The Academy’s car park was re-opened in mid-February 2020. Major maintenance and repair works on the external walls of the Academy building are being carried out. For safety reasons, the Fellows’ Garden on 3/F is now closed until further notice. The Academy will try best to make sure events held at the building would be affected as minimal as possible.

Taking into consideration the recent development of novel coronavirus, the 2/F Dining Room has been closed early since mid-February 2020 until further notice. Details are listed as follows:

Less variety of food items will be available for takeaway order with dine-in services temporarily suspended.

The Academy Lounge on 3/F will remain open for Fellows during regular hours of operation.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the service hours accordingly. Thank you for your understanding and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The Academy and the College have lost contact with Dr. Wong Wing Hung, Andrew, a Fellow of The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong and need your assistance in locating him. If you happen to know his whereabouts, please contact the Academy Secretariat by telephone at (852) 2871 8888, fax at (852) 2505 5577 or email to [email protected], or ask Dr. Wong to contact us directly.

The Academy is conducting a survey in collaboration with the School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong. The survey is commissioned by Food and Health Bureau which aims to project the demand-supply gap for different healthcare professions in Hong Kong. Manpower of different specialties is one of the areas covered in the survey.

All Fellows based in Hong Kong should have received an invitation by post to participate in the survey. It is hoped to receive as many questionnaires as possible in order to collect adequate data and produce more accurate findings for the survey. Please be reminded to return the questionnaires if you have not done so yet.

Demand notes for the 2020 subscriptions have been sent to Fellows in January 2020. Fellows are strongly advised to settle the payment online through iCMECPD or by cheque so soon as possible.

1. Fellows are required to make payment of annual subscription on or before 30 June 2020. A surcharge of $1,000 or pro-rated rate where applicable will be levied for overdue payment.
   
2. All payments must be received before 30 September 2020.
   According to Bylaw 6.4:
   If a member's fee or any other moneys due by a member to the Academy is not received by the Academy within 9 months after such payment falls due, despite two written reminders by the Academy to pay, the member shall automatically forfeit his membership.
   
3. The due annual subscription will be debited automatically from the designated bank or credit card account.
   
4. For Fellows aged over 70 or have reached the age of 70 before 31 December 2019, annual subscription will be waived.
   
5. Fellows residing outside Hong Kong or have reached the age of 65 and have retired from all remunerative practice/job/business must submit formal written applications for reduced rates before 31 December 2019. For details, please visit http://www.hkam.org.hk/fellows_area/reduced_rate.pdf.

Credit card online payment service

Online payment service makes your settlement of annual subscription easier and more flexible. Fellows can log-on to iCMECPD website (https://www.icmecpd.hk/), choose "Fellows’ Area" > "Annual Subscription" and follow the instructions to make the payment. Click here for the Quick User Guide.

e-Receipt
Fellows, who have paid annual subscription, can view and print the e-receipt by logging into iCMECPD website (“User's Corner” > “Receipt for Annual Subscription”). To help save the environment, Fellows may register for e-receipt instead of receiving a hard copy by post upon receipt of the demand notes.

A revised set of CME / CPD Guidelines has been approved and will become effective from the next cycle. Minor changes are in Section 10, in which the new Guidelines reflect the new requirement from Medical Council of Hong Kong for the Academy to provide information on CME / CPD of all Fellows after the end of cycle (instead of providing the information on those non-compliance cases only in the past). Fellows can download the new guidelines from the following link:

Revised Principles and Guidelines on CME/CPD

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

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

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.

The Academy’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee (PEC) will organise a Seminar on Advance Directives titled “Balancing Autonomous Medical Decision Making for End-of-Life Care”. It will be held at Lim Por Yen Lecture Theatre, G/F of Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building* on 21 March 2020 at 2:00 pm - 5:20 pm.

Purposes are to provide updates on the latest status of Advance Directives in Hong Kong with case-sharing and collect viewpoints from medical, ethical and legal perspectives to facilitate formulation of guidelines for practising holistic end-of-life care.

Interested Fellows can find details and register here by 16 March 2020. Limited quota for onsite participation applies. To minimise the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, an option of participation in the seminar through an interactive online platform will be offered to registrants. Registration is required.

• Provisional programme
• End-of-Life Care: Legislative Proposals on Advance Directives and Dying in Place - Consultation Document
• Results of CME / CPD accreditation

Results of CME/CPD accreditation will be announced in due course.

Register now! Look forward to seeing you at the seminar.

For enquiries, please contact us at [email protected].

Remarks: *Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many medical conferences and activities have been cancelled recently.  Some Colleges and Fellows have expressed difficulty or concern in obtaining sufficient CMECPD for this cycle.  To facilitate their needs while at the same time minimize the risk of spreading the disease, PEC decided not to cancel the seminar, but provide an online option and set a quota for the number of participants who may attend the seminar at the Academy building in person on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Acknowledgement: This material / event is funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material / any event organised under this project do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Vetting Committee of the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme.

The Academy is organising the 6^th MEC on 30 May 2020, with the theme “Assessment in Postgraduate Medical Education". The one-day conference features plenary lectures, symposia and workshops which will be delivered by renowned local and overseas medical professionals. Programme details can be found on the conference website https://online.hkam.org.hk/mec2020/.

Click here to register now. For enquiries, please contact the MEC 2020 Secretariat via email at [email protected].

Stanford Medicine Symposium - Novel Strategies for The Treatment of Neurologic Disorders
The Academy supports the symposium, titled “Novel Strategies for The Treatment of Neurologic Disorders”, which is organised by the Stanford University School of Medicine on 9 May 2020.

Speakers will include representatives of distinguished faculties and experts in Neurosurgery, Neurology, Radiation Oncology and Radiology from Stanford University. The symposium will also feature case presentations with inputs from local experts.

• Programme

For registration, please click here.

Latest articles available at www.hkmj.org

Echocardiography update for primary care physicians: a review
Echocardiography is essential in a wide range of clinical scenarios. JSK Chan et al review the latest technological advancements in echocardiography, including in artificial intelligence, intracardiac vortex imaging, and three-dimensional printing. The authors provide an update on this key clinical investigation for primary care physicians and other interested readers.

Hong Kong Med J 2020;26:Epub 22 Jan 2020

Second tier non-invasive prenatal testing in a regional prenatal diagnosis service unit: a retrospective analysis and literature review
In December 2019, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority introduced a new screening algorithm for Down syndrome that includes second tier non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). For all pregnant women who screen positive or high-risk, NIPT is offered free of charge as an alternative to conventional invasive testing. In this study, VKS Ng et al review the literature and retrospectively review their own patients and examine the factors associated with the choice between NIPT and conventional invasive testing.

Hong Kong Med J 2020;26(1):10–8  |  Epub 22 Jan 2020

Age, sex, and disease status as determinants of skin hydration and transepidermal water loss among children with and without eczema
Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss can be used to assess eczema severity in adult patients. In this prospective study, Hon et al investigated the effect of age and sex on changes in skin hydration and transepidermal water loss in Chinese children with and without eczema.

Hong Kong Med J 2020;26(1):19–26  |  Epub 6 Feb 2020

Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in juvenile idiopathic arthritis of polyarticular course, enthesitis-related arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis: a consensus statement
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in children. The JIA Work Group, convened in 2016, reviewed the literature on the use of biologics in JIA of polyarticular course, enthesitis-related arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. The Work Group formulated seven practice consensus statements to provide guidance for paediatricians, family physicians, and other healthcare providers who treat children with JIA.

Hong Kong Med J 2020;26(1):56–65

Souttar tube for malignant stricture of the oesophagus
The Souttar tube was invented in the 1920s by Sir Henry Souttar, CBE, (1875-1964) to bypass malignant stricture caused by carcinoma of the oesophagus. In this fascinating article, TW Wong looks in depth at the history and use of Souttar tube.

Hong Kong Med J 2020 Feb;26(1):83–4

25^th Medical Research Conference
Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
Abstracts for the 25^th Medical Research Conference, the annual research conference of the Department of Medicine. The Conference provides a venue for sharing the research outputs of the Department, for encouraging collaborations among attendees, and for honing the presentation skills of trainees and students.

HKJC ILCM, which is an Affiliate with the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS), organised the Advanced Debriefing Course (ADC) with support from Faculty of CMS in early January. The course attracted 20 local healthcare professionals who would like to enhance their knowledge and skills in simulation training.

The ADC was jointly conducted by Faculty from CMS Dr. Brad Morrison, Dr. Robert Simon and Dr. Grace Ng, as well as Honorary Director of HKJC ILCM Dr. H.Y. So, Dr. Albert Chan and Ms. Yobie Lam. The intensive 4-day programme covered theoretical-based lectures, in-depth case analysis, dynamic scenario-based activities and interactive skills practices. It was a most rewarding, inspiring and engaging experience.

Comprehensive Simulation Educator Course (CSEC)
The CSEC intends to cultivate interest and passion in simulation-based education. Different types of simulators and simulation techniques will be applied. At the end of the course, participants will gain basic knowledge and essential skills in planning and running simulation-based training courses, developing training materials, facilitating scenario debriefing to maximise learning experience.

Debriefing Skills for Simulation Instructors Course (DSSI)
The DSSIC aims to develop learners’ skills in debriefing and feedback. Techniques commonly used in simulation training courses would be taught. DSSIC is a two-day course. Target audience is healthcare professionals who plan and prepare for simulation-based teaching in respective fields.

Procedural Sedation Safety Course (PSSC)
The PSSC aims at enhancing patient safety during procedural sedation by acquiring scientific safe practices. In the course, learners will experience interactive problem-based learning through simulated scenarios. This one-day course allows learners to understand more about the importance of monitoring throughout the procedure and recovery process, as well as recognise and manage the sedation-related complications.

Target audience is doctors practising procedural sedation.

For details of the above courses, please visit the HKJC ILCM website.

Enquiries:
Tel: (852) 2871 8718
Email: [email protected]

Fellows can enjoy the offers below by presenting a valid Fellowship card.

• Marina Kitchen & Cafe and Pier Lounge & Bar, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel
• LIS Café, L’hotel Island South
• Komune and TQM Taqueria, Ovolo Southside

• Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel
• L’hotel Island South
• Ovolo Southside

Please refer to the most recent eBlast on membership services for more details of these offers.

Place order(s) for discounted self pick-up takeaway meals from now till 31 March 2020.

• Order form

Parking at the Academy is available to facilitate collection of your orders.

A brand new corporate A5 notebook, which is priced $80/pc or $150/2 pcs, is now available.

Click here to place order(s) now as stock is limited, and check out our wide range of quality gifts and accessories.

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.

Anniversary, reunion and birthday offers
Celebrate your special moment or make your special gathering unforgettable by hosting a lunch or dinner at the Academy. Fellows can now get a free celebratory item when dining at our venues for such occasions. Terms and conditions apply.

Make a booking enquiry online now at
https://online.hkam.org.hk/form/BookingEnquiry !

The Academy is pleased to extend the use of Academy Lounge to the immediate family members of all our Fellows.

Fellows who are interested in applying a supplementary card, which is free of charge, for immediate family members may complete and return an application form to the Academy Secretariat. Application form and general conditions can be downloaded from the "Fellows" section of the Academy website.

Applications are processed in batches, and the normal lead time is one to two months. Once your application is approved, a card will be sent to you by post. For enquiries, please contact the Academy Secretariat at 2871 8888 or through email at [email protected].

Due to the recent development of novel coronavirus, Research Fund Secretariat of Research Office, the Food and Health Bureau has extended the application deadline of 2019 Open Call for Investigator-initiated Projects under Health and Medical Research Fund to 30 September 2020 (18:00 HKT). Results of 2019 HMRF Open Call will be announced in March 2021.

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

• Restrictions in use of cyproterone due to meningioma risk
• Direct-acting antivirals - Assessing the potential risk of abnormal blood sugar levels (dysglycemia)
• Ferric carboxymaltose and low blood phosphorous