Tailoring
Care
Expert-led
clinical talks for
Australian GPs
Tailoring
Tailoring Care: A podcast series for GPs
This podcast series explores tailoring care in two distinct therapy areas that all GPs encounter: COPD and palliative care.
Join GPs, Dr Kerry Hancock and Dr Andrew McDonald for these enriching conversations with respective respiratory and palliative care experts.
Explore the episodes below
The following videos/podcasts are not accredited, however if you believe that the content is relevant and meets an educational need, you can click on the RACGP Quick Log logo to self-record. A minimum of 30 minutes is required to self-record in the RACGP CPD Program. Mix and match podcasts to meet your needs!
Episode 1
When should you choose mono, dual or triple therapy in COPD?
In this episode, Dr Kerry Hancock and Professor Christine McDonald discuss best-practice clinical management of COPD including confirmation of diagnosis through spirometry, considerations around inhaled corticosteroids and practical advice on selecting the right device and dosing regimen for your patients with COPD.
Introduction
Chapter 1. Mono, dual, or triple therapy in COPD?
Chapter 2. Evaluating inhaler technique and resources Chapter 3. How and when to withdraw an inhaled steroid? Summary
Chapter 1. Mono, dual, or triple therapy in COPD?
Chapter 2. Evaluating inhaler technique and resources Chapter 3. How and when to withdraw an inhaled steroid? Summary
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Episode 2
COPD in 2022: Recent GOLD Updates & COVID-19 Considerations
In this episode, Dr Kerry Hancock and Dr Chris Worsnop explore the latest updates from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2022, including recommendations around influenza, pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines, the importance of keeping COPD management simple for our patients, practical ways to address the backlog of patients requiring spirometry following COVID-19 lockdowns and the importance of essential COPD care during ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Updates to international and local COPD guidelines
Chapter 2: Management of patients with COPD and COVID-19
Chapter 3: Performing spirometry in the COVID-19 world
Summary
Chapter 1: Updates to international and local COPD guidelines
Chapter 2: Management of patients with COPD and COVID-19
Chapter 3: Performing spirometry in the COVID-19 world
Summary
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Episode 3
Why you should ask your COPD patients, “how are you sleeping?”
In this episode, Dr Kerry Hancock and Associate Professor Jeremy Goldin discuss the complex relationship between COPD and poor sleep and what GPs can do to help - from the first step of proactively asking about sleep quality, to ensuring optimal management of COPD and comorbidities that affect sleep, to medication review and education on sleep hygiene.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Why does sleep matter?
Chapter 2: How can COPD affect sleep?
Chapter 3: COPD and sleep-related comorbidities
Chapter 4: Managing patients with COPD and sleep issues
Summary
Chapter 1: Why does sleep matter?
Chapter 2: How can COPD affect sleep?
Chapter 3: COPD and sleep-related comorbidities
Chapter 4: Managing patients with COPD and sleep issues
Summary
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Episode 4
COPD Biomarkers: What are they and when should they be used in primary care?
Dr Kerry Hancock and Professor Gary Anderson discuss the clinical utility of certain biomarkers in COPD and how to use them to better assess and individualise COPD management – their discussion covers ‘dry’ biomarkers such as FEV1, history of exacerbations and patient questionnaires, and 'wet' biomarkers such as fibrinogen, CRP and eosinophils.
Introduction
Chapter 1: What is a biomarker?
Chapter 2: Which biomarkers are relevant to general practice?
Chapter 3: Biomarkers in COPD patients
Chapter 4: Future of biomarkers
Summary
Chapter 1: What is a biomarker?
Chapter 2: Which biomarkers are relevant to general practice?
Chapter 3: Biomarkers in COPD patients
Chapter 4: Future of biomarkers
Summary
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Episode 5
Identifying and assessing palliative care patients
In this three-part series, you'll hear from Dr Andrew McDonald and Associate Professor Natasha Michael as they discuss the essentials of palliative care for GPs. In this first episode, they discuss the goals of palliative care, the ‘whole-person’ approach to alleviate suffering for both the patient and their family, pathways to accessing palliative care, and useful resources for identifying patients and their carers who may benefit from specialist services – such as those struggling with pain, nausea, complex psychosocial needs, issues around family functioning and more.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Defining palliative care
Chapter 2: Accessing palliative care
Chapter 3: Providing palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Chapter 4: Identifying palliative care patients
Chapter 5: Multidisciplinary approach to palliative care
Summary
Chapter 1: Defining palliative care
Chapter 2: Accessing palliative care
Chapter 3: Providing palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Chapter 4: Identifying palliative care patients
Chapter 5: Multidisciplinary approach to palliative care
Summary
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Episode 6
Providing palliative care in the community
In this episode, Dr Andrew McDonald and Associate Professor Natasha Michael discuss the critical role GPs play in providing palliative care in the community and reiterate the importance of providing comprehensive assessment using objective symptom scores, best-practice tailored care using the latest medicines, accessing allied healthcare using Chronic Disease Management plans, common issues and when to seek support from specialist palliative care services.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Opioids for palliative care in the community
Chapter 2: Provision of palliative care in the community as a GP
Chapter 3: Goals of palliative care
Chapter 4: Common problems in providing palliative care
Chapter 5: GP resources for palliative care
Summary
Chapter 1: Opioids for palliative care in the community
Chapter 2: Provision of palliative care in the community as a GP
Chapter 3: Goals of palliative care
Chapter 4: Common problems in providing palliative care
Chapter 5: GP resources for palliative care
Summary
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Episode 7
Supporting carers through palliation and bereavement
In this final episode, Dr Andrew McDonald and Associate Professor Natasha Michael explore the meaningful role GPs can play in supporting carers through the bereavement process. Their conversation covers the complexities of grief, including the anticipatory stages before loss, the benefits of advance care planning to align patients and carers’ beliefs and expectations, identifying cases of complex grief requiring referral, and acknowledging that palliative care doesn’t end with death, it continues through the bereavement process which can take months to years.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Prioritising carers in palliative care
Chapter 2: Supporting carers as a GP
Chapter 3: Providing support during the bereavement phase
Chapter 4: Grief or bereavement services available for GPs
Summary
Chapter 1: Prioritising carers in palliative care
Chapter 2: Supporting carers as a GP
Chapter 3: Providing support during the bereavement phase
Chapter 4: Grief or bereavement services available for GPs
Summary
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Useful resources
Our guest speakers have recommended the following resources:
Respiratory & COPD Resources
The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is a questionnaire for people with COPD. It is designed to measure the impact of COPD on a person's life, and how these changes over time. The CAT is simple to administer and aims to help clinicians, with their patients, better manage COPD.
Lung Foundation Australia
Lung Foundation Australia - General Resources
The Lung Foundation provides demonstration videos for all the available inhaler devices and respiratory conditions.
Stepwise Management of Stable COPD
Stepwise Management of Stable COPD is a brief clinical tool (two pages) regarding a stepped care approach to evidence-based recommendations for managing COPD depending on severity.
The Inhaler Device Chart illustrates the medicine classes and inhalers approved for use in COPD and reflects the latest PBS recommendations as of November 2021.
Australasian Sleep Association
Sleep Health Primary Care Resources
Evidence-based resources and information to assess and manage adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and insomnia.
Palliative Care Resources
Palliative Care Australia - Healthcare Professionals
Access the national palliative care service directory; including healthcare professional and patient resources, and specific palliative care campaigns and events to get involved within your community.
Supportive & Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT)
SPICT helps identify people with deteriorating health and prompts holistic assessment and future care planning.
Advance care planning allows health professionals to understand and respect a person's future healthcare preferences. These conversations should be routine and occur as part of a person’s ongoing healthcare plan.
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
Publications and resources are available for patients, carers, and healthcare professionals to access a range of bereavement-related resources to help start the conversation of loss.