The Government has made a revised proposal on the composition of Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) in October 2017.  Under that latest proposal, there will be an addition of two seats who are Fellows nominated and elected by Fellows in accordance with the regulations or procedures of the Academy.  The Academy conducted a survey during 12 December 2017 – 5 January 2018 to collect Fellows’ opinions on the nomination and election mechanism of these two additional seats in the MCHK.

Purpose
To collect views from Fellows on three aspects: 1) eligibility to stand for election; 2) nomination mechanism; and 3) means of election. 

Results
A total of 7,572 questionnaires were sent out.  1,906 replies were received, giving a response rate of around 25%. 

1)     Eligibility to stand for Election
A majority of Fellows (75%) agreed that no prerequisite requirements or conditions would be needed for the two seats. 

2)     Nomination mechanism
The majority (83%) considered that the candidates should be nominated by all Fellows directly, not via the Colleges nor by other means.

3)     Means of Election
Most of the respondents (93%) agreed that the two additional seats should be elected by all Fellows, but not via the Academy Council nor by other means.

A limited edition of the Academy’s red packets will be available for Fellows exclusively again this year. Fellows may collect 2 packs (25 pieces per pack) at the Academy Lounge on 3/F or the Secretariat Office on 10/F of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building from 22 January to 9 February 2018. The complimentary red packets will be available while stock lasts.

The Secretariat office will close early at 1 p.m. on Chinese New Year's Eve, 15 February 2018.

24^th Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The AGM was held at Lim Por Yen Lecture Theatre with the participation of over 30 Academy Fellows. All the proposals on the agenda of the AGM notice, which was sent to all Academy Fellows on 14 November 2017, were adopted.

5 new Elected Members of the Academy Council as listed below were successfully elected in accordance with the HKAM Ordinance. Their 2-year term of office began immediately after the AGM.

President Prof. C.S. Lau extended thanks to Dr. Hung Se Fong and Dr. S.H. Tsui for their contributions to the Academy. Their continuous support to the Academy would be appreciated.

24^th Annual Fellowship Conferment Ceremony cum 2017 David Todd Oration

The Fellowship Conferment Ceremony was successfully held in the Run Run Shaw Hall on 15 December 2017.

Presentation of Honorary Fellowship
Past President Dr. Donald Li, was conferred the Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the medical profession, the Academy and the community.

Admission of Academy Fellows
A total of 256 new Academy Fellows were officially admitted at the conferment ceremony. Congratulations! President Prof. C.S. Lau commended their remarkable achievements and wished them all the best for their professional endeavors. Please click here for the full list of the new Academy Fellows.

Presentation of Plaques and Awards
Best Original Research by Trainees (BORT)

Best Original Paper Award (BOPA)
Dr. Esther Chan, corresponding author received the BOPA for the paper, entitled “Improving medication safety and diabetes management in Hong Kong: a multidisciplinary approach”, on behalf of Dr. Agnes Y.S. Chung et al.

Appreciation and Recognition
Plaques were presented to former Council Members in recognition of their services and contributions to the Academy Council.

The plaques have also been sent to the following former Council members who were unable to attend the conferment ceremony.

Award for the 25^th Anniversary Logo Design Competition
The Academy organised a logo design competition last April in celebration of its 25^th anniversary in 2018. The winner of the competition, Dr. C.K. Lo, a Fellow from the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons received the award.

Special tribute to the Academy’s Founding President
On 16 August 2017, the Academy was deeply saddened by the passing of our Founding President, Prof. Sir David Todd. President Prof. C.S. Lau paid a special tribute to Prof. Todd.

2017 David Todd Oration
David Todd Oration was inaugurated in 1995 to honour the Founding President of the Academy, Prof. Sir David Todd, in recognition of his profound contributions to the Academy. The Academy was privileged to have Prof. Gabriel Leung, Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong, to deliver the Oration this year. The Oration was entitled "Coming Full Circle".

Please click here to view a photo gallery of the auspicious events held on 15 December 2017.  The link will be valid till 15 March 2018.

Save the Dates - Events during the Anniversary Year 2018

More details will be available as our plans develop. We shall keep Fellows up to date through the monthly eNews, Academy website, and Facebook.

The Academy is organising the 4^th Medical Education Conference on 5 May 2018. The theme of this year's Conference is "Cultivating Research and Professionalism in Medical Education". The one-day Conference features plenary lectures, symposia and workshops, delivered by renowned local and overseas speakers.

Advanced Simulation Training in Mechanical Ventilation (ASTiM), 5 December 2017
Hong Kong Jockey Club Innovative Learning Centre for Medicine (HKJCILCM) has organised a new course, ASTiM, in collaboration with Hong Kong Society of Critical Care Medicine (HKSCCM) and Hong Kong College of Critical Care Nursing (HKCCCN) on 5 December 2017.

ASTiM was a one-day course aimed at enhancing knowledge and skills in “Advanced Mechanical Ventilation” through interactive learning activities and hands on simulation training workshops with advanced respiratory simulator.  It was designed primarily for healthcare professionals taking care of patients requiring mechanical ventilation including but not limited to specialties in Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Respiratory Medicine.

A total of 20 participants took part in the course and learnt multidisciplinary approaches as well as different application and management methods of mechanical ventilation.

Medical Moulage and Mock-up Workshop, 9 December 2017
Enjoyed by a group of members in the field of medical simulation education, the Medical Moulage and Mock-up Workshop was run with much joy and fun in a Saturday morning. The participants acquired knowledge about materials and equipment for moulage as well as gained skills in making skin of different conditions such as bruises, wounds, bleeding, and so on, which could be applied in medical simulation education.

Simulation Alliance Scientific Meeting: Enhancing Realism in Surgery Simulation, 20 December 2017
The Meeting introduced the advanced and newly invented equipment and tools to be applied in surgery simulation, which has brought in new ideas on designing concerned simulation training and the innovative way in enhancing realism.

This new technology demonstration was delivered by Mr. Edwin Chia from Singapore, a founding member and the Board of Director (2017) of the Pan Asia Simulation Society in Healthcare (PASSH).  Mr. Chia has been a specialist in using simulation for mass casualty incidents.

NEW FREE E-LEARNING MODULE! Global Health Challenge for Human Security
As the fourth of the HKJCDPRI e-learning series, a new e-learning module, “Global Health Challenge for Human Security” was launched on the 1^st January 2018. The e-learning is published in collaboration with HKJCDPRI’s collaborating partner, CCOUC of CUHK.

In around 12 hours and 6 lectures, participants will learn about the concepts of human security and health security and their implications for global and local public health practices; the relationship between human security and various global health infrastructure, policies and actions; and the dynamics of various aspects of human security and the public health needs in emergencies and disasters.

Click here to learn more or register for the first cohort of the e-learning. You will have till 30th June 2018 to complete the e-learning.

To facilitate more efficient payment procedures, the Academy has launched the credit card online payment service in mid-January 2018. Now, Fellows can save time and settle HKAM Fellowship annual subscriptions conveniently and quickly through online payment on the iCMECPD website.

What are the benefits?

• Save time and postage cost
• Settle annual subscription anytime, anywhere by using computer or mobile device
• Ensure your subscription can be settled on-time without delay
• Payment history and e-receipt are available anytime
• Go paperless to help the environment and reduce paperwork

How to get started?

Fellows can log into iCMECPD (https://www.icmecpd.hk/) and choose “Annual Subscription” under “Fellow’s Area” of the main menu to settle the payment.

Click HERE to read Quick user guide

A new function "e-Receipt" on the iCMECPD website is now available.  Fellows who have settled the payment for 2018 subscription can login to iCMECPD (User's Corner→Receipt for Annual Subscription) to view and print their Annual Subscription receipts online. To reduce environmental impact, Fellows can indicate their preference in the debit note on whether to receive official receipt by post while settling the payment by cheque or Dah Sing HKAM Platinum Card.

Please note that the CME/CPD Principles & Guidelines for the cycle 2017-19 will remain unchanged, i.e. no more than 75 points can be awarded for passive participation in a 3-year cycle. Fellows are strongly advised to maintain a balanced CME/CPD profile with a mix of different activities, in order to capture the full benefit of different types of CME/CPD activities.

The document, Principles & Guidelines 2017-19, is available online here on the Academy website.

(Note: Individual Colleges will have their own set of guidelines based on what have been agreed at the Academy level. There may be specific rules or requirements that the Colleges determine to be relevant for their specialties.)

The Academy sometimes gets error messages when sending messages to Fellows' registered emails, which may be caused by full mailboxes, invalid addresses, etc. A valid email address is an essential detail for Fellows to gain access to iCMECPD account and view the CME/CPD profile. In order to help us maintain an up-to-date database, please keep us informed whenever there are changes to your email address, mailing address or contact number by logging into your account of iCMECPD (http://www.icmecpd.hk). Please also be reminded to keep your registered emails active by ensuring there is sufficient mailbox capacity.

To further enhance the online services for CME/CPD, the Academy has developed a mobile application for capturing attendance - iCMECPD App. It is now available at Apple's App Store and Google's Play. Fellows may download the App by scanning the respective QR code below (or search "icmecpd" from App Store/Google Play) and install it in their smartphone with operating system in iOS (8.0 or above) or Android (4.3 or above).

Starting from 2017, Fellows may capture their attendance by using the App to scan the QR code for CME/CPD activities held by the Academy/Colleges at the HKAM Jockey Club Building. The Academy has started liaising with organisers on pilot runs of the App for their activities to be held so that they will gradually use this paperless online accreditation application and attendance capture process from 2017 onward. In addition, briefing sessions will be conducted for organisers to further promote the App and the system.

iCMECPD App

Hong Kong Medical Journal is pleased to announce the completion of the HKAMedTrack system <http://www.hkamedtrack.org/hkmj>, an online manuscript submission and peer review system developed by the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. The system is a web-based tool designed for manuscript submission, review, and tracking. HKAMedTrack system will result in greater efficiency and convenience, and faster turnaround times for authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the submission and refereeing process. It will streamline the review process and decrease the time from submission to the initial decision on publication. Please visit the website which will provide step-by-step guide for authors to submit a paper.

HKMJ Impact Factor
The most recent (2016) Journal Impact Factor for Hong Kong Medical Journal is 1.111, according to the 2016 Journal Citation Reports released by Clarivate Analytics (previously part of Thomson Reuters) in 2017. The Editorial Board would like to thank the authors and reviewers for their continuous support.

Highlights of the December 2017 issue:

Original Article
Clinical utility of late-night and post-overnight dexamethasone suppression salivary cortisone for the investigation of Cushing’s syndrome Compared with salivary cortisol, salivary cortisone has better diagnostic performance after dexamethasone suppression. Both late-night and post-overnight dexamethasone suppression salivary cortisone levels are of diagnostic value in the investigation of hypercortisolism.
Original Article
The first case series of Chinese patients in Hong Kong with familial Alzheimer’s disease compared with those with biomarker-confirmed sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease Clinical features differ for patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease compared with those with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. There is a delay in diagnosis. Promotion of public awareness of familial Alzheimer’s disease is much needed.
Original Article
Frameless stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases: a review of outcomes and prognostic scores evaluation Frameless stereotactic brain radiosurgery is effective in patients with oligo-metastases of brain and should be increasingly considered in patients with favourable prognostic scoring.

Volume 23 Issue 3 Supplement 2, 2017 Health and Health Services Research Fund Research Dissemination Reports Dissemination reports are concise informative reports of health-related research supported by funds administered by the Food and Health Bureau, for example, the Health and Health Services Research Fund (which was consolidated into the Health and Medical Research Fund in December 2011). In this edition, 11 dissemination reports of projects related to tobacco control, neurology, respiratory diseases, traditional Chinese medicine, and reproductive system and childbirth are presented. In particular, four projects are highlighted due to their potentially significant findings, impact on healthcare delivery and practice, and/or contribution to health policy formulation in Hong Kong.

President Prof. C.S. Lau attended the 1^st Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Hygiene and Health Cooperation Conference held in Huizhou, Guangdong on 9 January 2018, and he was appointed as the Expert Adviser.  Besides, a Memorandum of Understanding on Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaboration on specialist training was signed among the Health and Family Planning Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Academy, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and HKU-Shenzhen Hospital during the event.

Conferment Ceremonies of the Academy Colleges
Officers offered the new College fellows heartfelt congratulations on their remarkable achievements and wished them all the best in their professional endevours.

26^th Admission of New Members and New Fellows Ceremony of the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians, 2 December 2017

30^th Fellowship Conferment Ceremony of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians, 10 December 2017

Fellowship Conferment Ceremony of the College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong, 17 December 2017

Annual Dinner of the Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong, 31 December 2017
Vice-President (General Affairs) Dr. C.C. Lau joined the dinner and extended best wishes to all the guests for a prosperous year ahead.

Online reservation is available now! You can scan the QR code or visit https://www.hkamonline.hk/yumcha to book a table and enjoy our vast range of Cantonese dim sum at the Academy.

A wide range of well-designed, quality Academy gifts and accessories are available at the Academy Lounge. You may also place an order by completing and returning an order form to the Secretariat.

• Order Form

The Academy Lounge is a nicely decorated place with cosy atmosphere ideal for social occasions. The Lounge offers a menu of gourmet appetizers and drink specials, as well as BBQ menus.

BBQ Buffet at Fellows’ Garden

Enjoy the breezy Autumn air as well as special menus such as BBQ buffet menu at the Academy Fellows’ Garden! Our chefs will grill hearty meats and seafood skewers at our outdoor BBQ counter in the Fellows’ Garden. The indoor buffet stations will feature a tasty assortment of starters and main courses. A wide selection of luscious desserts will be prepared to complete the feast.

Academy Fellows can now enjoy exclusive offers on a range of Chinese New Year puddings and hampers, offered by Island Shangri-La this year. Fellows can make a purchase by completing and returning the order form to the hotel directly. Offers are valid while stocks last. Click here for further details. For enquiries, please call 2820 8319

The ICAC has produced a series of case studies to illustrate the legal requirements and risks of corruption or malpractices faced by medical practitioners since September last year. In this final issue, different scenarios relating to mishandling of proprietary information will be discussed.

Series Five: Mishandling of Proprietary Information

Please note the following announcement from the Drug Office of Department of Health:

• Quinine: reminder of dose-dependent QT-prolonging effects; updated medicine interactions
• Biotin (Vitamin B7): Safety Communication: May Interfere with Lab Tests
• Fingolimod (Gilenya): new contraindications in relation to cardiac risk
• Recombinant human erythropoietins: very rare risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs)
• PRAC recommends suspending hydroxyethyl-starch solutions for infusion from the market. Review finds measures to protect patients have not been sufficiently effective.

The eHealth News is published to help people understand better the latest eHR development. The most recent issue of eHealth News 《醫健通訊》 has been published and is available at the Electronic Health Record (eHR) Office website:

• eHealth News (English | Chinese)