The Academy concluded the 25^th Anniversary celebration, themed “Medical Excellence for a Healthy Future”, with the Anniversary Congress held at the Academy building on 7-9 December 2018. The three-day Congress gathered over 500 local, mainland and overseas participants to discuss the latest developments and challenges in relation to healthcare and medical excellence.   For details of the exciting celebratory activities throughout the year, please visit the Academy’s commemorative website (http://hkam25.hkam.org.hk).

Thank you again for joining us at the Academy’s 25th Anniversary celebrations!

The Academy has been promoting improvement in professional standards of practice across different specialties. The set of “Guidelines on Procedural Sedation” was first published by the Academy in 2009 with the aim to promote safe and evidence-based practices in procedural sedation. In order to keep abreast of the latest development in procedural sedation, the set of Guidelines was recently revised and published (Version 2.0). The set of revised guidelines will be officially effective from 1 April 2019.

Please click here for the document or refer to the Guidelines on the website (https://www.hkam.org.hk/HKAMWEB/pages_5_88.html)

The Academy and the Department of Health are jointly organising the Symposium on Healthcare Facilities Management 2019. The Symposium is designed to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and operators of private healthcare facilities (PHFs) of the prevailing legislation relevant to the operation of a PHF. It brings together six government departments to deliver presentations on a broad range of safety-related legislation. The Symposium will feature an update on the new licensing scheme under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance and the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme.

The Symposium will be held at the Academy building on 19 January 2019 (Saturday) and 26 January 2019 (Saturday). Please click here for the provisional programme and registration.

The Secretariat office will close early at 1pm on Chinese New Year's Eve, 4 February 2019.

The Academy wishes all Fellows good health and prosperity in the Year of the Pig!

In view of the increase in operating expenses such as building maintenance and utility costs, the Council has recently endorsed the recommendation from the Finance and Investment Committee to adjust the fee rates with effect from January 2019.  Fellows will receive demand notes with the below new rates from the Academy in January 2019.

Full rate: HK$3,300
Overseas rate: HK$1,650
Reduced/Retired rate: HK$1,100

The Academy and the Colleges have lost contact with the following Fellows and need your assistance in locating them. If you happen to know their whereabouts, please contact the Academy Secretariat by telephone at (852) 2871 8888, fax (852) at 2505 5577 or email to [email protected], or ask the Fellows concerned to contact us directly.

• WAN, Koon Yat (Hong Kong College of Radiologists)
• WONG, Wing Hung Andrew (The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong)

The Academy is organising the 5^th Medical Education Conference on 4 May 2019. The theme of this year's Conference is "Curriculum Reform". The one-day Conference features plenary lectures, symposia and workshops, delivered by renowned local and overseas speakers.

More details about the programme and registration will be announced later.

HKJC ILCM Upcoming Courses:

For details of the above courses, please visit ILCM website at www.hkjcilcm.hk
Enquiries: 2871 8718 or [email protected]

Course Highlights:

Debriefing Skills for Simulation Instructors Course (DSSIC)
This newly developed DSSIC aims to provide the essential knowledge and skills to develop learners’ competence in debriefing methods commonly used in simulation training courses. This course is suitable for those who wish to learn more about simulation-based learning and to apply the techniques of debriefing and feedback as a tool in teaching adult learners.

DSSIC is a two-day course and will be held at HKJC ILCM on the dates listed above. The primary audience is healthcare professionals who would like to start simulation-based teaching in their field.

For details and application, please kindly visit HKJC ILCM website at www.hkjcilcm.hk

Comprehensive Simulation Educator Course (CSEC)
The CSEC aims to provide the essential knowledge, and develop learners’ competence, in planning a simulation-based education activity, scenario development, direction, execution and debriefing methods. This course will enable the participants to have an understanding of the basic concepts of learner-centred education.

Different types of simulators and simulation techniques, and their respective applications will be covered to provide the participants with the resources for their teaching purposes. At the end of the course, the participants will have the basic knowledge and skill to plan and run a simulation-based training course, develop the necessary training material, direct a scenario and debrief the learners on the learning objectives. The course also intends to cultivate interest and passion in simulation-based education, and learners are provided with different methods to maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills in simulation-based education.

For courses in 2019, please refer to the table above. Application has started.

For details and application, please kindly visit HKJC ILCM website at www.hkjcilcm.hk

Advanced Simulation Training in Mechanical Ventilation (ASTiM2)
HKJC ILCM has newly developed the ASTiM, in collaboration with Hong Kong Society of Critical Care Medicine (HKSCCM) and Hong Kong College of Critical Care Nursing (HKCCCN), aiming at enhancing knowledge and skills in “Advanced Mechanical Ventilation” through interactive learning activities and hands on simulation training workshops with advanced respiratory ventilator.

ASTiM is a one-day course which will be held at HKJC ILCM on the dates listed above. The primary audience is healthcare professionals taking care of patients requiring mechanical ventilation; while those not in this specialty are also welcomed.

Applications may need to go through a selection process.

For details and application, please kindly visit HKJC ILCM website at www.hkjcilcm.hk

Disaster Preparedness Calendar 2019

Let’s plan ahead for 2019 and download the HKJCDPRI's Disaster Preparedness Calendar 2019 for free!

The Calendar will fill you with a collection of disaster preparedness tips that are commonly faced by the general public in Hong Kong as well as during overseas travels.

Come and visit www.choosetosurvive.org.hk for more disaster preparedness tips and make your choices in face of disasters!

HKJCDPRI’s Latest Newsletter

To facilitate more efficient payment procedures, the Academy has started to provide credit card online payment service since January 2018. Now, Fellows can save time and settle HKAM Fellowship annual subscription effortlessly, conveniently and quickly through online payment on the iCMECPD website.

What are the benefits?

• Save time and postage cost
• Settle the annual subscription anytime, anywhere by using computer or mobile devices
• 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” in the main menu to settle the payment.

Click HERE to read the quick user guide

Fellows can log into iCMECPD (User's Corner > Receipt for Annual Subscription) to view and print their Annual Subscription receipts online (e-receipts for subscription from 2017 are available). 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

Latest articles available at www.hkmj.org:

Doctor for Society
Part of a larger whole: serving in the Government Flying Service. An interview with Dr. Ralph Cheung Dr. Ralph Koon-ho Cheung is an emergency medicine specialist at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Dr. Cheung has also served as an Air Medical Officer in the Government Flying Service for the past 12 years. Dr. Cheung discusses with us the importance of teamwork and hard work in his volunteer activities and in daily life. Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec;24(6):644–5	Image: HKMJ; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Reminiscence: Artefacts from the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
Dr. Henry Phillips’ graduation certificate from the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, 1906 Dr. Henry Phillips (1867-1918) was one of 19 foreign students to attend Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese Hong Kong. His graduation certificate, dated 1906, provides the centrepiece for this article. To provide some historical context for the certificate, Prof. Faith Ho provides a brief biography of the recipient, Dr. Phillips, and some details of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese Hong Kong as it was at that time. Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec;24(6):647–9	Image: HKMJ; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Review Article
Epidemiology of myopia and prevention of myopia progression in children in East Asia: a review Myopia (short-sightedness) is very common in East Asia. These days, there are several options available for slowing myopia progression in children. These treatments are important to limit development of high myopia and associated vision-threatening complications. Treatments can be pharmacological (eg, eye drops) or optical (eg, specially-designed glasses or contact lenses); lifestyle modifications (eg, spending more time outdoors) are also effective. In this review, C.Y. Mak et al. examine the regional epidemiology of myopia and provide updated evidence regarding interventions to slow myopia progression in children. Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec;24(6):602–9  |  Epub 3 Dec 2018	Image: Gumenyuk I.S.; CC BY-SA 4.0
CME   Medical Practice
Medication overuse headache: strategies for prevention and treatment using a multidisciplinary approach Medication overuse headache affects patients who have migraines and frequent headaches. Medication overuse headache is often not recognised by primary care physicians or general practitioners, as patients may overuse medications that are freely available without a prescription. Overuse of codeine-containing analgesics is particularly problematic and contributes to ongoing morbidity and opioid-related mortality. M. van Driel et al. provide an overview of the detection, prevention, and management of medication overuse headache. Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec;24(6):617–22	Image: pixabay; CC0 1.0
CME   Review Article
Group A Streptococcus disease in Hong Kong children: an overview Streptococcus pyogenes is the cause of many important human diseases, ranging from pharyngitis and mild superficial skin infections to life-threatening systemic diseases. T.N.H. Leung et al. review the diagnosis and treatment of Streptococcus infections, which typically begin in the throat, such as pharyngitis (strep throat), or the skin, such as skin infections (impetigo). More severe infections can be fatal, such as Scarlet fever, which is caused by a streptococcal toxin. Streptococcus pyogenes disease is readily treatable, as the organism is invariably sensitive to penicillin. Delayed treatment of this common childhood pathogen is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Hong Kong Med J 2018 Dec;24(6):593–601  |  Epub 9 Nov 2018	Image: CDC PHIL; Public Domain

As one of the co-organisers, the Academy supported the Postgraduate Medical Education Forum in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area hosted by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in Shenzhen on 15-16 December 2018.  President Prof. C.S. Lau delivered a welcome address in the opening ceremony and a keynote presentation on the current development of postgraduate medical training in Hong Kong.

The Academy delegation, led by President Prof. C.S. Lau, had a meeting with the officials of the Health and Family Planning Commission of Shenzhen Municipality; and senior management staff and representatives of The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital. Discussions covered collaboration on specialist training between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Conferment Ceremonies of Academy Colleges
Officers attended the ceremonies as a platform guest and shared the happiness with the newly admitted College Fellows whose outstanding achievements were recognised.

27^th Admission of New Members and New Fellows Ceremony, Hong Kong College of Paediatricians, 1 December 2018

Fellowship and Membership Conferment Ceremony, The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists, 14 December 2018

Fellowship Conferment Ceremony, The College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong, 16 December 2018

Annual Events of the Medical Fraternity
President and Officers attended some festive activities to celebrate Christmas and New Year with medical fraternity, including but not limited to annual balls organsied by Hong Kong Doctors Union, The Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Dental Association.

Annual Ball, The Hong Kong Medical Association, 9 December 2018

Annual Dinner, Hong Kong Doctors Union, 25 December 2018

Annual Dinner, The Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong, 31 December 2018

Annual Ball, The Hong Kong Dental Association, 31 December 2018

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.

The Academy offers a wide range of venues suitable for meetings, conferences and your special occasions of different scales. Onsite logistical and technical support, event planning as well as catering services are also available. Please click here for details or enquiry.

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.

Hosting a New Year feast at home? A selection of festive takeaway gourmet treats is now available from 1 January 2019 to 1 February 2019. Please click here for the details and order form.

Fellows can now get free birthday desserts for organising lunch or dinner parties at the Academy Lounge. Each Fellow would be entitled to this offer once during his / her birthday month every year.

Chinese menu: Chinese birthday buns for up to 6 tables of 10-12 guests each

Enjoy fresh Spring air and BBQ buffet 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.

Menu

Enjoy the hotel’s opening corporate dining offers by presenting a valid Fellowship card at the beginning of meal. Advance booking is required. 

Blocked out dates: 5-7, 14 February and 19-22 April 2019

Maximum party of 12 person(s) per reservation can enjoy the above offers.

*Offers apply before 10% service charge

For details / reservations, please call (852) 3555 1688.

The College of Pathologists has released a new issue of Topical Update. Its title is "Biochemical genetics in the expanded newborn screening era" by Dr. Calvin Chong. Interested Fellows please click the link below to view the document.

Topical Update

The Fundamental Disaster Response Course (FDRC) 2019 is organised by the Disaster Medicine Subcommittee (DiMSc) of the Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine (HKCEM) for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness and Response Institute (HKJCDPRI).

The Key learning objectives include: overview and framework of disaster response, issues on overseas Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), WHO’s specification on EMT, patterns of medical issues in different disaster types, health surveillance in disaster, scene security, psychosocial issue, experience sharing, etc.

The FDRC 2019 will be a 4-day course and be conducted on 16 March, 13 April, 25 May and 22 June 2019.

For more information and registration, please click here or visit http://disaster.com.hk/fdrc-2019/

The Health Research Symposium 2019, organised by the Food and Health Bureau, with the central theme of Genomics and Big Data in Health and Disease is now open for registration.

Date:   12 June 2019 (Wednesday)
Time:   9am – 5:20pm
Venue: Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building, 99 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong

The Symposium serves to foster excellence in health policy research with a view to mitigating the negative impact of emerging health threats through knowledge transfer and synergies of collaborative efforts; promulgate evidence-based practices and disseminate findings of projects supported by the Bureau to the wider community; and facilitate networking among academics and community leaders and advocates from various sectors for improving the health of the population.

• Tentative programme
• Registration form

The Advisory Group on Hong Kong Reference Framework for Care of Diabetes and Hypertension in Primary Care Settings has published an article titled “Update on the Hong Kong Reference Framework for Hypertension Care for Adults in Primary Care Settings – review of evidence on the definition of high blood pressure and goal of therapy” in the Hong Kong Medical Journal (HKMJ).  The article elaborates on the recommendation of the Advisory Group, that the definition of hypertension adopted in the Reference Framework should remain unchanged as ≥ 140/90 mmHg, as there is currently inadequate evidence and lack of general consensus to support such change in our locality.

Please read the article in the Hong Kong Medical Journal (http://www.hkmj.org/earlyrelease/hkmj187701.html) and the Reference Framework for Hypertension Care for Adults in Primary Care Settings (https://www.pco.gov.hk/english/health_professionals/professionals_hypertension_pdf.html)

The Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (the Ordinance) was published in the Gazette on 30 November 2018 (accessible at: https://www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20182248/es12018224834.pdf). The Ordinance provides for a new licensing scheme for private hospitals, day procedure centres (DPCs) and clinics. Please refer to the Annex on the scope of the Ordinance.

Phased Implementation
The licensing scheme will be implemented in phases, beginning with hospitals. The application period for hospital licences under the Ordinance will commence in mid-2019, followed by that for DPC licences in 2020. Depending on the progress of licensing of hospitals and DPCs, the application period for licences and letters of exemption in respect of clinics will commence in 2021 the earliest. As part of the transitional arrangements for the new regulatory regime, an operator of a DPC or a clinic which was in operation on 30 November 2018 will be issued with a provisional licence upon application for a full licence, provided that certain conditions are met. The provisional licence allows the DPC or clinic concerned to continue to operate under the new regulatory regime during the transitional period before the DPC or clinic is qualified for a full licence. Please refer to Division 4 of Part 9 of the Ordinance for details.

Briefings and Enquiries
The Department of Health will make announcements and organise briefings on the implementation of the new regime in the coming months. The Symposium on Healthcare Facilities Management 2019, to be held on 19 and 26 January 2019, will feature a session on the Ordinance. The latest announcements on details of the new regime (including a set of “Frequently Asked Questions”) and the Symposium can be accessed at https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_orphf/orphf_lic.html. For further enquiry, please contact us at 3107 2939 or [email protected].

To facilitate the public to search for primary care providers in the community, the Department of Health launched the Primary Care Directory (the Directory) in 2011, which is a web-based electronic database containing practice information and professional qualification of enrolled doctors, dentists and Chinese medicine practitioners. Doctors listed in the Directory are eligible for enrolment in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme and the Pilot Public-Private Partnership Programme on Smoking Cessation; as well as for joining the network of the upcoming Kwai Tsing District Health Centre to be set up by the Government. To maintain listing in the Directory, doctors have to fulfill the continuing medical education (CME) requirements. For details, please click here and visit the website of the Directory.

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

• Oral lidocaine-containing products for infant teething: only to be available under the supervision of a pharmacist in the United Kingdom
• EMA recommends aligning doses of metamizole medicines and their use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C: risk of hypoglycaemia in patients with diabetes

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

• eHealth News (English | Chinese)