Current and emerging medicolegal issues in rural practice
Tracks
Auditorium - Plenary
| Saturday, October 26, 2024 |
| 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM |
| Auditorium |
Details
Stream: BUILD UP RESILIENCE: Strategies for Building Thriving Rural Communities
Speaker
Dr Owen Bradfield
Chief Medical Officer
Medical Indemnity Protection Society
Current and emerging medicolegal issues in rural practice
Abstract Overview
While medico-legal issues can arise in all practice contexts, certain types of issues can arise more frequently in a rural or remote setting.
In this 60-minute interactive expert panel discussion, we will draw upon our depth of medico-legal experience to share some of the common queries, and take-home messages from our 24/7 medico-legal advisory service. The aim is to bring together the common themes and clinical scenarios and offer participants a safe space in which to consider and more deeply explore these issues.
Rural GPs are often an integral part of the fabric of smaller rural communities, making privacy and professional boundaries harder to maintain. Conflicts of interests can be more challenging to identify and manage. Geographical isolation may mean that telehealth and remote prescribing are also more extensively used, which requires an understanding of some of the recent regulatory reforms and changes in these areas. In addition, longer working hours, more limited support and supervision, and more complex clinical issues can also impact on rural doctors’ health and wellbeing. We will also discuss supports available to rural doctors as well as discuss the mandatory reporting obligations of rural doctors who may work with or treat unwell colleagues.
In this 60-minute interactive expert panel discussion, we will draw upon our depth of medico-legal experience to share some of the common queries, and take-home messages from our 24/7 medico-legal advisory service. The aim is to bring together the common themes and clinical scenarios and offer participants a safe space in which to consider and more deeply explore these issues.
Rural GPs are often an integral part of the fabric of smaller rural communities, making privacy and professional boundaries harder to maintain. Conflicts of interests can be more challenging to identify and manage. Geographical isolation may mean that telehealth and remote prescribing are also more extensively used, which requires an understanding of some of the recent regulatory reforms and changes in these areas. In addition, longer working hours, more limited support and supervision, and more complex clinical issues can also impact on rural doctors’ health and wellbeing. We will also discuss supports available to rural doctors as well as discuss the mandatory reporting obligations of rural doctors who may work with or treat unwell colleagues.
Biography
Dr Owen Bradfield is the Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS). Owen is a medical practitioner, health lawyer and health law researcher, with nearly 20 years’ experience in medical and legal practice, comprising 15 years’ experience in the medical indemnity insurance industry. He has advised and represented health practitioners in a range of medico-legal disputes, including civil claims, regulatory complaints, employment disputes, Coronial inquests and Medicare investigations. Owen is passionate about advocating for fair regulatory and legal processes for healthcare practitioners and supporting members who are navigating complex medico-legal problems. Owen combines his role at MIPS with health law research at the University of Melbourne, where he examines the intersection between doctors’ health and legal claims. Owen’s research has been internationally recognised as a 2020 Fulbright Scholar and winner of the 2022 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research in the Health Services Research category. Owen was the Chairperson of Victoria’s Patient Review Panel from 2020 to 2023 and is a member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Ethics Committee.
Dr Carrie McKenzie
MIPS
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr Carrie-Anne McKenzie is a RACGP Fellow and Rural Generalist originally from Darwin. She has spent the last 12 years in the Northern Territory, with almost 10 of those in Katherine, before moving back to Mt Gambier, South Australia two years ago. She graduated from Flinders University medical program at the end of 2010, and did 2009 and 2010 of the course in Mt Gambier before moving back to Darwin for her internship. In the NT, Dr McKenzie worked at the Royal Darwin Hospital for two years, predominantly in Emergency, and then moved to Katherine to work in mainstream general practice for 18 months. Dr McKenzie became the sole doctor in an Aboriginal community for 6 years, as well as working in the Katherine Hospital ED. She then moved on to Clinical Lead in the main town-based Aboriginal Medical Service, as well as doing Aged Care. Prior to leaving Katherine, Dr McKenzie went back to work in Katherine Hospital and developed, coordinated and led the COVID response for the Big Rivers Region alongside the two physicians, facilitating timely access to advice for clinicians across the region as well as streamlining access for hospital admission for patients. Currently, Dr McKenzie is a Medicolegal Advisor for MIPS, as well as Director of the Flinders University Limestone Coast Regional Training Hub, and in 2023 completed the Future Leaders Program through RACGP. She is also a Board Director on the Limestone Coast Local Health Network Board.
