Warning - Unsolicited Green Slip quotes

The MAA has been made aware of reports of unsolicited bogus CTP Green Slip quotes being received from "Easy Greenslips Support Team" with an invitation to a link that may contain a virus or have infected files attached.

The MAA recommends that attachments to such unsolicited emails should not be opened, and that the email should be deleted.

The Neuropsychological assessment of children and adults with traumatic brain injury: Guidelines for the NSW CTP Scheme and the LTCS Scheme, 2013 are now available. These replace the 2006 version.

A new feature in the Guidelines is the Neuropsychological assessment notification (NAN) form to be used to promote communication about assessments and reports between all parties. There are also fact sheets to provide information to all parties about assessments.

The new Guidelines will take effect from 1 May 2013. All parties are encouraged to ensure the 2013 Guidelines provide the basis for communicating about neuropsychological assessments.

The revised Guidelines are designed to ensure that neuropsychological assessments for CTP claimants and LTCSA participants are conducted in a manner that expects sharing of information between all interested parties and minimises the inconvenience and cost related to multiple neuropsychological assessments.

The new Guidelines, Neuropsychological assessment notification (NAN) form and fact sheets can be accessed on Injury Management > Guides for Professionals.

A project to evaluate the impact of the Abbreviated Westmead PTA scale (A-WPTAS) on the duration of Emergency Department (ED) stay when the A-WPTAS was used to assist with admission and discharge decision making has been completed, and is now available on the Injury Management > Traumatic Brain Injury page.

MAA 2011-2012 Annual Report

The MAA is pleased to announce the publication of our Annual Report for 2011-2012.

The Annual Report captures the highlights and successes of 20011-12 and outlines the priorities and
challenges in the year ahead.

A downloadable PDF copy of the report can be accessed on the Publications and Reports > MAA Annual Reports page.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – new online learning activities for GPs

The MAA has relaunched two online learning activities on the ThinkGP website focused on the diagnosis and management of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). The activities are based on the Guidelines for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Following Closed Head Injury developed by the MAA and the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Directorate in 2008.

In response to GP feedback, the activities are shorter and in a more user friendly format. Each activity takes 1 hour to complete and has been accredited for CME points.

They include a series of case studies, video excerpts from brain injury experts, and multiple choice questions to enhance learning.

A short ‘special feature’ video focusing on the diagnostic and management issues faced by GPs when treating patients with MTBI is also available.

• Activity 1. Primary Care for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – the GPs role (Available now)
• Primary Care for Mild traumatic Brain Injury- managing the complex patient (Available now)

Go to www.thinkgp.com.au to access the activities, which are available at no cost once you have registered to use the ThinkGP website.

Injury Strategy: Small Grant Round 2012-13

The MAA is pleased to announce a series of small grant rounds. The total funding available for the small grants round is $150,000 over a period of twelve months.

The aim of these grants is to assist organisations to develop initiatives in trauma and injury management for people injured in motor vehicle crashes in NSW across the continuum of care. There will be four consecutive themes for each of the small grant rounds. Each theme will be allocated a quarter of the total funding.

The themes are:

The theme for the fourth round is Quality practice improvement in a clinical setting.

The aim of quality improvement projects is to develop a system by which better health outcomes are achieved through analysing and improving the service delivery process. Projects in this category may focus on a single component of the quality improvement cycle or cover the entire quality improvement cycle. Where a project proposes a single component of the quality cycle applicants will need to demonstrate how they plan to complete the cycle.

Examples of projects under this category would be:

1. Safety: Reducing adverse consumer outcomes.
2. Effectiveness: Providing services based on best practice such as development or implementation of fact sheets or clinical algorithms. 
3. Consumer-centred care: Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences by providing timely, complete and accurate information patients can understand.
4. Timeliness: Providing timely care and assessment resulting in reduced length of stay in emergency departments.
5. Efficiency:  Improving the discharge processes for consumers by developing a well–defined discharge planning process, involving consumers/carers in the process.
6. Equity: Providing care that does not differ in quality because of personal characteristics. Such as developing consumer resources in different languages, developing e-resources for consumers and building capacity of service providers in rural and remote locations.

Each grant round will be announced separately. Successful applicants will be announced on 15th July 2013. The maximum amount per grant is $15,000 and projects must be completed within 12 months.

Details of organisations that can apply are listed in Section 1: Administration, Small Grant Application Form available below:

• Application Form (280kb) *This form is best viewed with Adobe IX and above
• Guidelines (Round 4)  (119kb)
• MAA Small Grants - Letter of Offer (29 October 2012) (136kb)

If you have any questions, please contact: maagrants@maa.nsw.gov.au

Small Grant Round 1 Outcome (Education & Training) – February 2013

The MAA is pleased to advise that funds were awarded for three projects.

Professor Michael Nicholas, Director Pain Education Pain Management Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Elizabeth Leonard, Clinical Nurse Consultant Trauma Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital were the successful applicants.

Professor Michael Nicholas will deliver the following projects: 

1. Talking about pain $15,000

Key interview and communication skills are   needed to conduct a biopsychosocial assessment and case formulation of a patient with a chronic pain condition arising from minor-moderate motor vehicle accidents. These skills are important for interviewing patients with chronic pain, helping them to make sense of their pain and how it is affecting their lives. This project will develop two videos demonstrating key interview and communication skills to primary health care practitioners. These steps are a necessary precursor to implementing a self- management approach to chronic pain.

2. Skills training for pain assessment and self management $15,000

Primary health care practitioners are often at the front line of managing patients with persisting pain conditions following minor- moderate motor vehicle accidents. While information and research is available regarding pain self- management, there is little formal training for primary health practitioners to perform this work. This project will provide an interactive, skills-oriented and accessible approach to skills training by providing four online skills training courses for 40 participants over five weeks.  

Elizabeth Leonard will deliver the following project:

3. RAPH Trauma Team Training Course resources upgrade $10,000

The Trauma Team Training is a course that was developed to educate and support medical and nursing staff to effectively manage patients sustaining multiple injuries. The grant will enable the development of on-line training resources. These resources will support course structure, limit didactic session times and allow for further simulation training within the course.

Small Grant Round 2 –Service Development and improvement – April 2013

The MAA is pleased to advise that funds were awarded to the following projects.

1. Westmead Trauma Algorithms App $15,000

Westmead Hospital Trauma Unit and relevant subspecialties have designed a set of Clinical Algorithms using the best available evidence to provide standardised process of care for trauma patients presenting to Westmead Hospital. The project will result in an app, available across all platforms, that provides easy access to these clinical algorithms, particularly for the junior and mid-level medical staff treating trauma patients. These standardised processes will reduce error and promote efficient, safe care for trauma patients.

Grant recipient: Dr Jeremy Hsu, Director of Trauma, Westmead Hospital

2. Improving outpatient pain management $14,814.31

The project will identify the incidence and cause of ongoing pain and barriers to compliance with prescribed analgesic regimes in trauma patients post discharge. It will generate evidence to improve the patient discharge process and evidence based patient information tools.

Grant recipient: A/P Kate Curtis Clinical Nurse Consultant Trauma St George Hospital

3. Development of a Trauma Service ‘web-app’ for smart phone use $15,000

The project will develop a multiplatform web app to facilitate dissemination of key trauma protocols and guidelines relevant to clinicians within Sydney Local Health District. The app will be a convenient and accessible way to provide information and clinical guidance for clinicians. The app will be incorporated into a range of clinical decision calculators based on data at RPAH designed to facilitate patient flow, assist with patient care and expedite discharge planning for trauma patients.

Grant recipients: Elizabeth Leonard/Michael Dinh –Trauma Coordinator/Trauma Director RPAH

___________________________________________________________________________________

CTP Pricing Strategy: Planning a better future

The NSW Minister for Finance and Services, Greg Pearce has directed the Motor Accidents Authority (MAA) to prepare a Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Pricing Strategy. Preparation of the strategy will address key issues to ensure the Green Slip Scheme remains equitable, affordable and sustainable into the future. The strategy will determine the future direction of the scheme and address current issues and areas for improvement including:

• Insurer profits and costs
• Transparency in legal costs to ensure injured parties are fairly treated in terms of entitlements
• Equitable and affordable CTP pricing
• Ensuring the MAA has optimal regulatory powers.

Further information about the strategy is available here.

The MAA has released an additional Permanent Impairment Guidance Note (11. 'Assessment of Compression Fracture(s)’) for use by Medical Assessors from the 21 January 2013.

The Guidance Notes available are:

1. Assessment of mild collateral and mild cruciate ligament laxity
2. Assessment of femoral shaft fracture, rotational deformity
3. Assessment of tibial shaft fracture, rotational deformity
4. Assessment of pelvic fractures
5. Assessment of Postconcussional Syndrome/Postconcussional Disorder
6. Assessment of Dysmetria
7. Assessment of the area of function ‘Adaptation’ (Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale)
8. Assessment of muscle atrophy
9. Assessment of resection arthroplasty
10. Assessment of oesophagus, stomach and duodenum
11. Assessment of of Compression Fracture(s)

The Guidance Notes can be accessed on Publications & Reports > WPI Assessment.

The MAA is pleased to announce the publication of our Corporate Plan for 2011-2015.

The Corporate Plan has been developed after significant consultation, discussion, development and co-operation between the Board and senior staff of the Authority, which has helped to ensure a commonality of purpose across the organisation.

The Corporate Plan is a brief, succinct, and publically available 6-page document positioning the MAA as a transparent, pro-active, self aware and accountable public sector organisation.

Further information on the MAA Corporate Plan 2011-2015, and a downloadable PDF copy of the plan, can be accessed on the Publications and Reports > Corporate Plan page.