How Yarra Trail Medical Slashed No-Shows & Streamlined Payments

Missed patient appointments are a big problem for GP practices. They waste valuable time that could have been used to see other patients, which means longer wait times for everyone. Each missed appointment slot adds to the pressure on already overstretched GPs, making it harder for people who really need help to be seen. Staff also end up spending extra time chasing up no-shows and rearranging appointments. For practices already dealing with high demand and tight budgets, missed appointments just make things harder. Simple solutions like pre-payments and deposits might be the solution that your practice can’t afford not to have.

Yarra Trail Medical is using an online patient payment solutions to make it easier to get paid, reduce missed appointments, and save patients’ time. Erin Manderson, Practice Director at Yarra Trail Medical, shared how the options to take deposits and charge pre-payment have saved the practice money. “We’re using Healthengine to take pre-payment for certain procedures, particularly the more expensive procedures where we need to buy consumables. It’s great because now we don’t lose out if a patient does not attend.”

“With Healthengine Payments, we know that the patient’s card is being checked for funds when they make their booking online, so for cancellations outside our cancellation policy, we can take payment without having to call the patient and chase up invoices.”

Keeping track of every transaction is a huge task. Managing payments incoming from patients and fund distribution for payroll tax can be very confusing, especially when individual practitioners are on different payroll arrangements. “As a growing clinic with lots of doctors – all with different bank accounts – staying on top of who we’re paying is hard. But Healthengine payments makes it easy.” Erin commented. “We’ve had a lot of new doctors start and they’re all set up with Healthengine payments already, it was quick and simple, and they can take control of their own account if they want to.”

“I can happily say that Healthengine is the easiest part of my reconciliation by far – by far! They come through in a batch on Tuesdays and the payments are always in the right doctors’ accounts. In contrast, reconciling the EFTPOS’ receipts with the physical receipts each day is a massive pain.”

Using the EFTPOS machine to take payments can be slow and painful. Erin pointed out, “There’s nothing worse than patients having to stand there at the end of their consult waiting to pay.”

Now, the practice asks its patients, “Can I take the payment through Healthengine?” And they say, “Yes!” They’re happy to get out of the waiting room faster and get on with their day.

GPs, dental clinics, allied health professionals, and specialists can now use online tools to collect deposits and payments, process refunds, reconcile accounts, and follow up on outstanding balances via secure SMS payment links and a conversion-optimised patient payment gateway.

Plug-and-play with: pre-pay, post-pay, deposits, skip payment for medicare eligible appointments, payment request SMS sent with secure payment links, and much more. To learn more about Healthengine Payments, click here.

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Is Outdated Payments Tech Slowing Your Practice Down? Here’s the Fix

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Picture a typical busy Monday morning at your practice. Patients are arriving, you’re juggling appointments, and the administrative tasks seem endless. One major source of stress? The time it takes to process payments and claims.
This is a familiar scenario for many healthcare providers in Australia. Outdated payment systems can create bottlenecks, leading to frustration for both patients and staff, and taking valuable time away from what really matters: providing high-quality patient care.

However, there is a solution.

With a modern payment solution, you can transform your practice into a more efficient, patient-focused, and profitable business.

Imagine a practice where patients can pay their bills quickly and easily, allowing your staff to dedicate more time to patient interactions, which can improve overall morale and productivity. A streamlined payments and claims workflow can significantly reduce errors and speed up claim submissions, ultimately supporting your practice’s growth.

For example, the Tyro Pro Key is a next-generation EFTPOS device designed to improve healthcare payment processes. It’s built with a focus on accessibility and user-friendliness, combining a tactile keypad with a touchscreen to accommodate all patients comfortably. This flexibility can minimise confusion and anxiety for patients while helping staff process payments more efficiently, reducing wait times.

This inclusivity is essential in healthcare settings, where diverse patient populations may have varying levels of tech-savviness. By incorporating a device like the Pro Key, which caters to different preferences and abilities, you not only reduce confusion and anxiety for patients but also foster a welcoming environment that prioritises their needs.

The user-friendly design of the Tyro Pro Key doesn’t just help patients; it also significantly enhances the efficiency and productivity of practice staff. With both a tactile keypad and a touchscreen, staff can choose the most convenient method for processing payments, depending on the situation. For instance, a busy front desk can quickly enter transaction details using the keypad while allowing other tasks to be completed using the touchscreen interface when necessary.

“When speaking with our providers, it became clear that practice staff wanted the option of using a physical keypad in addition to a touchscreen. Knowing this, we’ve designed a device that offers both methods, giving staff more flexibility,” says Pete Williams, CTO at Tyro Health.

Staff can easily switch between methods to accommodate patients’ preferences, which minimises wait times and enhances the overall patient experience. Not only that, but less time spent on payment processing means more time available for staff to engage with patients, answer questions, and provide personalised care—key elements that contribute to higher patient satisfaction.

Beyond its user-friendly design, Tyro Pro Key will seamlessly integrate with existing practice management systems (PMS). This integration can streamline payment workflows by reducing the time spent entering and submitting insurance claims, processing gap payments, and handling end-of-day reporting.

Looking ahead, Tyro Pro Key is set to introduce features that further enhance convenience and accessibility, like standalone Private Health and Overseas Visitor claiming (no ethernet cable needed anymore), sign-on-glass, multi-merchant, digital health insurance cards, and options to minimise payment processing costs, such as Dynamic Surcharging1 and Tap & Save2 least-cost routing.

These innovations will help alleviate the stress often associated with payments and claims, allowing you to focus more on patient care. By choosing a modern payment solution, you’re not just improving efficiency; you’re also enhancing the patient experience and supporting your practice’s growth in a meaningful way.

To stay updated on the Tyro Pro Key launch and to learn more about how this device can transform your practice, visit tyrohealth.com/prokey and register your interest.

About Tyro Health

Tyro Health simplifies claims and payments for healthcare providers by offering innovative digital solutions through Tyro Health Online, and our point-of-sale EFTPOS devices. Designed for the health industry, our EFTPOS solutions seamlessly integrate with Best Practice, ensuring efficient operations for your business. Whether you’re an individual practitioner or a multi-location health business, our solutions are designed around the way you work. Find out more at tyrohealth.com

Tyro Health Pty Ltd (Tyro Health) is a wholly owned but not guaranteed subsidiary of Tyro Payments Limited ACN 103 575 042 AFSL 471951.

Disclaimers:

Advertised features will be released progressively and may not be available immediately upon launch.

1. Dynamic Surcharging is available for Mastercard, Visa, eftpos, UnionPay, American Express, JCB, and Diners Club transactions. The Dynamic Surcharging feature is not available for eCommerce transactions or to customers on No Cost EFTPOS pricing. By default, we do not include your EFTPOS machine rental costs into the calculation of your cost of acceptance, however you may choose to apply these costs into your calculation of your cost of acceptance via the Tyro Portal subject to the surcharging rules as set by the RBA and enforced by ACCC and, in relation to American Express transactions, the American Express Merchant Operating Guide (found at www.americanexpress.com.au/merchantopguide).

2. Tyro does not guarantee any cost savings by opting in for Tap & Save. Savings on eligible transactions processed through the cheapest network vary for each business depending on their card mix, transaction volume and amount, industry, and pricing plan. Eligible transactions are contactless debit card transactions less than $1,000. Tap & Save is not available on Special Offer pricing or Card Not-Present Transactions. For details refer to Tyro.com or call 1300 00 TYRO (8976).

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New MBS Item for Diagnosis of Heart Failure

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The introduction of bulk-billed b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for use in the screening of heart failure by general practitioners is a welcome addition to the Medicare Benefit schedule from November 2024.

Heart failure is a significant clinical problem on a worldwide basis and the early diagnosis can help patients and doctors manage the condition more effectively.  Giving access to GPs for BNP testing is an evidence based and key step in the care pathway. In 2013 an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored comparative effectiveness review demonstrated that there is a high quality of evidence to support the use of BNP or NT-proBNP as a rule-out test in chronic and acute heart failure both in the emergency room and in the community.

The role of BNP/NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of heart failure

The National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, guidelines published in 2018 for the prevention, detection and management of Heart Failure made a Strong Recommendation for the use of BNP or NT-proBNP for diagnosis when the diagnosis is uncertain. This guideline recommended a rule-out for heart failure with NT-proBNP of less 300 ng/L. This recommendation is based on primary papers rather than the published systematic review evidence. A more recent guideline published by the European Society of Cardiology has a few different cut-points that are relevant to ruling out the diagnosis of heart failure. In chronic heart failure a NT-proBNP of < 125 ng/L or BNP < 35 ng/L can rule out chronic heart failure in all ages. This is based on people with symptoms suggestive of heart failure or symptoms that could include heart failure as a possible differential diagnosis. Above these levels it is recommended that echocardiography is performed.  For people who present with symptoms suggestive of acute heart failure the cut-point for NT-proBNP is < 300 ng/L or BNP < 100 ng/L.

The cut-points presented are based on a rule-out of heart failure either chronic or acute. Due to the number of other common conditions (e.g. advanced age, renal dysfunction, COPD, anaemia etc.) that can cause an increase in BNP/NT-proBNP the rule-in data is less robust but is still an effective biomarker, particularly as the results get into the higher ranges (> 900 ng/L for NT-proBNP). In the systematic reviews conducted for the 2014 report the GRADE rating was high (4 hashed circles)  for rule-out and moderate (three hashed, one open  ) for rule-in. Thus, the Medicare benefit talks about using BNP/NT-proBNP as a screening test to help identify who would benefit from echocardiogram, as echocardiogram remains the diagnostic test of choice.

In the context of the new benefit, for use in the community, the exclusion of heart failure with NT-proBNP of < 125 ng/L or BNP < 35 ng/L can rule out heart failure in all ages. People with values above these levels will benefit from echocardiography to make the diagnosis.

The Medicare benefit does not distinguish between BNP/NT-proBNP as the evidence for use is equivalent for both. However, there is an important caveat for the choice of BNP in the community setting. NT-proBNP is more stable (days) than BNP (hours) in collected serum samples. BNP requires special handling by the laboratory to maintain stability, if it is not analysed in reasonably quick timeframe. This factor has been taken into consideration in the UK based NICE recommendations and the Canada based Ontario Health Technology assessment.  Thus, most GPs will become familiar with NT-proBNP where hospital-based Doctors may see both BNP and NT-proBNP results.

BNP/NT-proBNP items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule

BNP/NT-proBNP has been available with restricted criteria for certain conditions. These benefits remain in place.  Items 66585 refers to testing in patients with scleroderma and risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension, 66586 for people with diagnosed pulmonary artery hypertension to monitor disease progression, and 66830 refers to the use in people presenting with dyspnoea at hospital emergency departments. The new item, 66829, refers to the use in suspected heart failure in the community setting, to aid in the clinical decision for the necessity of an echocardiogram.

The new benefit is restricted to once per year and as an assistance in identifying people with possible heart failure. For all MBS items it is important to provide the appropriate clinical detail in the clinical note on the requestion, so that the billing item can be correctly identified.

BNP/NT-proBNP items NOT on the Medicare Benefits Schedule

There are other clinical areas where the use NT-proBNP or BNP can be helpful in establishing prognosis and supporting management of heart failure. These use cases are not covered by the MBS and in these instances, patients will need to pay for the test.

References:

Balion C, Don-Wauchope A, Hill S, Santaguida PL, Booth R, Brown JA, et al. Use of Natriuretic Peptide Measurement in the Management of Heart Failure. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2013.

Booth RA, Hill SA, Don-Wauchope A, Santaguida PL, Oremus M, McKelvie R, et al. Performance of BNP and NT-proBNP for diagnosis of heart failure in primary care patients: a systematic review. Heart failure reviews. 2014;19:439–51.

Hill SA, Booth RA, Santaguida PL, Don-Wauchope A, Brown JA, Oremus M, et al. Use of BNP and NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of heart failure in the emergency department: a systematic review of the evidence. Heart failure reviews. 2014;19:421–38.

Atherton JJ, Sindone A, Pasquale CGD, Driscoll A, MacDonald PS, et al. National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Guidelines for the Prevention, Detection, and Management of Heart Failure in Australia 2018. Heart, Lung Circ. 2018;27:1123–208.

McDonagh TA, Metra M, Adamo M, Gardner RS, Baumbach A, et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2022;24:4–131.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng106

(Quality) OH. Use of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and N-Terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) as Diagnostic Tests in Adults With Suspected Heart Failure: A Health Technology Assessment. Ont Heal Technol Assess Ser. 2021;21:1–125.

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How’s Your Billing, Financial Management & Reporting Going?

Billing, Financial Management and Reporting Blog Graphic

With government and regulatory requirements becoming ever more stringent, there is an imperative for meticulous financial communication to prevent costly errors and ensure compliance. By empowering your staff to navigate financial intricacies with confidence and precision, you can ultimately translate that into improved patient care through streamlined administrative functions. It’s becoming critical to make that investment into your practice efficiencies and Best Practice needs to do our part by making sure we have fit for use courses to keep you in the know.

Are you are a Practice Manager who would like to understand more about the various reports available to you in Bp Premier, or a receptionist who has mastered the basics of the appointment book and looking for the next challenge? Even an accountant or bookkeeper who may need to know how to manage practice accounts without needing to use the appointment book would benefit, so join us as we show you how to create all different types of accounts (e.g. bulk billing, private billing, DVA, Workcover, third parties); take you through the full Online Claiming workflow from start to finish; and focus on the various reports available to audit your practice and pay your doctors correctly. Access the experts, have your questions answered.  

Accurate billing produces several key outcomes, including:

  • Reduces Medicare rejections
  • Seeks to enhance patient satisfaction through clear financial communication
  • Supports financial planning by providing insights into revenue streams and expenses
  • Facilitates cost control and informed decision-making
  • Seeks to minimizes human errors
  • Improves integration with other systems
  • Enables effective training and troubleshooting, thus ensuring the smooth and compliant operation of the practice

Please join us for our next session on 19th November 9:00am – 12:00pm (AEST). Click below for more information and to register. 

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Doctor or da Vinci? The Art of Anatomical Models

Many doctors possess a creative touch, but few would claim to be Leonardo da Vinci when it comes to anatomical illustrations that enhance patient understanding during consultations. While it’s clear that quality visuals support better patient comprehension, sourcing consistent and accurate illustrations can be a challenge, especially with time constraints and limited resources.

Doctors’ practices often face roadblocks such as inconsistent educational materials, time limitations for explaining complex conditions, and the need for patients to grasp intricate medical concepts quickly. These challenges can hinder effective communication, leaving patients confused or unsure about their diagnosis and treatment options.

Online interactive anatomy provides a powerful solution to these challenges by offering an interactive 3D anatomical model that transforms patient education. Instead of relying on static, one-dimensional images, doctors can now present the human body in a way that is immersive and dynamic. Patients can explore detailed anatomy through interactive features, including zooming in, rotating, and even dissecting parts of the model to see how various organs, muscles, and bones function together.

For example, in a practice dealing with orthopaedic injuries, a doctor can show a 3D model of a knee joint to a patient suffering from a ligament tear. By rotating the model and isolating specific components, the doctor can explain the injury and proposed surgery with far greater clarity than a traditional diagram could provide. This interactivity not only enriches patient engagement but also helps them feel more confident in the treatment process, leading to better compliance and outcomes.

Real-world benefits like these extend beyond individual consultations. In busy practices where time is of the essence, 3D anatomy streamlines the explanation process, reducing the time doctors need to spend on repetitive explanations. This efficiency frees up valuable time, enabling doctors to see more patients without sacrificing the quality of care.

Moreover, practices can use the models to build a stronger rapport with patients, offering a more personalised and informed experience. The ability to share annotated models directly with patients ensures they leave the consultation with a clear understanding of their condition, leading to higher satisfaction and trust.

In collaboration with 3D Anatomica, and with the support of Australian Doctor Group, Best Practice is making 3DGlassman available to Australian doctors, providing an ever-expanding library of male and female anatomical models. By making these tools freely available, practices are empowered to enhance communication and patient understanding effortlessly. This not only elevates the standard of care but also helps build long-term patient relationships based on trust and clarity.

In today’s fast-paced medical environment, where patient education is critical, 3DGlassman provides an innovative solution that seamlessly integrates into daily operations, elevating the quality of healthcare communication.

Available in your Best Practice toolbar, the 3DA button allows you to conveniently register for free using the access code: BEST24

This opportunity is for a limited time only.

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The Importance of Adhering to WCAG for General Practices and Clinics

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Is your website accessible to everyone, including individuals living with disabilities?

Imagine a patient trying to book an appointment online, only to find that the website’s design prevents them from doing so due to their visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairment. This creates a barrier for them and means your practice loses a potential patient.

Do you want to get on the right side? Check your website against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG. Developed by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG are a globally accepted set of guidelines developed to provide a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organisations, and governments.

If you operate in Australia, the Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 protects people from discrimination based on disability. In particular, Section 24 explicitly prohibits providers of goods, services, and facilities from discriminating against users based on their disability. So, if your clinic’s website is not accessible, your clinic may be failing to provide its services to a person with a disability. If a person with a disability cannot access the service through the website just like other people without disabilities can, this could conceivably constitute discrimination. There have been a few big cases in Australia, like Coles and ABC, that were raised on the basis of discrimination online.

Besides not meeting the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 requirements, meeting web accessibility standards makes good business sense for private businesses. People with disabilities represent a significant portion of the population. One in seven people under 64 years and half of the population above 64 have a disability (https://australiandisabilitynetwork.org.au/resources/disability-statistics/).

By ensuring your website is accessible, you open your services to a wider audience. This inclusivity can lead to increased patient satisfaction, loyalty, and referrals. Additionally, search engines factor in user experience when assessing rankings, meaning that accessible websites often perform better in search engine rankings.

Increasing your site’s accessibility will enhance your online presence and potentially attract more patients. Below is a list of no-cost steps you can take to run your website accessibility validation:

  • Use Online Accessibility Tools:
    • WAVE is a website where you enter a URL, and it will analyse the page for accessibility issues.
    • Axe Accessibility Checker is a Chrome and Firefox browser extension that allows you to run accessibility tests directly on your website.
  • Keyboard Navigation Test: Manually test your website by navigating using only the keyboard. Ensure all interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) are accessible using the Tab key and can be activated with the Enter key.
  • Screen Reader Testing: Use a screen reader (like NVDA or VoiceOver) to navigate your website. This will help you identify issues with content structure and labelling.
  • Colour Contrast Checker: Use a colour contrast checker tool (like the WebAIM Contrast Checker) to ensure your text has sufficient contrast against its background.

Authored by:

Valentina Chekanenko
Content Developer at Best Practice Software

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Primary Aldosteronism: Not As Rare As Once Thought

A Chance to Help People Living with Hypertension

For people living with hypertension, many endure high blood pressure for years, sometimes decades, before finding the right treatment. The reason? An underlying hormonal driver that is often overlooked because of its perceived status as ‘rare’: Primary Aldosteronism.

In most cases of hypertension, ‘essential hypertension’ is assumed and standard blood pressure lowering medications are prescribed, with more and more medications added when the blood pressure remains stubbornly high. However, for those patients unknowingly suffering from primary aldosteronism (also known as Conn syndrome), only when we specifically look for this condition can it be found. Once diagnosed, it can be treated with the appropriate medication to block the effects of aldosterone excess, and, in some cases, even cured with adrenal surgery.

Associate Professor Jun Yang, an endocrinologist specialising in primary aldosteronism at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Monash University, has experienced the effects of delayed primary aldosteronism diagnosis in her own family. Dr Yang’s own father struggled with uncontrolled hypertension for decades before he was screened and found to have this form of hormonal hypertension. Since then, his blood pressure has returned to normal using just one targeted medication, thanks to a diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.

Dr Yang’s father is certainly not the only one to experience a delay in receiving his diagnosis of primary aldosteronism. In 2018 the Australian Journal of General Practice reported it was common for patients to have had hypertension for over 10 years before screening occurred, meaning many had aldosterone-mediated end-organ damage by the time they were finally diagnosed. However, once the diagnosis is made and targeted treatment commenced, clinical improvement with lower blood pressure and reduced number of antihypertensive medications could be observed in all patients. Recent research has shown that around 1 in 7 patients with high blood pressure may actually have primary aldosteronism, when actively screened. A simple blood test to measure aldosterone and renin concentration which is then calculated as the aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR), can screen for primary aldosteronism, but is severely underutilised.

Primary aldosteronism is fundamentally different from ‘essential hypertension’ as it is driven by an excess of the hormone aldosterone. Aldosterone is an important hormone which regulates salt balance and blood pressure. Too much aldosterone can cause salt retention and hypertension that is difficult to control with regular antihypertensive medications. The excess aldosterone can be produced by an adenoma on the adrenal gland. In this case, surgery to remove the affected gland can lead to a cure of the disease. More commonly, both adrenal glands are affected. In that case, a tablet that specifically blocks aldosterone activity can effectively manage the condition.

Untreated primary aldosteronism carries with it a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events, such as stroke, myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation when compared to essential hypertension. This is due to the aldosterone excess which causes cardiovascular tissue inflammation and fibrosis, in addition to the damage caused by elevated blood pressure per se. So while it has long been considered rare, there are significant risks associated with missing a diagnosis of primary aldosteronism. Sadly, it has fallen prey to a vicious cycle: a condition which is considered rare is not sought; a condition not sought is not found; and a condition not found is considered rare.

A prospective study carried out in general practices in Victoria between 2017-2020 found that 14% of patients with newly diagnosed hypertension had primary aldosteronism. All these patients were screened by their GPs rather than specialists. The study indicated that GPs were able to play an important role in the early detection of primary aldosteronism in patients with early stages of hypertension, thereby preventing many from experiencing the end-organ damage that untreated aldosterone excess can cause. As effective as this study was in finding patients with primary aldosteronism, there was a lot of variability in which doctors screened their patients and which didn’t. Some doctors ordered the screening blood test regularly while others did not.

How Can We Improve Screening of Primary Aldosteronism in a Systematic Way?

The CONSEP trial was developed to increase the screening and diagnosis of primary aldosteronism in the general practice setting. This trial is looking at whether Education and Guidance Based Requesting software (GBR) for General Practitioners can increase Primary Aldosterone (PA) screening and diagnosis among patients with high blood pressure. By doing a high quality randomised controlled trial that is fully integrated with the GP clinic, we hope the results will show us just how effective our intervention may be for improving the detection of a common and potentially curable cause of hypertension.

The trial is currently recruiting general in Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart. To participate in the trial or learn more, fill out the CONSEP contact form and visit the CONSEP website, or directly reach out to us via consep@monash.edu.

Consent to be Contacted Formhttps://redcap.link/ywdjuab9
CONSEP Website – https://www.hudson.org.au/research-program/consep/
CONSEP Email – consep@monash.edu

CONSEP Article Image - Primary Aldosteronism

Authored by:
Linghan Jia at Monash University

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Enhancing Your Practice with AI: Lyrebird Scribe

Are you looking for a partner that truly listens and enhances your practice? Meet Lyrebird Scribe, an advanced AI scribe designed to capture and transcribe patient consultations in real-time. This innovative tool listens in the background at your command and generates comprehensive clinical notes in seconds, significantly reducing the administrative burden on general practitioners and allowing more time for exceptional patient care. Lyrebird Scribe stands out by learning from the clinician’s style and voice, ensuring that the generated notes are both accurate and personalised. By taking care of the time-consuming task of documentation, Lyrebird Scribe allows you to focus on what you do best—caring for your patients.

With over 10,000 real-world consultations across general practice and various specialties, Lyrebird Scribe has proven its value. On average, clinicians save 2-3 hours daily on documentation, and the system boasts a 98% accuracy rate in note generation, eliminating the need for extensive review.

Lyrebird Scribe integrates seamlessly with Bp Premier versions Orchid SP2 and above, recording directly from and to the patient record. The AI Scribe generates clinical notes in a number of standard formats, which are written back into Bp Premier with a single touch at the end of the consultation, with indication of transcription.

Key features of Lyrebird Scribe include:

  • Automatic generation of patient notes, filtering out irrelevant information.
  • Email generated patient letters directly, keeping patients informed.
  • Easy generation of other clinical documents and referrals from patient notes, with one click copy into the Bp Premier word processor.
  • High customisation to match your documentation style.
  • Secure storage of patient consent options for future visits.
  • AES-256-bit encryption and Australian-based servers for maximum security and privacy.

Best Practice Software customers can enjoy a 30-day trial to experience the benefits of Lyrebird Scribe.

If you want to learn more on how AI technologies can assist you in your practice, as well as see a live demonstration of Lyrebird Scribe, click here to join us for the following webinar.

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Authored by:
Jay Rose – Lead Content Developer at Best Practice Software

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A Sprint in the Life of a Bp Premier Developer

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Today’s Staff Spotlight piece comes from our Bp Premier Delivery Stream Leader, Eli. As a delivery lead, Eli is responsible for keeping multiple software development projects on track and ensuring they are completed on time and according to specifications.

Our story begins last month, with the introduction of our latest new feature in Bp Premier, aimed to improve how our users handle transactions for a more efficient payment processing experience. Behind the scenes, our developers are gearing up to tackle the new project.

In true software development spirit, no sprint is complete without its share of hurdles. Early beta testers report intermittent freezing in a payment integration, critical to the user experience and functionality of the software. An urgent fix was required. The team collaborated with Software Support, collating all the information and feedback they had received from our beta tester group and the wider customer base. Then, our Commercial Team to investigate and identify exactly where the bug was between our program and the third-party integrator software. Once the root cause was determined, a solution could be developed.

Amidst the chaos of racing to find the bug fix, the deadline to release the next monthly Data Update (DU) drew closer and closer. The unplanned infrastructure issues had thrown a wrench in our ability to build and test the new DU, forcing us to adapt. This agile response to changing priorities is an essential skill for a scrum team.

This sprint was not without its share of unexpected obstacles. Unplanned infrastructure issues hindered our ability to build and test the DU, forcing us to adapt our focus and pivot. This agile response to changing priorities was a testament to our team’s resilience and adaptability.

As the head of this development team, I must regularly relay information to other managers, executives, and various teams and streams across the company to ensure we are all working towards the same goal. This sprint wasn’t without its fair share of challenges and triumphs, but my team prevailed, demonstrating the true spirit of collaboration and innovation. Demonstrating the power of agile software development. We are proud to have overcome the obstacles and delivered a solution.

Definitions

Scrum Team:
A scrum team is a small and nimble team dedicated to delivering committed product increments. A scrum team’s size is typically small, at around 10 people, but it’s large enough to complete a substantial amount of work within a sprint.

Sprint:
A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work. Sprints are at the very heart of scrum methodology, and getting sprints right will help your scrum team ship better software with fewer headaches.

Beta Tester:
Beta testers are “real” users and conduct their testing in a production environment running on the same hardware, networks, etc., as the final release. This also means it’s the first chance for full security and reliability testing because those tests can’t be conducted in a lab or stage environment.

Authored by:

 

Eli Brighton
Delivery Stream Manager at Best Practice Software

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How To Save Time With Bulk Verifications In Bp Premier

Leverage Bp Premier’s Bulk Verifications to reduce administrative burden and cut down on Medicare rejections due to incorrect Medicare Card details.

Best Practice integrates directly with Medicare for several functions, one of which is verifying your patients’ card details. You can individually verify your patients, but why perform individual checks when you can verify Medicare details in bulk? This feature is easy to use, will check all your patients for the day and could save you a lot of time.

So, how do I use it? From the appointment book screen, select Utilities > Bulk patient verification, and you will see this screen.

Bp Premier Screenshot

On this screen, you will select the parameters for the patient appointments you are searching for.

For example, you might like to run this utility at the start of the day for all of today’s appointments. In that case, you would click Select All to tick all your providers and make sure today’s date is selected in the calendar picker. Once you have chosen your parameters, click OK.

Bp Premier Screenshot

The next screen you see will give you a list of patients with appointments, and you can click Verify. Bp Premier will then connect to Medicare Web Services, check the Medicare card details for each patient in the list, and return a response.

If the patient’s card details are correct, no action is required. If their card details are incorrect, you can right-click on a patient in the list and click view details to open their patient demographics and record an appointment note. Appointment notes will pop up when arriving the patient, so we can get their Medicare card from them and update their details when they arrive at the practice instead of having to chase them. Sometimes, you will see a response from Medicare that looks like this.

Bp Premier Screenshot

If you do see this, it means that the patient’s details were not an exact match, but Medicare was able to match the details we have with the correct patient and has returned this updated card number to us. This might happen in cases where a Medicare card has expired, and just the last digit has changed. This is a super convenient feature; we can tick the box next to Medicare No and click update, which will open the patient demographics and automatically update the Medicare card for us! We can then click save in the patient demographics window, which will save the details and let us know if other patients in our database are on the old Medicare card we just updated. 

Bp Premier Screenshot

We will see this screen if other patients are on the same outdated Medicare card. From this screen, we can review the patients and click update to update an entire family on the new Medicare card in one click. This excellent time-saving feature ensures your patients have the correct details recorded.

Ultimately if you are bulk billing, you will get rejections from Medicare at some point. However, utilising the bulk patient verification utility will ensure that you have accurate data recorded and greatly reduce the number of rejections you receive from Medicare. This will save you time and ensure you receive rebates from Medicare as soon as possible.

Authored by:

Xanthe Kapczynski
Training and Deployment Specialist at Best Practice Software

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