician Achievement Review (NSPAR) began operations in early February. NSPAR replaces the former program of random office audits undertaken for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia by the Atlantic Provinces Medical Peer Review (APMPR).
NSPAR is a leading-edge professional development tool that provides participating physicians with a performance assessment based on feedback from their patients, medical colleagues and co-workers. Assessed physicians receive a confidential report that contains individualized data and comparisons to the average scores of other Nova Scotia physicians. This feedback also provides a benchmark for how patients and colleagues define good performance, while indicating possible areas for individual improvement and professional development.
NSPAR reports for individual physicians are protected from use or disclosure in any disciplinary process or legal proceeding.
Approximately 120 family physicians will be randomly selected to participate in NSPAR each year, and each eligible family practitioner in Nova Scotia will participate in an NSPAR assessment at some point within the next seven years, with seven-year re-assessments thereafter.
In 2006, the program will expand to include several medical and surgical specialties. NSPAR fulfils the College’s obligation under the Nova Scotia Medical Act to conduct peer assessment. In accordance with the Medical Act, participation is mandatory, subject to a limited set of exemption criteria.
Further information about NSPAR is available online at www.nspar.ca or by contacting NSPAR Program Manager Mary Power by e-mail at mpower@cpsns.ns.ca, by phone at (902) 482-2921, or toll-free in Nova Scotia at 1-877-282-7767.
District 5 (Halifax and County) Ballots Due April 8
Two Council seats in District 5 (Halifax County) are available for election in 2005. The three candidates running for these two seats are:
• Dr. Cynthia Forbes • Dr. Richard MacLachlan • Dr. Rodney Wilson
All three physicians are family practitioners.
Election ballots were mailed to physicians in District 5 during the week of Monday, March 14, 2005. The final date for receipt of ballots is Friday, April 8, 2005 at 8:30 am. Scrutineers will count ballots commencing at 9:00 am that day.
The available seat in District 2 (Pictou, Cumberland, and Colchester Counties) has been filled by acclamation. Dr. Henry Adamson, a New Glasgow anesthesiologist, will continue to represent District 2 on Council.
May Healthcare Safety Conference − A Few Seats Left
A small number of seats remain for the Thursday, May 19 conference on safety in health care at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth. Scheduled speakers include Cheryl Doiron, Nova Scotia Department of Health; Patrick Croskerry, Capital Health; Jeff Kirby, Dalhousie Department of Bioethics, and Pierrette Leonard, Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
The registration fee is $50.00 and the event has been approved for 6.75 CME credit hours. A preliminary program (in PDF format) is available online at http://www.cpsns.ns.ca/2005-symposium-preliminary.pdf.
Physicians interested in attending the conference are asked to contact Corina Osborne at (902) 421-2206 as soon as possible.
Investigations Committees Issue Advice to Physicians
The College's Investigations Committees encourage physicians to take note of the following advice:
• Physicians are advised to use care in writing personal correspondence on their professional letterhead in circumstances where it could be interpreted as providing a medical opinion.
• Physicians are advised to maintain file copies of all written documents, including correspondence with third parties.
• Physicians are advised to ensure that their office notes are legible.
Changes Coming to the Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program
The Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is pleased to announce the implementation of an electronic online real-time adjudication system in 2005. In anticipation of the new system, triplicate prescription pads are being redesigned. Prescribers will receive new pads in the coming months.
Pharmacies, in conjunction with their software vendors, can decide when they will be able to move to electronic submission. Given a phased-in approach, the PMP will continue to process prescriptions manually from select pharmacies until all pharmacies have converted to electronic submission. At that time, the triplicate form will be replaced with a duplicate one.
The PMP will notify prescribers about when to stop using their existing pads and begin using the new ones.
Physicians are asked to contact the PMP if they have questions, need to update their contact information, or feel they no longer require PMP triplicate pads. The PMP can be reached at (902) 496-7123 or toll-free at 1 (800) 565-8785.
Physicians Asked to Consider Q Fever
In the Maritimes, Q Fever has been a cause of community-acquired pneumonia, often associated with exposure to cats that recently had kittens. A team at the division of Infectious diseases at the QE11 Health Sciences Center is conducting research in cooperation with Dr. Tom Marrie to see if Q fever is still common in the Maritimes and to evaluate the usefulness of newly developed testing methods such as the NMR analysis of urine and cytokine analysis of blood samples. These methods may help in the future diagnosis of Q Fever and in predicting the infection's outcome.
Symptoms
To optimize the frequency with which Q fever is diagnosed in the Maritimes, the researchers ask physicians to be particularly attentive to the possibility of Q Fever infection among their patients. Unique features of Q Fever pneumonia include:
• Two or more cases of pneumonia in a family;
• One or more rounded opacities on chest x-ray;
• Pneumonia within two weeks of exposure to parturient cats, cattle sheep or goats
Serology
Physicians who see patients with community acquired pneumonia that has one or more of the above criteria are requested to test for Q fever. The diagnosis of Q fever is made serologically. A clotted blood sample is submitted to the QEII Health Sciences Centre for testing.
The research study
If the test is positive, the physician will be contacted by the research team to obtain permission from the patient to be approached regarding participation in the study. A copy of the Patient Information/Consent Form being used in the study is available for review. Briefly, patients who decide to participate in this study will be requested to:
1. Give two more samples of blood, one approximately 1-2 weeks after the initial diagnosis of Q Fever and again in three months' time. These three samples will be examined to see what types and levels of cytokines have been produced in response to Q Fever.
2. Give a sample of urine as soon as possible after the initial diagnosis and again in two weeks time. The urine sample will be tested using NMR to examine the body's response to this particular type of infection.
3. Complete a 20-minute questionnaire administered by one of the investigators or research nurses by phone or interview to assist the researchers in understanding the patient's exposures and risk factors.
Further questions about the study should be directed to:
Dr. Todd Hatchette
QEII Health Science Centre
Ph. (902) 473-6885
Pager: 473-2220 pager 7865
or
Dr. Shelly McNeil
QEII Health Science Centre
Ph. (902) 473-8477
Pager: 473-2220 pager 1091
NS MDs Appointed to Order of Canada
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia congratulates Dr. Margaret Casey, Dr. Michael Casey and Dr. Jean Gray of Halifax on their recent appointments to the Order of Canada.
All three physicians have been generous in sharing their time and insights with the College over the years. In a congratulatory letter, College Registrar and CEO Dr. Cameron Little wrote, "The qualities of professional dedication, personal generosity and community leadership you have demonstrated throughout your careers set an excellent example for all physicians and lend great credit to the medical profession in this province."
International Breast Cancer Conference Coming to Halifax
The Fourth World Conference on Breast Cancer will take place from June 8 to 12, 2005 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. Approximately 1,000 delegates are expected to attend.
Confirmed keynote speakers include:
• Annie Sasco, Chief, Unit of Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, International Agency for Research on Cancer and Director of Research, French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, France
• Alex Jadad, Director, Centre for Global E-Health, University Health Network, University of Toronto
Conference details are available online at www.wbco.ca or by calling 1 (877) 811-9222.
Consultation on Primary Health Care Awareness Strategy Begins
Editor's Note:
The following information has been supplied by the National Primary Health Care Awareness Strategy (NPHCAS).
The National Primary Health Care Awareness Strategy (NPHCAS) will support primary health care reform by increasing public understanding of primary health care and its potential to enhance the effectiveness of healthcare in Canada.
The NPHCAS is governed by a steering committee of representatives from Federal, Provincial and Territorial jurisdictions including the Nova Scotia Department of Health. This is a project funded under the national envelope of the Primary Health Care Transition Fund (PHCTF).
During March 2005, the NPHCAS committee will seek input from national and provincial stakeholders to explore new ways to align communications efforts around Primary Health Care.
Change of Name, Address or E-mail?
The College depends solely on submissions from members to keep its address information up to date. For members' protection, the College requires that change requests be submitted in writing. Address changes submitted by e-mail are acceptable if the e-mail is sent from the e-mail address the College has on record for the member.
Third-party change requests are not accepted. Name changes must be accompanied by the appropriate legal documentation. Address or name changes can also be submitted on an Address or Name Change Notification Form , which is available on the website at http://www.cpsns.ns.ca/address-name-change-form.htm or by contacting the College by phone at (902) 422-5823 or toll-free in Nova Scotia 1-877-282-7767, by fax at 902-422-5035, or by e-mail at amombourquette@cpsns.ns.ca.
How to contact the College
A complete list of College contacts is available HERE.
