COVID-19 taskforce updates
With multiple drug treatments now available for adults with mild COVID-19, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce (of which the RACGP is a member) has released a new risk classification tool to guide clinicians making decisions about which people are most likely to benefit from these drugs.
The Taskforce note:
The available evidence is not sufficient to enable the Taskforce to determine which individual patients are most likely to benefit from treatment. However, the recommended drugs are likely to be most effective in preventing severe illness and mortality in those people who are at highest risk of these outcomes.
The risk of developing severe illness is considered to be higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a result of inequity arising from social determinants of health.
The examples in the matrix are based on the clinical expertise of the Taskforce, and are not definitive nor exhaustive. Clinicians should also consider whether people are unlikely to be able to access higher level care due to geographical remoteness or other factors.
Access the risk stratification tool Access all living guidelines and flowcharts
New training package to support community confidence in COVID vaccination
The Consumer Health Forum has released a new training package for GPs and the practice team to support you in having meaningful conversations with your patients who are considering COVID-19 vaccination.
The training package provides new resources to help you in talking with vaccine hesitant patients who require more information about the safety and merits of vaccination.
It includes training videos, tip sheets, and illustrated story cards that can be used as a conversation starter and a take-home resource for patients. All the resources are based on evidence and research around shared decision making in medicine.
The package was developed by the Consumers Health Forum in collaboration with public health experts, clinical advisors and is supported by the Department of Health.
Access the training package