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Mastering Chronic Disease Management: A Look At Practice Benchmarks And How To Grow

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Chronic Disease Management Blog Graphic

Delving into the realm of Chronic Disease Management (CDM), the past two years have seen remarkable progress in practices, with a focus on mastering the intricacies of this vital aspect of healthcare provision. Through the lens of Cubiko’s general practice benchmarking, we uncover the evolution of strategies and outcomes in managing chronic conditions. From utilising templates within Best Practice Premier to exploring innovative tools like the Actions feature for enhanced patient care, this exploration aims to equip Practice Managers with insights and benchmarks to elevate their CDM practices to new heights.

Introduction to Chronic Disease Management

Importance of Effective Chronic Disease Management

Effective Chronic Disease Management (CDM) is crucial for enhancing the quality of life for patients, reducing the progression of diseases, and optimising the use of healthcare resources. With a growing number of individuals living with chronic conditions, the burden on the healthcare system intensifies. Implementing robust CDM practices can lead to improved health outcomes by ensuring regular monitoring and tailored care plans. Moreover, CDM items such as the 721, 723, 732 are well funded by the government and can have a positive impact on a General Practitioner’s billings. With the right management protocols in place, practices can also ensure compliance with healthcare standards and improve patient satisfaction. Ultimately, effective CDM is not just about managing symptoms, but also about empowering patients to take an active role in their health.

Evolution of Chronic Disease Management

Chronic Disease Management (CDM) has evolved significantly, shifting from reactive to proactive and patient-centered care. Traditionally, the focus was on managing acute flare-ups rather than preventing them. However, the past years have seen a transition towards a more holistic approach that includes prevention, early detection, and comprehensive management. The integration of technology into healthcare has been a game-changer, with data analytics playing pivotal roles in identifying patients who may be eligible for services. Furthermore, there has been a greater emphasis on multidisciplinary teams collaborating to provide care, which has been shown to improve outcomes for chronic disease patients. Patient education and self-management are now recognised as essential components of CDM, empowering individuals to take control of their health and reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Chronic Disease Management: A Two-Year Benchmark Review

Insights From The Last Two Years

Over the last two years, Chronic Disease Management (CDM) has seen considerable growth and innovation. Data from Cubiko’s Touchstone Report reveals an uptick in the adoption of GP management plans, indicating a broader acceptance of structured CDM strategies. Practices are leveraging technology like never before, utilising tools for better patient identification and follow-up. These insights showcase not only the commitment of healthcare providers to elevate CDM but also the tangible benefits such advancements bring to patient care and practice efficiency.

Recent data from Cubiko’s Touchstone report indicates a modest rise in both CDM-related billings and health assessments over the last two years, signalling a brighter spotlight on structured management strategies. Specifically, CDM’s share of billing averaged 10.59% in 2023, with health assessments contributing 2.63%. However, it’s important to note a downward trend in nurse-led services’ billing share, which decreased to 0.42% in 2023 from the previous year’s 0.56%.

Understanding Cubiko's General Practice Benchmarking

Cubiko’s general practice benchmarking offers valuable insights by aggregating data across various practices to identify trends and best practices in Chronic Disease Management (CDM). This benchmarking serves as a powerful tool for Practice Managers, providing a clear picture of how their practice compares to others in terms of CDM performance. It includes key metrics such as the number of care plans initiated, reviews conducted, and patient outcomes. By analysing this data, practices can pinpoint areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Benchmarks also facilitate goal setting and progress tracking over time. Understanding these benchmarks is critical for practices aiming to enhance their CDM strategies, as it provides a data-driven foundation for making informed decisions and implementing targeted interventions that can lead to better patient health and more efficient practice operations.

Utilising Templates for CDM Plans

Benefits Of Using Templates In The Word Processor

Using templates in the word processor for Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plans can significantly streamline the process for healthcare providers. These templates allow for a standardised approach to creating management plans, ensuring that all necessary information is consistently captured and nothing is overlooked. They also save time for general practitioners and practice managers by reducing the need to start from scratch for each patient plan. Templates can be customised to include practice-specific goals, interventions, and follow-up schedules, which helps maintain a high standard of care. This consistency in documentation not only improves the quality of patient care but also aids in compliance with healthcare regulations. Furthermore, templates facilitate easier sharing of information within a multidisciplinary team, leading to better-coordinated care and improved patient outcomes.

How To Effectively Use Bp For CDM Plans

Using Bp, or Best Practice Software, effectively for Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plans involves leveraging its full suite of features to create comprehensive and personalised care plans. Bp’s template feature allows for the creation of detailed CDM templates that can be easily adapted for individual patient needs. Within Bp, you can access a patient’s complete medical history, ensuring that the CDM plans are informed by the latest and most relevant information. It is also possible to set reminders for regular reviews and follow-ups, which are critical components of effective CDM. Additionally, Bp integrates with other healthcare systems, enabling seamless communication and coordination among different healthcare providers. By maximising the capabilities of Bp, Practice Managers can ensure that their practices deliver high-quality, consistent CDM, while also improving efficiency and reducing the administrative burden on healthcare professionals.

Utilising Templates for CDM Plans

Adding Notifications To The Clinical Record

Adding notifications to the clinical record is a powerful way to enhance Chronic Disease Management (CDM). By utilising the Actions feature in healthcare management software, practices can set up alerts for clinicians when they open a patient’s record. This can include reminders for necessary tests, follow-up appointments, or updates to a CDM plan. These notifications act as prompts, ensuring that important tasks are not overlooked and that the patient’s care plan is adhered to meticulously. For patients identified as eligible for certain CDM activities, this feature can streamline the process of providing timely interventions. Moreover, integrating these notifications within the clinical workflow can improve the efficiency of care delivery without adding to the administrative load. Effectively using the Actions feature helps maintain a high standard of patient care while optimising the use of clinician time.

Using Clinical Reminders For Patient Engagement

Clinical reminders are a key tool for patient engagement in Chronic Disease Management (CDM). With the Actions feature, practices can set up reminders not only for healthcare providers but also for patients. These reminders can prompt patients about upcoming appointments, medication refills, or necessary lifestyle changes. By actively involving patients in their own care, these reminders help increase their commitment to managing their condition. They also enhance communication between patients and the practice, building a relationship of trust and support. When patients receive timely and personalised reminders, they’re more likely to adhere to their management plans, which can lead to better health outcomes. The ability to automate these reminders ensures consistency and reduces the likelihood of human error, contributing to a more efficient and patient-cantered approach to CDM.

The Future Of Chronic Disease Management

How Cubiko Is Shaping The Future Of CDM

Cubiko is at the forefront of shaping the future of Chronic Disease Management (CDM) by providing advanced analytics and benchmarking tools tailored for general practices. These tools help practices to identify potential patients eligible for care, streamline operations, and ultimately provide better patient outcomes. Cubiko’s dashboards give real-time insights into patient populations, enabling practices to be proactive in their CDM approaches. With predictive analytics, Cubiko can assist practices in identifying patients at risk and ensure timely interventions. By leveraging Cubiko’s capabilities with Bp Premier, practice managers can lead their teams with confidence, knowing they are backed by robust data and are utilising the latest innovations in healthcare management to enhance their CDM strategies. 

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Dictate with Confidence and Implement Strategies to Improve Practice Efficiency

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The ever-evolving landscape of healthcare is being significantly reshaped by technology. Gone are the days of overflowing inboxes, and mountains of paperwork and invoices. Today, a wave of innovative apps and software solutions are empowering healthcare professionals to streamline their workflows and maximise efficiency. These digital tools are not only saving valuable time, but also improving accuracy, communication, and overall patient care. Let’s explore how using a smartphone app helped to optimise the dictation and transcription for an Australian practice.

This large, well-established specialist practice had an admin team of 11 with two senior medical secretaries taking on the bulk of the practice typing. As the number of specialists grew, it became necessary to bolster the typing pool. The practice engaged an overseas typing agency with poor quality transcripts, lack of local nuance, and the idea that data visible outside of Australia potentially contravened Australian Privacy Principles.

The practice persevered with this inefficient, substandard overseas transcription solution as it was hard to find local typists who could work on a similar budget. Despite their competent secretarial team, the practice couldn’t keep up with the volume of letters and the practice manager knew the overseas typing agency was far from ideal.

After an in-depth review of their internal business processes, it was uncovered that sound files, data, and documentation were being double handled at multiple levels across the practice. The current process was very manual and administration-heavy, the practice identified that it could be eased with the use of an intelligent transcript app. The app enabled a complete end-to-end transcription process that removed many administration touchpoints within the practice.

The doctors in the practice uploaded VoiceBox Intelligent Transcript to their mobile devices to easily dictate letters in a consistent format with transparent workflows. It is no surprise that investing in technology can empower healthcare professionals to reclaim their time, reduce stress, and provide more time for their patients.

By leveraging technology with the VoiceBox Intelligent Transcript app, the practice was able to reclaim their time to focus on what matters most – their patients.

Technology and digital platforms are supporting busy healthcare professionals to optimise their efficiency and elevate patient care. These innovative tools offer a powerful solution to help ease the burden of administration, freeing up valuable time for direct patient interaction and improved health outcomes. By embracing digital tools like VoiceBox Intelligent Transcript, doctors can streamline workflows, ensure data accuracy, and enhance communication, ultimately creating a more efficient practice and a more positive experience for both themselves and their patients.

VoiceBox IT

Scenarios in this publication are based on Avant claims experience to date. Certain information has been de-identified to preserve privacy and confidentiality.

Persons implementing any recommendations contained in this publication must exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek appropriate professional advice relevant to their own particular practice. Compliance with any recommendations will not in any way guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients and others coming into contact with the health professional or practice. Avant and Avant Practice Solutions are not responsible to you or anyone else for any loss suffered in connection with the use of this information. Information is only current at the date initially published. © Avant Mutual Group Limited 2024.

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Our Online Booking Management Solution Is Now Live 

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Best Health Booking Blog Graphic

We are excited to announce the official release of our Online Booking Management Solution, Best Health Booking.

Best Health Booking integrates with Bp Premier to provide a hassle-free booking solution for practice managers and practice owners. It also provides convenience to patients and streamlines administrative tasks, all while being easy to navigate and configure.

Best Health Booking has been through rigorous Beta Testing and was designed in partnership with Bp Premier customers.

“Listening to our customer’s feedback provided clear direction for which features would be most beneficial to their clinics when it came to an Online Appointment Booking Solution. Based on beta testing and ongoing feedback received, we are sure Bp Premier customers will be thrilled with Best Health Booking overall, but especially the seamless integration, simple setup and maintenance and the patient convenience it offers,” Ms Danielle Bancroft, our Chief Product Officer, explained.

To determine whether Best Health Booking is right for your clinic, we encourage you to visit our website. 

How Will Best Health Booking Help Your Practice?

Bookings in an instant: Real-time visibility in the Bp Premier appointment book for your team and in Best Health Booking for your patients means that there is less chance of a double booking happening – no matter where someone is entering it into the system. This also reduces the burden on your reception team.

Spend less time on admin: By simplifying your practice’s booking workflow and streamlining your practice-patient communications, Best Health Booking helps you spend less time on administrative tasks, and more time on looking after your patients. 

Be up and running in minutes: Once the Best Health Booking Site Manager has been installed, your practice profile can be configured and live in minutes, allowing your patients to instantly book their online appointments. 

Bookings anywhere, anytime: Patients aren’t always able to book an appointment on your schedule. Best Health Booking lets them book an appointment on theirs. Your practice’s unique link allows patients to book an appointment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – no matter where they are. With freedom and flexibility over their health journey, patients are more likely to attend their appointments. 

Part of the customer-centric approach has been to keep Best Health Booking pricing as affordable as possible, to support the critical operations of valued practices at the forefront of healthcare in Australia.

We believe that Best Health Booking pricing should be simple and transparent. This means that no matter the size of your medical practice, you will have access to all the features we offer, without paying extra for each one. Our goal is to make it easy for you to subscribe and focus on what really matters – providing the best healthcare to your patients. For a breakdown Best Health Booking pricing, visit https://bpsoftware.net/best-health-booking-pricing.

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Embracing the Future: How AI is Reshaping Healthcare for Better Patient Outcomes

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I recently got the opportunity to show my ageing parents what OpenAI’s ChatGPT could do. Artificial Intelligence to them was a fairly abstract concept held for Hollywood blockbusters, so pulling out a laptop was the result of a conversation that centred around “how does it actually benefit me?” Imagine their surprise when they discovered how it could help them write an email, spruce up a resume, or create Excel formulas and charts. They’re both two-finger typers so the possibilities of how this could make their lives more efficient got them more excitable than a teenager scrolling through TikTok and Instagram Reels.

As they wondered how it was going to make the last of their working years a breeze, my thoughts were around how AI would continue to help them beyond that into a long and healthy retirement. Just like assisting with Excel formulas, AI is starting to play a critical role in enhancing patient care and improving overall efficiencies in the Australian healthcare industry; not just for our ageing parents, but for all of us.

If You Currently Work In Healthcare, AI Is Getting Harder To Ignore.

The immense potential AI has when it comes to patient care almost looks limitless. With the ability to analyse large volumes of data, AI technologies might be able to help our healthcare professions in many different ways.

What about the continuous monitoring of patient’s vital signs, symptoms, and disease progression, alerting doctors to any significant changes that may require intervention? Or the potential to save lives and reduce hospital readmissions? Or AI-driven clinical decision support systems that could provide our doctors with evidence-based treatment recommendations? Can AI suggest appropriate treatment options, dosage recommendations, and potential drug interactions, empowering doctors with up-to-date information to make well-informed decisions?

Some Of That Might Sound A Little "Pie In The Sky," But AI Is The Here And Now.

There are quite a few vendors in the healthcare space already that can really add value to your practice in ways you might not have thought of yet, like:

  • AI-powered scribing tools: They fully integrate with your Clinical Consultation software. While you’re concentrating on your patient, your AI helper listens intently in the background, and filters out all non-relevant information to return to you perfect patient notes for you to check. It knows which personal information to redact and does it in real-time, using state-of-the-art data encryption and data processing done locally on Australian servers. You can use your patient conversation to instantly generate a referral or letter in your own unique style, as your AI helper learns over time to adapt to the way you write.
  • Virtual Assistants and Chatbots: AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots can provide basic information, appointment scheduling, and answer frequently asked questions, improving patient access and engagement.
  • Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine: AI technologies enable remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs, allowing healthcare providers and empower patients to track and manage chronic conditions or aftercare and provide virtual care.
  • Medical Image Analysis: powerful AI algorithms can analyse and quickly identify information that may assist a clinician in reaching a diagnosis for diseases such as skin cancer, eye disease, and heart arrythmias.
  • Clinical Decision Support: tools designed for use during patient consultations powered by AI can automate detection, and prompt clinicians to consider possible opportunities for early intervention for chronic disease, from cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and beyond. AI-driven tools can even have the ability to assist in recommending pathways of care alongside diagnosis considerations for clinicians and patients alike.

No Technology Can Replace The Importance Of Human Expertise And The Doctor-Patient Relationship.

Nevertheless, it is an exhilarating time to work in healthcare. Are you seeing your software vendors embracing these technologies to make your lives easier? With what is available right now, plus advancements on the horizon, AI will redefine work efficiencies across various roles in our practices. AI technologies are here and they’re already enhancing numerous aspects of our lives, so here’s to embracing these innovations, particularly for all those two finger typers out there.

For more information, the following vendors have some great AI products available, and are small sample of the many options available:

  • Lyrebird Health
  • Heidi Health
  • 3D Anatomica
  • DermEngine
  • University of Melbourne – Future Health Today
  • AI-Matters
  • PenCS – Topbar
  • Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool
  • SmartHeal

Authored by:

Suzi Eley Author Avatar

Suzi Ely
Training & Deployment Manager at Best Practice Software.

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Best Practice Software Announces Newly Forged Partnership with Lyrebird Health

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Lyrebird Health Partnership Blog Graphic

New partnership between Best Practice and Lyrebird Health provides practitioners with increased efficiencies and productivity.

Best Practice Software has partnered with Lyrebird Health; the creators of Lyrebird Scribe, an artificial intelligence (AI) transcription tool specifically designed for healthcare. The partnership will see Bp Premier, Best Practice’s market leading practice management system, be the first to offer a fully integrated generative AI tool to their Australian practitioners.

Co-Founders of Lyrebird Health, Kai Van Lieshout and Linus Talacko said:

“The demand on healthcare has never been higher in Australia and many General Practitioners across the country are stretched to the point of burnout. Through our partnership with Best Practice Software, practitioners across Australia will now have Lyrebird Scribe directly embedded into their software, allowing them to see more patients and deliver a level of care that was previously not possible.”

Lyrebird Scribe works by automatically generating relevant medical documentation during the consultation process, allowing clinicians to spend more time with their patients and less time completing administrative duties.

Doctor and Founder of Best Practice Software, Dr Frank Pyefinch said:

“It’s always been our goal to find new ways to support our practitioners. The Lyrebird Health integration achieves this by allowing practitioners to increase administrative efficiencies and reduce their time spent recording patient notes, both during and post consult”.

By listening to your consult Lyrebird Scribe can automatically generate your patient notes, filtering out all irrelevant information. From there, comprehensive letters and referrals can then be generated from the patient notes and be sent within minutes. Lyrebird Scribe learns from the practitioner’s edits and feedback, so as they continue to use the tool, notes and letters will sound more like them.

Doctor and Clinical Advisor of Best Practice Software, Dr Fabrina Hossain said:

“While AI will never replace the practitioner in making clinical decisions, it can be useful in increasing efficiencies and reducing time spent on administration. Anything that allows practitioners to spend more time providing patient care is appreciated.”

Given the sensitive nature of healthcare information, Lyrebird Scribe utilises AES-256 bit encryption, all information is stored de-identified on Australian based servers, and data is only available to the practitioner.

To find out more about Best Practice Software or Lyrebird Health please visit us online.

For all media enquires please contact:

Danielle Bancroft
Chief of Product, Best Practice Software
danielle.bancroft@bpsoftware.net

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How Forest Hill Family Clinic Increased CDM Billings by 400%

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In the bustling heart of Forest Hill, where healthcare meets community, Forest Hill Family Clinic has been a beacon of care for its local community. With a mission to provide top-quality healthcare, they recognise the need to provide efficient access to care through their hands-on approach to chronic disease management (CDM).

The Challenge: Creating a Simple and Reliable Process for CDM

For years, Forest Hill Family Clinic has been providing care for a growing population of patients dealing with chronic diseases. However, their approach to identifying care opportunities wasn’t one that enabled the team to do their best work. As one of their team members put it, “For us, CDM was very ad hoc, if we worked with the nurses they would pick it up, but it would drop off throughout the year.” Forest Hill Family Clinic needed to work with the team to create a simple, repeatable process for easily verifying CDM eligibility and booking those eligible appointments.

Discovering a Solution: What is Everyone Else Doing?

The practice owner, Cass Quilty, began searching for a solution that could align with their goals. Cass had heard whispers of Cubiko’s success from other practices online and decided to investigate further. They were intrigued by the prospect of a software solution that could help them streamline their processes.

Structured Care Opportunities with Cubiko

Forest Hill Family Clinic decided to put Cubiko to the test. They employed Cubiko’s QuickCheck tool to assess patient eligibility before consultations. The results were astonishing. Chronic disease management billings, once a mere 5% of their total billings, surged to an impressive 21%. As Cass enthusiastically described it, “Then along came QuickCheck. Which has been fantastic, a game changer.”

For Cass and her dedicated team, QuickCheck became their trusted ally in verifying patient eligibility before consultations, ensuring that no care opportunity was missed. As Cass elaborated, “What we created is an opportunistic appointments list in Bp. We run QuickCheck each morning, and anyone who is eligible, we make a note on the file what the patient is due for.”

This routine use of QuickCheck goes hand in hand with a thoroughly planned process for providing amazing CDM care, ensuring no patient misses out on the care they are eligible to receive.

Seamless Implementation: Simplifying the Process

The implementation of Cubiko was a breeze for Forest Hill Family Clinic. They simply signed up and began training their team using the comprehensive resources provided by Cubiko. The software seamlessly integrated into their daily workflows, making it an invaluable part of their practice.

User-Friendly Experience: Empowering Healthcare Providers

Cubiko’s user-friendly interface made it easy for the staff at Forest Hill Family Clinic to embrace and utilise the software effectively. Its simplicity amplified the effectiveness of the software, enabling the team to focus on delivering exceptional care.

The Results: Streamlined and Efficient Workflow

Cubiko has not only assisted in growing Forest Hill Family Clinic’s CDM billings but also streamlined their entire workflow. As Cass expressed, “If I don’t have to check PRODA for an item number ever again, that would be heaven. It’s been fantastic; the time we get back from rejections and checking PRODA is so valuable.” Forest Hill Family Clinic saves hours each week through a streamlined process and ensures they are able to bill for the work their team puts in by cutting down on costly rejections.

A Bright Future with Cubiko

In conclusion, Forest Hill Family Clinic’s journey with Cubiko has been nothing short of remarkable. By adopting this innovative solution, they have increased their chronic disease management billings fourfold and transformed their care delivery process. Cubiko has not only helped them improve patient outcomes but also simplified their workflows.

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1 November 2023 Fee Update – Triple Incentives and MyMedicare

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From 1 November 2023, higher bulk billing incentives for Commonwealth concession card holders and patients under 16 years of age will be introduced and may be co claimed with the following consultation items:

  • MBS Levels B, C, D, and E face-to-face general attendance consultations (and out of rooms, residential aged care facilities and after-hours equivalents),
  • MBS Level B telehealth (video and telephone) general attendance consultations,
  • MBS Levels C, and D telehealth (video and telephone) general attendance consultations, where a patient is registered with a general practice through MyMedicare and receives the service through the practice where they are registered,
  • Level E telehealth (video only) general attendance consultations, where a patient is registered with their general practice through MyMedicare and receives the service through the practice where they are registered.

Please see the MBS Online Fact Sheet for Bulk Billing in General Practice for further information.

What Do I Need To Know?

The new MBS Item numbers that are being released on 1 November to support the triple incentive items will be made available as part of our planned November Data Update. This update will also include the logic changes that are required to automatically apply the incentives based on the applicable billing workflow, with an exception to the Video and Phone Telehealth consultations.

We are currently unable to automatically add the relevant incentives to the 91801, 91802 and 91920 Video Telehealth, and the 91900 and 91910 Phone Telehealth items as this incentive is reliant on the patient being registered at their practice through MyMedicare. At this stage, a patient’s MyMedicare registration is not stored in Bp and therefore unable to be verified as part of this billing workflow.

For MyMedicare patients eligible for these new incentives:

For Video Telehealth Consultations:

  • The standard 10990 (or regional variant) incentive will automatically be added to the account when created with any of these item numbers which will be unable to be removed,
  • The 75880 incentive item will then need to be manually added to the account,
  • Account to be submitted to Medicare with both incentive items included and then managed using the standard Medicare exception process.

For Phone Telehealth Consultations:

  • The new incentives will not automatically be added to the account, and will need to be manually added by practice staff. (Please note: in this scenario, the 10990 (or regional variant) incentive will not be applied, and will therefore not need to be managed using the standard Medicare exception process.)

The addition of a patient’s MyMedicare registration status is planned to be made available in the next release of our Bp Premier product scheduled for the coming months. The introduction of patients’ MyMedicare status in Bp Premier will remove the need to manually manage these incentives.

Further information regarding these changes can be accessed via the Bp Premier Knowledge Base and via the MBS Online website.

Authored by:

Jessica White
Head of Commercial and Government at Best Practice Software

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Data Accuracy in Real Time Prescription Monitoring

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Blog graphic RTPM

Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) is a clinical tool available in most states to practices running Bp Premier that assists healthcare providers and pharmacists in making safer prescribing decisions for certain high-risk medicines. See Real Time Prescription Monitoring availability for more information.

To maintain the highest levels of patient safety, healthcare providers can take key steps within Bp Premier to support and enhance the data quality of the Real Time Prescription Monitoring system.

Validate the Patient's Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI)

One of the most important steps in ensuring data accuracy is validating the patient’s Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) in Bp Premier. Validating the IHI ensures that the correct medical information links with the correct individual. Incorrect or missing IHIs can result in duplicate patient records, risking patient safety and potentially leading to incorrect diagnoses, inappropriate medications, and medical errors.

To assist healthcare providers in improving data quality and patient safety, Bp Premier has several functions that simplify validating patient IHI numbers. In Bp Premier version Orchid, we added functionality to automatically validate a patient’s IHI number when opening the patient record. When saving patient demographic information, a prompt will also display if the IHI number is invalid against the new identifying information.

Patient IHI numbers can also be manually validated for a single patient from the patient demographics screen or validated in a bulk lookup for multiple patients from the appointment book.

You can find more information about Validating Health Identifiers in Bp Premier in our knowledge base.

Maintain Accurate Patient Demographic Information

Real Time Prescription Monitoring does not rely solely on prescription and dispensing records; it also gathers patient information from other sections of Bp Premier. To reduce the risk of data inconsistencies, ensure that patient details such as last name, first name, address, date of birth, gender, and Medicare/DVA number are recorded and kept up to date.

Record the Patient's Date of Birth

When prescribing or dispensing medication, healthcare providers and pharmacists must record the patient’s date of birth. For prescriptions containing Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 medicines, the patient’s date of birth is a required data element. Recording the patient’s date of birth also helps ensure that accurate data is retained in real-time prescription monitoring systems and reduces the chance of duplicate patient records.

Enter Medicine Information Correctly

Medicines prescribed as free text are more difficult to match in the RTPM system. Healthcare providers should take care when selecting medicines, accurately record dosage and quantity information, and avoid free text entries whenever possible. Real Time Prescription Monitoring relies on the accuracy of this information to generate alerts and notifications regarding at-risk patients.

Real-time prescription monitoring is essential for improving patient safety in the healthcare system. Healthcare providers help improve this tool’s accuracy and effectiveness by actively participating in efforts to improve data quality. Validating IHIs, keeping patient information up to date, and correctly recording prescription information are essential steps in ensuring system quality. By implementing these measures, healthcare providers can uphold the highest patient safety standards while providing more reliable and consistent care to their communities.

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Are You Still Using a Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate?

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Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificates are used for online claiming purposes only. As claiming has transitioned to web services using PRODA, these certificates are no longer required. These certificates are set to expire on 25th June 2024.

eRX Script Exchange also now accepts NASH SHA-2 PKI Certificates.

Services Australia has transitioned away from Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificates due to security concerns. SHA-1 encryption is now considered insecure and poses potential risks of cyber threats and fraudulent activities.

Services Australia has recently communicated with practices who are still in possession of current Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificates. Services Australia has requested these practices participate in a survey to determine how these certificates are being used, so they can understand any potential business impacts when the certificate expires or if they revoke it early.

How do we know if we are using a Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate?

To determine whether your practice is using a Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificate, perform the steps below on the Bp Premier Server:

Note: This only applies to active, non-expired Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificates. If your certificate has expired, you are not required to take any action.

  1. Click the Windows logo in the bottom left of the toolbar, or click the Windows logo button on the keyboard.

  2. Click the Search icon (magnifying glass) in the top right to slide in the Search bar.

  3. Type internet options into the Search bar and select Internet Options from the list. The Internet Properties screen will appear.
Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

4. In the Internet Properties screen, select the Content tab. Click Certificates. The Certificates screen will appear.

Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

5. The Medicare SHA-1 PKI site certificate has the name of the practice in the Issued To column (the first column).

a) If you do not have a certificate with the Practice Name in the Issued to Column, your practice is not utilising a Medicare SHA-1 PKI site certificate and no action is required.

b) If you have a Medicare SHA-1 PKI site certificate and the certificate is expired, your practice is not utilising the certificate and no action is required.

c) If you have a Medicare SHA-1 PKI site certificate and the certificate has not expired, your practice may still be using the certificate. Complete the Services Australia survey and contact Best Practice Software Support on 1300 401 111 for assistance.

How do we know if we are using a NASH SHA-1 PKI Certificate?

  1. Click the Windows logo in the bottom left of the toolbar or click the Windows logo button on the keyboard.

  2. Click the Search icon (magnifying glass) in the top right to slide in the Search bar.

  3. Type internet options into the Search bar and select Internet Options from the list. The Internet Properties screen will appear.
Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

4. In the Internet Properties screen, select the Content tab. Click Certificates. The Certificates screen will appear.

5. The NASH certificate is named ‘general’ followed by your practice’s HPI-O number. In 2023, support for NASH SHA-1 PKI certificates will also be discontinued. You can determine if your practice is using a NASH SHA-1 PKI certificate by double-clicking on the Nash certificate and selecting the Details tab.

Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

a. The Signature Hash Algorithm field should contain sha256; this shows that your practice uses a SHA-2 Nash Certificate, and no action is necessary.

Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

b. If the Signature Hash Algorithm field displays SHA1, this indicates that your practice utilises a SHA-1 Nash Certificate and that you need to transition to a SHA-2 Nash Certificate. Please refer to the Australian Digital Health Agencies’ guide on revoking your NASH SHA-1 and upgrading to a SHA-2.

Medicare SHA-1 PKI Certificate Screenshot

What do we need to do?

If you are no longer using your Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificate, there’s no need for any action on your part. Services Australia will automatically revoke your certificate from 31st of October 2023.

For those using their Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificate with the eRX Script Exchange, the option to acquire a NASH PKI is available through HPOS in the Healthcare Identifiers Service. See the Australian Digital Health Agency’s instructions for requesting or renewing a NASH PKI certificate.

If your Medicare SHA-1 PKI certificate is used for other purposes, Services Australia requires that you participate in their PKI certificate survey by August 31, 2023. Important information is supplied at the beginning of the survey to ensure that you are well-informed if action is required.

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Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Bp Premier

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Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is responsible for significant morbidity and premature mortality in Australia. An individual’s risk of developing CVD depends on the combined effect of multiple risk factors. Risk assessment, therefore, remains fundamental to the primary prevention of CVD (Heart Foundation, n.d.).

Bp Premier offers a Cardiovascular Risk Assessment tool and the ability to access the Online Cardiovascular Disease Check from the patient’s clinical record.

Cardiovascular Risk Tool

Bp Premier’s Cardiovascular risk tool calculates a percentage probability of developing cardiovascular disease in the next five years based on measurements of several known risk factors.

To access and use the Cardiovascular Risk Assessment:

  1. From the patient record, select Clinical > Cardiovascular Risk.

The Cardiovascular risk screen will appear.

2. Some of the fields in this screen will be prepopulated based on existing observations recorded in the patient’s record. Edit the existing observations or complete the remaining fields.

3. Bp Premier will display the percentage probability the patient has of developing cardiovascular disease.

4. Click Reference to view the formula used to calculate the probability.

5. Click Save and these results will appear in the Observations tab under ’CV risk’ in the patient’s clinical record.

Online CVD Check

The Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance’s CVD risk calculator has been available in Bp Premier since Saffron SP2. AusCVDRisk is a risk assessment, communication, and management tool for health professionals. To learn more about how this calculator works, refer to the Australian Guidelines for assessing and managing cardiovascular risk.

To access and use The Online CVD Check via Bp Premier:

1. From the patient record, select Clinical > Cardiovascular Risk. The Cardiovascular risk screen will appear.

2. Click Online CVD Check.

Selecting this button will open a browser window displaying the calculator.

3. Fill in the fields and click Calculate to display the percentage probability the patient has of developing cardiovascular disease in the next five years.

4. Once completed, the results and further information can be printed by selecting ‘Print these results’ or ‘Print info’ or manually copied into Today’s Notes.

Note: Only results from the Bp Premier Cardiovascular tool will appear under Observations > CV risk. Online CVD check results cannot be added to the CV risk section under Observations.

For more information on the Cardiovascular Risk Tool in Bp Premier, visit our knowledge base article here.

Resources/References

Authored by:

Sarah Mortensen
Training & Deployment Specialist at Best Practice Software

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