This is a facilitated education and audit activity aimed at GPs and general practice teams.

Occupational specialists, Dr Thanh Ha and Dr Mary Wyatt, will guide and mentor participants through how to specifically address return to work barriers and implement strategies to bring about changes that enhance patient outcomes.

This activity incorporates reflection, self-directed activity, education and mentoring within the framework of a clinical audit process.

Audit timeframe

This is a 5-stage audit activity to be completed over 5-6 months from Jan/Feb 2024 to June 2024.

The majority of the audit is self-driven reflection and action. There are two mandatory group discussion/reflection meetings held in Feb and May.

Mandatory requirements

To successfully complete the audit and have your CPD hours allocated, you must:

• Attend both mandatory online Zoom discussion/reflection meetings to be held on 22md February and 30th May from 6.30-7.30pm ACDT via Zoom.
• Identify two patients who have been injured in the course of their work and have an active work injury claim or work injury claim pending determination.
• Complete all 5 stages of the clinical audit.

CPD

RACGP approved for 8 hours Measuring Outcomes CPD (activity ID 711007). ACRRM accreditation pending.

About the audit facilitators

Dr Mary Wyatt
Dr Mary Wyatt is an Occupational Physician in work health and work injuries. Mary has worked extensively with complex claims across a range of industries and participates in extensive research in RTW. Mary is active in policy development and research through the Australasian Faculty of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) and other organisations. Her interest is in getting research into practice. She is a strong advocate for better work injury management systems, including initiating of the Health Benefits of Work agenda through the AFOEM. She also reviews and advises on work injury management schemes for regulators and government. Mary is the lead Fellow in AFOEM / RACP’s most recent Health Benefits of Good Work policy development – It pays to care: Bringing evidence-informed practice to work injury schemes helps workers and their workplaces. An imperative for change and call to action.

Dr Thanh Ha
Dr Thanh Ha graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, with honours, in 1998. She worked as a musculoskeletal and cardiothoracic physiotherapist for 8 years before and whilst undertaking further medical studies. In 2008, Thanh graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, with honours. She was appointed as lecturer for the University of Western Australia in Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology. She completed a PhD in Surgery in 2014 with the University of Adelaide. In 2017, Thanh found her passion in managing patients with work injuries - both musculoskeletal as well as psychological. Thanh currently works as an Occupational Medicine Practitioner in Salisbury and Payneham with a special interest in the prevention and management of work injuries. Her physiotherapy experience, surgical training, and teaching appointments combine effectively in assessing and managing patients in the return to work space.

Leaning outcomes:

Through this clinical audit, participants will be supported to:

• Review current practice and processes for screening, assessment and management of work-injured patients
• Identify ways to incorporate multi-disciplinary and biopsychosocial care into routine practice for work injuries
• Develop an action plan for implementation to improve psychosocial screening, collaboration with key stakeholders involved in a work injury claim, and management aligned to best-practice recommendations

This clinical audit has been developed and delivered by SAPMEA. We acknowledge and are thankful for funding from RTWSA.