March 2010

Conference on Medical Errors

Medical errors constitute a most important quality problem in healthcare system today. While clients do not complain against nature for diseases, they readily complain against doctors for medical errors. A good insight into medical errors may be granted through studies on adverse events since a considerable fraction of those events are results of errors and as such preventable.

It is our honor to have Professor Alan Merry to share with us his eye-opening work in preventing drug errors and his recent safety initiatives. Professor Merry is a practicing cardiac anaesthetist whose research focuses on the reduction of error, particularly in anaesthesia. He is Professor of Anaesthesiology, University of Auckland, Chair of the Quality and Safety Committee of World Federation of Societies of Anaesthetists, and President of the Auckland Medico-Legal Society.

The conference also benefits from Mr Woody Chang, local expert in medico-legal arena. Dr Monica Wong will also share her experience about problems in private hospitals. Dr Libby Lee will enlighten us on matters with the Hospital Authority.

Date and Time: 19 April 2010 (Monday) 18:30 - 20:30

Venue: Pao Yue Kong Auditorium, HKAM Jockey Club Building, 99 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Programme:

The Conference is free of charge. Please download the registration form from the Academy website and return it to us by fax (2505 5577) or by email ([email protected]) on or before 15 March 2010.
[Registration Enquiry: Ms Lorraine Shiu Tel: 2871 8888; Email: [email protected]]

2010 Annual Subscriptions

Demand notes for the 2010 subscriptions have been sent to Fellows. Please be reminded that it is Council's policy that subscriptions received by the Academy after 30 June will be subject to a surcharge of 5% on the subscription amount. Please settle your subscription as soon as possible. For Fellows who have authorized payment via bank transfer, payments will be deducted from their bank accounts automatically. Fellows who have not given their authorization but are interested in paying their future subscriptions via bank transfer please contact Ms Florence Chiu at 2871 8804.

Survey on Medical Professional Liability Insurance

Noting that the skyrocketing premiums of professional liability insurance may have become a burden to some Fellows, the Academy has been looking for ways to ease the situation in the past years. The Academy has recently conducted a survey among Fellows on Medical Professional Liability regarding the feasibility of establishing alternative insurance schemes to cater for different needs and choices of Fellows. The survey was done through the assistance of Blue Cross (Asia Pacific) Insurance Limited and completed in mid October. Please click below for a summary of the survey results for your information and reference.

• Letter to Fellows
• Highlights of Survey Results

Based on the survey results, Blue Cross has proposed some alternative medical professional liability schemes for Academy Fellows. While these proposed schemes may suit the needs of individual Fellows, the Academy Council would like to make it clear that the Academy:

1. is just helping Fellows to find opportunities for alternative insurance solutions; and
2. has neither been in partnership with, nor entered into any commercial dealings with Blue Cross; and
3. has not endorsed any new schemes to be launched.

The decision of any Fellow to join any new scheme is entirely personal. Fellows should make all necessary assessments, consider seeking all necessary advice, and exercise their own judgement according to their own circumstances. The Academy shall not be responsible for any matters in relation to any new scheme or product or service offered to or joined/used by Fellows.

For enquiries about the survey findings, please contact Blue Cross (Asia-Pacific) Insurance Limited at [email protected].

For information of the new Blue Cross schemes, please click the following link:

http://www.bluecross.com.hk/mppinsurance/

National Qualification Examination in the Mainland

Under the CEPA arrangements ("Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement"), registered doctors in Hong Kong who are permanent Hong Kong residents are eligible to take the National Qualification Examination in the Mainland (國家醫師資格考試).

The Medical Council of Hong Kong is tasked for the receipt and vetting of applications to sit for the above examination. They have requested the Academy to help let Fellows who might be interested know that applications for sitting the 2010 National Qualification Examination are now called for by the National Medical Examination Centre of the People's Republic of China. All applicants are required to submit their application online. Details and the application form are available at http://www.nmec.org.cn. The closing date is 22 March 2010. Applicants who have submitted their applications online before the closing date are required to submit the supporting documents in person to the Medical Council Secretariat for vetting and onward submission to the National Medical Examination Centre on or before 29 March 2010.

General information about the examination is available at the websites of the National Medical Examination Center at http://www.nmec.org.cn and the Ministry of Health at http://www.moh.gov.cn respectively. For enquiries, please contact the secretariat of the Licentiate Committee of the Medical Council at tel: 2873 4742 or email at [email protected].

First AMM-AMS-HKAM Tripartite Congress

The First Tripartite Congress of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, and Academy of Medicine, Singapore will be held from 12-14 November 2010 in Hong Kong. This will also be the 44th Malaysia-Singapore Congress of Medicine. The theme of the Congress is “Benefits and Risks of Recent Medical Advances”. Please visit the Congress website at www.tripartitecongress.org for details.

• Preliminary Programme
• Registration Form
• Poster Abstract Submission Form

The Hong Kong Medical Journal (HKMJ) Forum is now officially launched

The HKMJ is happy to announce the launch of its Forum. The Forum is still very young and needs active Fellows who are willing to contribute. Everybody can read the threads, but Fellows who would like to participate in the discussion need to register and log in first. Please check out the Forum and browse its threads at http://www.hkmjforum.org.

CME/CPD Reminder

The current CME/CPD cycle for Academy Fellows will end on 31 December 2010. All Fellows who are on the Specialist Register (SR) of the Medical Council or Dental Council will need to fulfil the requirements of the Academy to remain on the SR. Fellows, except those exempted for CME/CPD due to retirement, are also required to fulfil the requirements to maintain the Academy Fellowship. Starting from 1 January 2008, no more than 75 points can be awarded for passive participation in a 3-year cycle. Fellows are reminded to make sure they will obtain the required number of CME/CPD points before the end of this year, and to catch up if the points they have obtained so far falls behind greatly of the requirements.

Facilities at the Academy

Guest Rooms

Are you thinking of providing accommodations for the College examiners, visiting lecturers, or conference speakers during their visit to Hong Kong? OR are you looking for a temporary ‘home’ while yours is going through refurbishment? On 5th floor of the Academy Building, there are 13 en-suite Guest Rooms available for bookings by Fellows. The clean and spacious rooms, with modern amenities and a personal touch, will ensure all guests a pleasant short or long stay at the Academy:

• Guests can enjoy privacy in a tranquil atmosphere at our 24-hour-guarded building, and best of all, the stunning views of the mountains; 
• Guests are entitled to use the library, lounge, gymnasium and sauna on 3rd floor;
• Our Suites have a bedroom that can be closed off from the living room for more privacy, which are favourite choices for long stays;
• Buffet breakfasts can be arranged for group booking;
• Parking spaces are available to guests and visitors;
• Meeting rooms of variable sizes are close by for large and small meetings.

For just HK$600 (single room) / HK$900 (suite) per room per night, you can rest assured that you and your guests can enjoy a comfortable stay at the Academy!

Call our Conference Department at 2871 8787 or e-mail to [email protected] to enquire about details!

Academy Lounge

The Academy Lounge on 3/F is an ideal place for Fellows to sit back and relax with friends or associates over a glass of wine. It can also be turned into a gallery for exhibitions of paintings and photos. Fellows who are amateur photographer or painter can consider displaying their collection there over a period of time and share their work with visitors. For the health-conscious Fellows, there is a fitness centre with basic gym equipment and a sauna. There is also a VIP room at the lounge that provides an exclusive environment for private gatherings. The Academy Lounge opens daily from 12:00noon - 9:00pm (Monday to Saturday) and 9:00am - 9:00pm (Sundays and Public Holidays). For information, please call 2871 8737.

Fellows' Garden

The Fellows' Garden on 3/F just outside the lounge is equipped with a BBQ counter that could cater around 20 guests. Fellows can host full-service BBQ parties for families and friends or arrange a less formal BBQ gathering for special guests to take a break during medical conferences. For booking information, please contact the Conference Department at 2871 8787, or [email protected]

HIMSS AsiaPac 2010 - Beijing

The registration for HIMSS AsiaPac10 Exposition in Beijing, China from 26 - 28 May 2010 is open. Please click onto this url to register for early bird rate (before 25 March 2010) to the event - http://www.himssasiapac.org/expo10/index.aspx

Since the Academy is one of the supporting organisations of the event, Fellows of the Academy will enjoy 10% off prevailing rate for Event Pass. Fellows should register by using the discount code as shown below to enjoy 10% off prevailing rate for Event Pass. The code MUST be keyed into during registration for the discount.

Discount Code: SO9

Please click below for more information of the event: http://himssasiapac.org/expo10/doc/HIMSS2010_ExConf_China.pdf

HIMSS AsiaPac 2010 - Korea

The HIMSS AsiaPac 2010 Korea will be held on 26-28 October 2010 in Daegu, Korea. The Academy has agreed to be one of the Supporting Organisations of this conference. For more details of the conference, please visit their website http://www.himssasiapac.org/congress10/index.aspx

Hong Kong Medical Journal February 2010 issue is now available on the Journal’s website <http://www.hkmj.org>. Highlights of this issue include:

EDITORIAL

• The role of the Emergency Department: beyond gatekeeping

CASE REPORT

• Emergency department presentation of ketamine abusers in Hong Kong: a review of 233 cases
• Clinical characteristics and outcomes of obstetric patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: a 10-year retrospective review

Online CME/CPD

Quizzes from the following Colleges are currently available at iCMECPD website for Fellows to study online for CME/CPD:

Please visit the CMe-Learning of iCMECPD website (www.icmecpd.hk) for the latest CME/CPD materials.

Upcoming Conference(s) / Symposium(s)