Stephanie Philbrick, NICS
 The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) will become an institute within the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2007.
Chairman of the NICS Board, Professor Chris Baggoley, said: "This is an extremely positive outcome for NICS. It will allow the Institute's important work of closing evidence-practice gaps to continue and flourish, and it will provide increased opportunities for evidence uptake through the NHMRC."
NICS' Chief Executive Officer, Dr Heather Buchan, said: "We are all delighted at this outcome, which will enable NICS to continue to support evidence implementation in primary care settings."
NICS' work in implementing evidence will continue. The main change will involve transfer of the governance function from the current NICS Board to the Chief Executive Officer of the NHMRC, Professor Warwick Anderson. The NICS office will remain in Melbourne.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Health and Ageing on 24 August.
Evidence-Practice gaps revealed
GPs will be interested in three new Evidence in Practice publications from NICS which focus on common emergency care interventions where there may be opportunities to improve care.
The topics addressed by the first three brochures are particularly relevant to general practice:
- management of acute migraine
- cervical spine x-rays in trauma
- the use of ipratroprium bromide for the treatment of acute asthma.
"Since GPs often encounter emergency presentations in their day-to-day practice, these brochures have relevance not only for emergency clinicians, but also for primary health care providers," said NICS' Chief Executive Officer, Dr Heather Buchan.
The brochures, which aim to raise awareness of gaps between current clinical practice and best available evidence, are the first in the Evidence in Practice series of brochures, developed by NICS in collaboration with Australian clinical experts.
For further information, or to download the brochures, visit NICS' website at www.nicsl.com.au
Stephanie Philbrick
Public Relations Officer
National Institute of Clinical Studies
Ph: 61 3 8866 0431
E: sphilbrick@NICSL.com.au
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