Best Practice Software

Bp Premier

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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Bp Premier Appointment Book Shortcuts

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Bp Premier Appointment Book Tips & Tricks

Prioritising patient appointments and managing appointment attendance is a juggling act for many practices. Bp Premier has a multitude of tools to help increase your appointment book efficiency.

With numerous patients to schedule and limited time available, effectively managing appointments becomes crucial for providing quality care. In this article, we will explore various tools and strategies that can enhance your practice’s appointment management system, allowing you to streamline processes, improve patient satisfaction, and optimise overall efficiency.

Bp Comms - Schedule Appointment Reminders

Automate sending appointment reminders by setting up a Schedule on the Bp Premier server.

  1. Select Setup > Configuration > Bp Service.

2. Tick Use Bp Service for sending automated appointment reminders and click Configure Appointment Reminders. Click Add.

3. In the example above, reminders will be sent out at 9 am each Monday using the Overnight Appointment reminder template for appointments in the current week for two providers for all appointment types at the Greenslopes Clinic.

Bp Comms – Update Appointment Status Automatically

You can configure the system to check and update the appointment status based on replies received.

1. From the main screen, select Setup > Configuration > Appt Reminders tab.

2. Both checkboxes under Appointment attendance automation must be ticked to enable appointment updates by SMS reply. Click Configure appointment attendance replies to open the Automatic Confirmation Options window.

3. Click Add next to the Confirm or Decline list of keywords. Keywords are only accepted as an exact match of whole words. Click Ok to save.

Bp Comms - Check Appointment Reminder Replies

While checking for replies to Bp Comms appointment reminders, you can cancel, move, edit, or change the status of related appointments.

1. From the appointment book, select Utilities > Check Appointment Reminder Replies.

2. Search for replies using the fields at the top left and filter the appointments shown using the checkboxes at the top right. The middle section of the screen shows the appointment reminders that have been sent and the status. Select a message to see the sent text of the reminder and the reply text, if any. Utilities > Check Appointment Reminder Replies.

On The Day Appointments

As part of the Sessions setup, there is an option to schedule recurring On The Day Appointments for either the whole practice or per provider.

1. From the Main Screen, click Setup > Sessions. Make a selection from the Provider dropdown > click the On the day appointments radio checkbox > click Edit.

2. Select the Day of week from the dropdown and simply check each appointment slot that you would like to mark as an On The Day Appointment. Click Save and repeat the process to add more days and more appointments.

3. These slots will be seen in the appointment book on future days as On the Day and coloured pink. Once the day starts, the placeholders will revert to available appointment slots ready for booking. Note: only users with the Override On the day appointments permission level can book these appointments before the day.

Non-Patient Appointment Placeholders

1. When booking an appointment, there are multiple non-patient appointment types available to choose from. Leave the Search for field blank > select Other in the appointment type > Enter the appointment information into the Details field – the details will appear in the appointment book > Click on the Book Appointment button as usual.

2. This appointment type will act like usual and must either be double booked with a patient appointment or cancelled when needed.

Waiting List for Cancellation

Patients with or without an existing appointment can be added to the cancellation list. To ensure the cancellation list automatically appears whenever an appointment is cancelled, from the Main Screen, Select Setup > Configuration > Appointments > Tick Show Cancellation list when an appointment is cancelled checkbox > Click Save.

1. From the appointment book, select View > Waiting list for cancellations. Click Add to cancellation list.

2. Fill in the cancellation list item details – this screen has similar fields to the Add Appointment screen. Ensure you select the date the patient needs the appointment from the Date required by: field. The cancellation list item will expire at the end of the day selected. Click Add.
3. Note: Use the Details section to add extra information or annotate a triage priority level.

Optimising patient appointment scheduling and attendance is vital for running a smooth and efficient medical practice. By utilising the tools available within Bp Premier, you can streamline your appointment book, reduce no-shows, and enhance patient satisfaction. We encourage you to visit our comprehensive knowledge base for more in-depth information and practical guidance. Together, let’s revolutionise your appointment management system and provide exceptional care to your patients.

Authored by:

Nicole Findlay
Training & Deployment Specialist at Best Practice Software

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Tips & Tricks for a Paperless Practice

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There are many benefits of having a paperless practice, from saving resources to boosting security. We’ve come a long way since the days of paper-stacked cubicles and filing cabinets, but there’s still a long way to go.

Transitioning to a more paperless practice doesn’t have to be difficult. Bp Premier has a multitude of tools to help increase your efficiency, reduce your costs and be more environmentally friendly.

Think Before You Print - Print to PDF (Where Possible)

If you are wondering how to reduce paper waste in the office, just printing less is an obvious choice. Have you considered changing your printer settings to Microsoft print to PDF? This will give you the option to save your document to your computer rather than printing it.

From the main screen of Bp Premier, go to Setup > Printers. You can change your printer settings from here.

If you are missing the Microsoft print to PDF option, you can download it manually.

Set Up E-Ordering for Pathology and Imaging Requests

E-Ordering, also known as Electronic Requesting, is a fast and easy digital process for ordering pathology and imaging tests. Bp Premier supports E-Ordering for pathology and imaging investigations from laboratories that accept E-Orders. Once E-Ordering has been configured from your server, you can send pathology and imaging requests directly to the nominated lab rather than just printing the request.

Our step-by-step setup guides are linked below –
• Set up Pathology eOrdering (bpsoftware.net)
• Set up Imaging eOrdering (bpsoftware.net)

Use Electronic Prescriptions, Rather than Paper-Based Scripts

An electronic prescription is a digital version of a paper prescription. They are a safe and convenient alternative to paper prescriptions.

Once configured, the process of creating an electronic prescription is the same. However, when printing the script, you can choose to send the patient an ‘electronic script token’ by SMS, email or Best Health App. More information on setting up electronic prescriptions is available in Set up electronic prescribing (bpsoftware.net)

Bp Premier Screenshot

Email Your Invoices and Receipts

Did you know that you can now email invoices and receipts directly from Bp Premier? Invoices and receipts for privately billed accounts can now be emailed directly to patients and contacts as a PDF attachment from the patient billing history and account holder screens.

You must have email configured for the practice and for any users who want to send email messages. Once configured, simply find the invoice or receipt in the patient’s billing history and right click > Email Copy to display the Bp Premier email screen.

Bp Premier Screenshot

Sign Documents Digitally

Another tip for transitioning to a paperless practice is adding a signature to your word processor templates. This eliminates the need to print and scan your documents. To add your signature to a template, you will need to create a good quality digital image of your signature. Some word processors have tools to capture a signature drawn on the screen or by mouse, or you could use a scanner to scan in a high resolution copy of a signature and save as a common image file type. It’s a good idea to keep a secure backup of your digital signature image.

From the main Bp Premier screen, click the  icon or select Utilities > Word processor from the menu. Select Templates > Edit template. Place your cursor at the location in the template that you wish to insert the signature.

Select Insert > Picture > As Character. Navigate to the signature image and click Open. The signature will appear in the template. Resize the image as required. Select Save as. The template detail screen will appear. Give the template a name and ensure Available to all users is not ticked. Click Save.

Take Green Notes

If employees are taking notes on paper, have them switch it up. Bp Premier has some great alternatives available to allow you to work without pen and paper, and it’s a simple way to reduce paper wastage.

Bp Premier has a ‘To Do List’ that can be used as a personal reminder system. Your practice staff can use the To Do List to set custom reminders for themselves. You can configure the To Do list to display on log on, on log off, or on closing Bp Premier via Setup > Preferences > General.

TIP: You can also press F6 from the main screen, the appointment book, and the patient record at any time to open the To Do list.

You can also create a daily message in Bp Premier that is displayed in the Appointment Book for all users. If you just want to send internal messages to individual users, use Bp Premier’s internal messaging instead.

Keep Your Recycling Bins Handy

While it’s great to limit our paper usage, there will always be paper products in need of proper disposal. Put recycling bins in strategic locations like near the copier machines. Separate and recycle glass, plastic, and paper.

For more tips and tricks for a paperless practice, check out our Bp Premier Knowledge Base!

Authored by:

Sophie Saul
Training & Deployment Specialist at Best Practice Software

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The Dos and Don’ts of Marketing Your Practice

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Blog graphic for The Dos and Don'ts of Marketing Your Practice - Best Practice Software

Your practice is up and running. Your admin staff are well trained, you have the top clinicians in the area, and your appointment book is ready to be filled. However, if no one knows about your practice, it might as well not even exist. That’s where marketing comes into play. Marketing your practice involves getting the word out about your practice to attract patients and keep them coming back.

The Australia Medical Association estimates there are around 7,000 GP clinics in Australia. How will you ensure your practice stands out amongst the crowd?

When devising your practice’s marketing strategy, you might ask yourself plenty of questions, like: do I need a website? Which demographic should I be targeting? How much should I spend on advertising? Where should I be advertising?

While making these decisions, it’s important to understand the dos and don’ts of marketing your practice. This article is here to help you determine which marketing channels may be the right fit for your practice and get you thinking about advertising regulations that may impact your strategy.

Which Advertising Channels Should You Choose?

Before considering which advertising channels to invest in, it’s important to establish your marketing objectives and budget to achieve those goals. A great place to start is understanding how many patients you need to hit your goals and the amount you’re willing to spend to acquire a patient.

Regardless of your budget’s size, it’s important to figure out what you’re comfortable spending before planning your advertising channels.


Online Channels
You can use countless channels and strategies to market your practice, and a website is the perfect place to start. In an increasingly digital world, you should first build a website for your practice, which will be the hub for your marketing efforts. This is where potential patients will come to learn more about your practice and can likely be their first impression. The simpler your website is, the better! Building a website might sound overwhelming, but plenty of website providers such as Wix, SquareSpace, and WordPress make setting up a site with ready-made templates easy. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. A website is also the backbone of your online marketing; it’s the destination for online ads, social media links, search engine optimisation, and google my business listings. To learn more about building an online presence, check out our recent article.


Offline Channels
Despite the prominence of online marketing, offline advertising, such as billboards, street signs, retail signage, and radio, can still play a role in your marketing strategy. Depending on your target demographic and marketing goals, a localised offline advertising push can help to build awareness of your practice. Consider enquiring with nearby retail centres offering signage for advertising, as this is a great way to target locals while they’re doing their regular grocery shopping. A similar option is advertising in local bus shelters, another great way to target a local audience. Remember to include your practice’s name and contact information in your advertisements – you don’t want them to forget who you are!

You’ll also want to consider external signage for your practice. Visiting a medical practice can be stressful for a patient, so you want to ensure their experience locating and arriving at your practice is as seamless as possible. A clear street presence improves your patient’s experience from the moment they arrive at your practice and alerts others passing by that you exist!

You can also consider the signage you have inside your practice. You may have added a new service or would like to remind patients to book in for a routine vaccination or screening. You could consider flyers at the reception desk before patients settle into their social media scroll session or opt for posters with bright colours and bold text that will capture their eyes in the waiting room.

Email
Once a patient has visited your practice, email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with them. You may want to set up automated appointment reminders to reduce last-minute cancellations or no-shows. Or maybe you’d like to send out a monthly newsletter that provides existing patients with updates about your practice and relevant health information. Email marketing is a great way to build patient trust and loyalty to your practice, and plenty of online platforms make the process as easy as possible!

What Considerations Do You Have To Make In Your Advertising?

Whether your marketing strategy includes a website, social media, email, or offline marketing, it is crucial to consider the advertising regulations that can impact your messaging.

 

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) works to protect the public by ensuring Australia’s health practitioners are “suitably trained, qualified, and safe to practice.”

 

AHPRA’s ‘Guidelines for advertising regulated health services’ provides a great starting point for wrapping your head around the regulatory framework of advertising your practice. It’s also important to note that other legislation may apply to your marketing, such as the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Keeping AHPRA’s regulations in mind, below are some dos and don’ts when marketing your practice.

DO: Identify Your Target Demographic

Spending $100,000 on billboards in the city might sound appealing and attract many eyes; after all, the more people that see your ads, the better, right? Not necessarily. if your practice is an hour south of that billboard, you’re unlikely to see a return on your investment. Identifying your target demographic will allow you to tailor your advertising channels and messaging to address their needs. Doing so will also ensure you’re efficiently spending your marketing budget and not wasting it on media your desired audience will never see. Quality over quantity!

If you’re an established practice with existing patient data, your practice management system should have reporting functionality to allow you to extract demographic data. If you’re a Bp Premier user, our training team offers an advanced practice management course that deep-dives into the reporting feature. If you’re a new practice, researching the demographics of your geographical location is a great place to start!

DON'T: Use Misleading Images

AHPRA states that advertising may be in breach if the advertisement doesn’t clearly say which treatment has caused the benefit shown in the image or if the image has been edited. That includes using before and after photos, as this may mislead the audience into thinking they will achieve the exact results as the photo.

If you’d like to use images in your marketing materials, people are increasingly attracted to businesses with an authentic feel, and real photos and videos of your practice and team can go a long way to connecting with potential and existing patients. You can also use licensed images from a site like Shutterstock or Getty Images to supplement your original content.

DO: Encourage Reviews From Current Patients

Despite digital advertising being so prominent in modern society, word of mouth has remained the most trusted marketing channel, with 88% of people saying they trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel (Neilson 2021). Online reviews are the digital evolution of traditional word-of-mouth, with a BrightLocal consumer survey indicating that 49% of respondents trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from family and friends.

Not only can positive reviews help attract new patients, but they can also help you understand how to improve your patient experience. For example, you may discover a patient had difficulty finding your practice’s location, which indicates you might need to enhance your external signage and check your online listings.

A way to encourage reviews is to strike while their appointment is front of mind. You can request feedback while the patient is still in your practice or set up automated emails requesting feedback a couple of hours after their appointment.

DON'T: Use Testimonials About The Clinical Side Of Your Practice In Your Advertising

AHPRA’s advertising guidelines indicate that your advertising “must not use recommendations or positive statements about the clinical aspects of a regulated health service.” Therefore, if a patient leaves a review about how great the medication the GP supplied was for treating their sore back, that review cannot be used as marketing material. Alternatively, suppose a patient review mentions how the receptionist made them feel comfortable and relaxed. That is a great review to include as a testimonial on your website or advertising.

DO: Use Truthful Messaging In Your Advertising Based On Your Practice's Merit

Content is king! Your marketing messaging should be based on your practice’s merit and speak to your level of care. Clear and professional messaging will go a long way to gaining credibility and trust with potential patients.

On your website, you may include:
• Your doctors’ qualifications.
• The history of your practice.
• Your practice’s vision and approach to patient care.

DON'T: Offer Significant Discounts Or Gifts

A retail store advertising a flash 30% off sale is a vastly different story than promoting 30% off a GP consult. Issues arise when the value of the discount or gift outweighs the value of the offering, as this may encourage people to seek unnecessary treatment. According to AHPRA, you can advertise discounts or gifts if the advertisement states the terms and conditions and that those terms and conditions are not misleading. If you’re ever in doubt, it’s best to steer clear of this advertising method.

The success of your practice is greatly dependent on your marketing strategy. Your practice may be just the one someone’s been looking for, so let’s make sure they discover what you’re all about. Take the time to figure out what marketing pathways fit best with your practice’s vision and goals, and don’t be disheartened if you don’t get it right the first time! Make sure to familiarise yourself and any team members looking after your marketing with the complete list of AHRPA’s advertising guidelines and set up a clear framework within the current regulations.

Authored by:

Photo of blog author Tegan Swann

Tegan Swann
Marketing & Communications Specialist at Best Practice Software

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The Patient Population of General Practice

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The Patient Population of General Practice Blog Graphic

As a healthcare professional, it’s crucial to understand the benefits of providing tailored and effective care to patients, and planning for the future of your practice. Understanding the population of general practice takes the guesswork out of your strategic business decisions and provides a deeper insight into how practitioners can personalise care.

 

Fortunately, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) compiles the Health of the Nation Report each year, which includes valuable insights into the patient population. This annual report sheds light on the current state of Australian General Practice. It provides insights into trends RACGP gathers from government and industry publications alongside data from surveying GPs.

 

To ensure their report addresses the most prevalent topics circulating the general practice landscape, the RACGP asks members to vote on a focus topic. 2022’s Health of the Nation report focuses on the sustainability of general practice; including themes of unsustainable workloads, burnout, administrative burdens, and remuneration. Understanding the patient population is crucial when considering the sustainability of general practice and planning for your practice’s future.

 

This article summarises RACGP’s findings on the patient population and results from the 2021-2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics information on patient experiences.

What Factors Influence the Patient Population of Australia?

With 84% of Australians visiting a GP annually, it may seem like a no-brainer to tailor your practice’s business and marketing strategy to a broad audience. However, the patient population is constantly evolving. When planning for your practice’s future, it is essential to consider factors such as geography, gender, age, and socioeconomic status and how such factors determine how often a patient may visit and the number of services they use.

 

It’s no surprise that the geography of patients can impact their relationships with general practice. According to the RACGP’s 2022 Health of the Nation Report, people living in and close to major cities see a GP more frequently. Regional or remote patients visit a GP for an average of four services, compared to eight from patients living in the city or surrounding suburbs. City dwellers are also more likely to have a telehealth consultation than those living in remote or regional areas (32.2% compared to 22.5%), contributing to the higher frequency of using GP services.

 

The Health of the Nation Report also explores how females access GP services more than males, with 88% of females visiting a GP annually compared to 78.9% of males. This has remained consistent year-on-year. Females also utilise more services, averaging around nine services used yearly, compared to males averaging around seven. Females were also more likely to have a telehealth consultation than men (36.5% compared to 24.8%). Despite Females utilising more services than males, they were 31.3% more likely to delay or not use GPs when needed than 24.8% of males. Similarly, females were less likely to utilise after-hours GP support than males.

 

Age also affects the frequency of GP visits and services used. 97.2% of people over 85 saw a GP compared to 72.2% of people aged 15-24. Age also contributes to the number of GP services used, with the RACGP’s report showing that the number of GP services used increases as the patient ages. The report also outlines how younger age groups are more likely to delay or not visit a GP due to economic factors, predominantly with the 25-34 age group.

 

Whether patients have long-term health conditions also contributes to the frequency and use of GP services. Those with long-term health conditions were significantly more likely to visit a GP at 94.5% compared to 71.4% of people without. Also, 6.7% of people with long-term health conditions visited an after-hours GP compared to 4.2% of people without. These results have also remained consistent year-on-year.

What Impact Do These Factors Have on the Perception of Care?

According to the RACGP’s Health of the Nation report, people outside of major cities have different views towards GP wait times and are more likely to report longer wait times for a GP appointment. The increased likelihood of reporting longer wait times may be attributed to 49.5% of people living in regional, remote, or very remote areas being more likely to wait at least 24 hours to see a GP for urgent care.

 

Similarly, the report indicates that those with long-term health conditions, females, and those living in areas with the most socio-economic disadvantage were also more likely to report longer wait times than other groups. Despite this, the 2022 report indicated that three in four people believe their wait time was acceptable, and 57% of those living in major cities reported waiting less than four hours between booking an appointment and seeing a GP for urgent care.

Some Topics Continue to Prevail...

The 2022 Health of the Nation report highlighted an important topic consistent over the past six consecutive years. The most predominant reason patients see a GP is for mental health, with 38% of consults including a mental health element. This statistic is also reflected from the GP’s perspective of the most concerning emerging patient health issues, with 49% of GPs reporting mental health as their primary concern.

Despite this concern remaining front of mind for the past six years, the prevalence of mental health issues in Australia has grown significantly since the pandemic, with symptoms of depression in patients increasing from 10% in 2020 to 28% in 2021. The report explores how young females are more likely to use GP services for mental health issues than any other group, with 24% of mental health appointments used by females aged 15-24. The rate of females seeking GP support for mental health decreases as they age. However, they consistently remain higher than males, with 25-34-year-old males contributing to 12% of GP Mental Health consults.

The 2022 Health of the Nation Report highlights the importance of understanding patient demographics in the ever-changing healthcare landscape. As the patient population’s relationship with general practice evolves, it is essential to consider how your practice can evolve. Patients appreciate the convenience of telehealth, with 76% of those who have used it agreeing that funding should continue in a post-pandemic world. Telehealth’s recent rapid adoption can be attributed to COVID-19. 

However, a report by RACGP explores how the benefits were recognised pre and post-pandemic. Patients accessing telehealth have increased satisfaction levels as it allows for reduced travel costs and disruption to employment. In turn, telehealth can help to reduce no-shows for your practice. Therefore, if lowering a patient’s barrier to accessing your practice is your goal, consider implementing and marketing your telehealth services. Along the same line, an online booking platform is a great way to evolve your practice into the digital world. In the 2021 Commbank Insights Report, 20% of patients prefer to manage their appointments via websites and apps. Patient satisfaction increases when they can manage their appointments anytime and from anywhere, with 56% of patients who used online bookings saying this process improved their patient experience.

The RACGP’s Health of the Nation report clarifies that a patient’s location, age, gender, socio-economic status, and medical history all play a role in determining the frequency and uptake of general practice services. Combining these patient population of general practice insights with your practice’s unique data can help you develop personalised strategies to meet the needs of your patients.

 

The complete 2022 RACGP Health of the Nation Report is available here.

Authored by:

Photo of blog author Tegan Swann

Tegan Swann
Marketing & Communications Specialist at Best Practice Software

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Document Management In Your Practice

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As a healthcare professional, you understand the importance of managing paperwork and patient documents. You would know how challenging this ongoing task can be. It’s an essential daily responsibility that can quickly consume your valuable time — time that could be spent in patient care. It can be tedious, but it’s a necessary part of the job.

Documentation is an essential component of effective healthcare communication. Given the complexity of healthcare and the fluidity of clinical teams, patient documents are one of the most important information sources available to practitioners. Good documentation improves patient outcomes by enabling information exchange and continuity of care by all healthcare team members.

When practice staff upload medical documents, there is always the risk of human error. The document upload process is repetitive and regularly interrupted by patients, phone calls, or colleagues. Admin staff often find this task boring and repetitive making it more likely for them to lose attention. The chances of making a silly little mistake are high – incorrect patient search, selecting the wrong document to be uploaded, and hitting the delete button while uploading are examples of where it can go wrong. This can result in uploading the wrong document into the wrong patient file, which can have serious medico-legal ramifications for doctors and medical practices.

All too often, when files are lost or misplaced, practice staff will spend hours looking for the correct document. This can result in calls to other providers requesting these documents be resent. This time-consuming process happens at the practice’s expense, resulting in patient appointments needing rescheduling and a bad reputation for the practice’s document-handling process. Lost files can also be a safety and quality risk, particularly at transitions of care where there is a higher risk of information being miscommunicated or lost.

GP practices deal with highly sensitive information daily. Little mistakes in documentation upload can lead to significant adverse outcomes in the future. Document management solutions are more than just vaults for securely storing healthcare information. They are dynamic tools that allow for safe and effective collaboration as documents evolve.

The medical document upload tool, OCR (Optical Character Recognition), can upload any file landing in the doctor’s investigation inbox, elevating the burden on staff to sort and upload manually. It is a widespread technology that recognises text inside images, including scanned documents, PDFs and photos. OCR technology converts virtually any image containing written text (typed, handwritten, or printed) into machine-readable text data. The OCR tool can perform an exact match of the patient’s name, date of birth, address, and other identifying details, then sort the documents into their appropriate files as they are received. Saving your practice time and resources that would otherwise be used to manage unsearchable data.

Click here to learn more about how the OCR tool can work for your practice, or arrange a free demo.

 

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RACGP Three Key Principles for the Secondary Use of General Practice Data by Third Parties

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General practitioners and general practice staff need to be adept at discerning to whom, when and how to provide their data for secondary use. To help GPs and general practice staff navigate this territory, the RACGP has developed courses centred around three key principles for the secondary use of general practice data by third parties.

In consultation with software vendors, like Best Practice, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has recently developed resources centred around three key principles for the secondary use of general practice data by third parties. These principles are designed to ensure that patient privacy is protected and that any secondary use of the data is appropriate and ethical.

Patient privacy must be protected. This first key principle means that any use of general practice data must comply with the relevant privacy laws and regulations and that patients must give informed consent before their data can be used. In addition, any third party using the data must have appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of the data.

The second key principle is that the use of general practice data must be appropriate and ethical. Meaning that the data should only be used for purposes that are consistent with the primary purpose of the data collection, which is to support patient care. Any secondary use of the data must also be transparent, and patients must be made aware of how their data is being used. Finally, the third key principle is that general practice data should only be used for research or other secondary purposes where there is a clear public benefit. This means that any use of the data must be able to demonstrate a clear and tangible benefit to the public, such as improving patient outcomes or advancing medical research.

These principles are important because they help to ensure that patient privacy is protected and that any secondary use of general practice data is conducted appropriately and ethically. By following these principles, third parties can help build trust with patients and the wider community and ensure that the use of general practice data is seen as a positive development that benefits everyone. It is worth noting that these principles are not binding legal requirements but rather a set of guidelines that the RACGP have developed to promote best practice using general practice data. As such, they are intended to be flexible enough to accommodate different contexts and situations while providing clear guidance on handling general practice data responsibly and ethically.

In practice, this means that third parties who wish to use general practice data for research or other purposes must first obtain patients’ consent and ensure that appropriate security measures are in place to protect the data from unauthorised access or disclosure. They must also ensure that any use of the data is consistent with the primary purpose of the data collection and that there is a clear public benefit to the proposed use. These principles form an essential framework for ensuring that patient privacy is protected and that any secondary use of the data is conducted in a way that is appropriate and ethical. By following these principles, third parties can help build trust with patients and the wider community and ensure that using general practice data is a positive development that benefits everyone.

For more information and to download the RACGP’s resources, please click here.

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