SOP Bulletin No. 85

Decision Support Unit

8 — th  Floor BOQ Centre, 259 Queen St Brisbane  3 — rd Floor Blackburn House, 199 Grenfell St Adelaide

Intranet site:  http://intranet/nat/comp/dp/Nop/dsu/dsudefault.htm

7 September 2004

RELEASE NOTES - CCPS VERSION 2004/08

Version 2004/08 of the Medical Knowledge Base for CCPS was released into production yesterday.  This Bulletin provides a summary of the amended SOPs that this version of CCPS incorporates.  This Bulletin also details changes to some existing rulebases and commentary.

New SOPs incorporated into CCPS	NIL
SOP amendments incorporated into CCPS	Blepharitis (acute and chronic) Contact dermatitis Diabetes mellitus Hiatus hernia Malignant neoplasm of the colorectum Tinea of the skin
Enhancements of CCPS rulebases and commentary	Hypertension Intervertebral disc prolapse Spondyloses

New SOPs incorporated into CCPS

NIL

SOP amendments incorporated into CCPS

Acute blepharitis, chronic blepharitis and contact dermatitis

Commentary changes have been made to incorporate the new definitions of:

• 'irritant substances' in the SOPs for blepharitis; and
• 'allergen' in the SOP for contact dermatitis.

The new definitions include specific reference to 'CS agent' which is a type of tear gas.

These changes were announced in SOP Bulletin No. 83 of 31/05/04

Diabetes mellitus

For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 83 of 31/05/04

Hiatus hernia

All factors have been listed as 'Uncommon contentions' on the CCPS Claims Management Screen.

For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 83 of 31/05/04

Malignant neoplasm of the colorectum

Some factors only apply in respect of service that attracts the reasonable hypothesis (beyond reasonable doubt) standard of proof.  The asbestos and obesity factors only apply if the condition is malignant neoplasm of the colon.  Whether the condition is malignant neoplasm of the colon or the rectum will have been identified by the ICD code or diagnostic label entered on the Condition Encoder.  Where a factor doesn't apply either because of the type of service or the site of the neoplasm, the factor will be disabled on the Contention Management Screen in CCPS.

For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 81 of 1/03/04

Tinea of the skin

For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 83 of 31/05/04

Enhancements of CCPS rulebases and commentary

The following conditions have had changes made to the rulebase and commentary to take account of the principles derived from the Federal Court decision in Kattenberg:

Hypertension

The ingesting salt supplements, inability to undertake more than a mildly strenuous level of physical activity and alcohol consumption contentions have been reworked.  For the latter contention this involved changing the approach adopted in the last MKB release (May 2004).  At that time it was advised that it was necessary for service to have made a material contribution to the required level of alcohol consumption for each of the weeks for the six months immediately before the clinical onset of hypertension.  This interpretation of Kattenberg principles has since been superseded and the advice from Policy, Eligibility & Research is that service need only have made a material contribution to each part of the SOP factor requirements.  This means that a claim might succeed if service was responsible for alcohol consumption for only part of the six months before the onset of hypertension.

Intervertebral disc prolapse

Because the Kattenberg decision revolved around cigarette smoking as a factor for intervertebral disc prolapse, it is fitting to make this condition a priority for updating the rulebase and commentary.  In addition to the new contention Cigarette smoking – material contribution, changes have been made to Repetitive lifting of at least 10 kg and An occupational requirement to drive a motor vehicle or fly a motorised aircraft.

Spondyloses

Cervical – The factors Carrying loads on the head and Flying in a high performance aircraft have been revised.

Lumbar – The factors Carrying or lifting loads while bearing weight, Repetitive or persistent flexion or extension or twisting of the lumbar spine and Flying in a high performance aircraft have been revised.

Thoracic – The factors Carrying or lifting loads while bearing weight, Repetitive or persistent flexion or extension or twisting of the lumbar spine and Flying in a high performance aircraft have been revised.

Remember! If you are having any problems with SOPs, or SOPs in CCPS, talk to us!