the practice manager issue 1 2014
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Issue 1 – 2014 www.aapm.org.au
24National bullying
legislation
12, 18IT issues past
and present
6Salary survey
available
In this issue
AAPM Head Office Staff
2 | Issue 1 – 2014
PROUDLY SUPPORTINGAUSTRALIA'SLEADINGPROVIDER
DR PETER PEREIRA
5 ST. JOHNS AVE, SPRINGVALE VIC 3171
Phone: 03 9562 4772APPOINTMENT CARDS
Your association
Our board members, contacts 3
President’s message 4
From the CEO’s desk 5
News Bites 6
Our Board 8
Make Windows 8.1 look more like Windows 7 12
The computer 18
Giving feedback 22
National bullying legislation 24
Contractor or employee 26
Business or personal expenses 28
AAPM and EBOS supporting Indigenous Australians 29
I don’t like Mondays 30
contents
President Carolyn Ingram P 0411 725 899 E [email protected]
Vice-president Linda Osman P 0405 516 331 E [email protected]
Secretary Fiona Wong P 0412 155 865 E [email protected]
Treasurer Danny Haydon P 0438 580 319 E [email protected]
Non-Executive Directors Jannine De Veau P 0409 090 385 E [email protected]
Terri-Helen Gaynor P 0409 870 022 E [email protected]
Lynne Green P 0409 514 116 E [email protected]
Gary Smith P 0408 234 944 E [email protected]
Chief Executive Officer Gillian Leach
AAPM Board
Your association
Queensland Contact Qld Secretariat (Fran de Klerk)
P (07) 3103 5152 F (07) 3112 6838
New South Wales/ACT Contact NSW/ACT Secretariat
P 1800 196 679 F (03) 9329 2524
Victoria Contact Vic Secretariat
P 1300 651 334 F 1300 651 335
Tasmania Contact Tas Secretariat
P 1800 196 000 F (03) 9329 2524
South Australia/Northern Territory Contact SA Secretariat P 1800 196 000 F (03) 9329 2524 E [email protected]
Western Australia Contact WA Secretariat P 1800 196 000 F (03) 9329 2524 E [email protected]
International For information on Institute of Healthcare Management 18-21 Morley Street, London SE1 7QZ P +44 20 7460 7623 F +44 20 7460 7655 E [email protected] W www.ihm.org.uk
The Medical Group Management Association in the United States has a vast range of courses ranging from one day to several months. A complete list of activities can be obtained from MGMA P (303) 397 7875 W www.mgma.com
Head Office Level 1, 60 Lothian Street, North Melbourne, Vic 3051 P 1800 196 000 F (03) 9329 2524 E [email protected]
Editorial/Advertising Marilyn Bitomsky P (07) 3371 3057 E [email protected]
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AAPM Life MembersLife Membership is bestowed on members who have made an extraordinary contribution to the Association. Jan Chaffey Desmond HiggsGary Smith Colleen Sullivan Louise Tindal Anthony Walch Brett McPherson
Contacts
Our Cover: AAPM Head Office staff (except for our CEO, Gillian Leach whose photo appears on page 5 of this issue.Back: Ilona Miller (Finance & Business Officer), Danielle Hanson (Marketing & Communications Manager) Front: Helen Kenny (Membership & Communications Officer), Lilly Nuttall (Events Coordinator)
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Welcome to the first issue of the Practice Manager journal for 2014 and a warm welcome to our new members who have joined since last we spoke. I hope everyone was able to take some time out from their busy schedules to spend quality time with family and friends over the Christmas New Year break.
This year brings some exciting events for AAPM members, including “The Art of Performance” national conference to be held in Adelaide 21-24 October (mark these dates in your diary!). Keep an eye out on the website for more information. AAPM has also expanded the number of our e-seminars this year with some interesting and educational topics to be covered. I am also aware of the state committees all working hard to provide you with exciting events and opportunities for networking throughout the year. Keep an eye on the events section of the website for more details. Don’t forget that if you are travelling interstate you are very welcome to attend events in other states.
We are also very excited to be assisting PMAANZ, the Practice Managers and Administrators Association of New Zealand, with their weekend workshop coming up in March. All Australian practice managers are welcome to attend.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to register for some or all of our many initiatives established to recognise the amazing talent we have as part of our membership.
The Certified Practice Managers Program leading to Fellowship of the association. Details on how to achieve these levels of AAPM membership is available on the website.
The Ambassadors Program showcasing AAPM members from around Australia who are willing to list their talents and areas of expertise, therefore enabling AAPM to call upon them to assist on various projects and mentoring opportunities.
Networking groups have been established in various areas around Australia where members have volunteered to host a group of local like-minded practice managers for informal networking opportunities. We have put together a very easy set of guidelines making the task of hosting very easy. If you are interested in joining or hosting a group in your area please contact head office for more information.
If you are interested in some or all of these please contact head office for more information or visit our website www.aapm.org.au.
Various members of AAPM from all over Australia are active on a range of taskforces, committees and government stakeholder groups all participating to ensure that practice managers of healthcare practices are recognised and given a voice in many important documents, decisions and policies. One such is the Medicare Billing Assurance Toolkit trial where inroads are being made in the establishment of a toolkit to assist practices in their government compliance. The upshot so far on this project has been that the Department of Human Services has recognised that the key to success is to provide an education toolkit to all practices. TrIals are set to begin early this year. I wish to thank the ongoing support of the many AAPM member volunteers who continue to work behind the scenes ensuring practice managers the country over are well represented at all levels of government and industry.
I hope to once again meet and be inspired, by many of you working in healthcare management throughout the year in my role as AAPM national president and I wish you all the very best for a prosperous, innovative and continued advancement through professional development in 2014.
Carolyn Ingram FAAPM National President
A message from the president
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From the desk of the CEOWelcome to the first edition of the Practice Manager for 2014. The AAPM Board and management have had a very active start to the year with a strategic planning forum for the Board and all state AAPM committee presidents.
The 5th Biennial AAPM Salary Survey is now available. Order your copy now on the AAPM website.
AAPM membership continues to be a major benefit in attracting a higher salary. The access to continuing professional development and up-to-date industry information gives AAPM members a significant advantage in attracting an average of an additional $5,000 per year in salary.
Another advantage to members is the Certified Practice Manager recognition. An increasing number of AAPM members are applying for this status which recognises their qualifications, their experience, their commitment to continuous development and their professionalism as a member of AAPM.
Members are encouraged to continue with their formal education to become an AAPM Fellow. Fellows can also apply to become AAPM ambassadors.
Ambassadors can contribute by representing AAPM on a variety of committees, providing feedback on government initiatives, and mentoring new practice managers.
Application forms have been sent to all Fellows. If you have any queries please contact head office.This year’s education calendar is very full. We have listened to our members’ requests for more e-seminars that will allow them to participate without travelling long distances or having to leave very busy offices.
There are also a number of face-to-face seminars in every state. These are always popular and the interaction with other practice managers is invaluable.
Less formal gatherings through practice manager networks are developing throughout the states. Call your state AAPM committee or AAPM head office if you are interested in joining or setting up a network in your locality.
We have had excellent feedback from the series of seminars on human resources, industrial relations and related legal matters conducted by David Wenban. These will continue to be held in all states throughout 2014.
If you haven’t already subscribed to the AHIG advisory service conducted by David, now is the time to join. Members who have subscribed can’t speak highly enough of this service. Many have said that David’s timely advice has saved them thousands of dollars.
AAPM regularly reviews the benefits provided for members. A summary is provided in this journal and also on the AAPM website. Join AAPM on Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up to date with benefits, events and ideas.
All members are invited to join our state committees and working parties. One of the most valuable benefits of joining the committee is the opportunity to build your personal network with like-minded practice managers. Please contact AAPM head office if you need more information.
Best wishes for a successful 2014.
Gillian Leach Chief Executive Officer
STOP PRESS New AAPM Fellow
AAPM is proud to announce our newest Fellow, Patricia Ryder, who is practice manager at Mount Beauty Medical Centre in Victoria. Patricia was awarded the AAPM MSD Award in Chronic Disease Management in 2013. She has been an active member of AAPM since 1994. Congratulations Patricia.
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news bitesAustralia’s medical workforce continues to grow
Letters to the editorDo you have something to say? Like to comment on something in the Practice Manager?
Have a suggestion?
Email [email protected].
The medical workforce is continuing to grow, with increased supply across all regions of Australia, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Medical workforce 2012, provides information on the demographic and employment characteristics of medical practitioners who were registered in Australia in 2012.
It shows that in 2012, there were 91,504 medical practitioners registered in Australia.
“‘Between 2008 and 2012, the number of medical practitioners employed in medicine rose by just over 16% from 68,455 to 79,653,” said AIHW spokesperson Teresa Dickinson.
The supply of medical practitioners across all states and territories compared to the population rose by almost 9% between 2008 and 2012, from 344 to 374 full-time equivalent medical practitioners per 100,000 people.
About two thirds (66%) of medical practitioners gained their initial medical qualification in Australia.
The supply of medical practitioners was not uniform across the country, with supply generally being greater in Major cities than in Remote or Very
remote areas. However, the supply of general practitioners was highest in Remote and Very remote areas, at 134 full-time equivalent GPs per 100,000 people.
About 94% (75,258) of employed medical practitioners were working as clinicians, of whom 35% were specialists and 35% were general practitioners. “Physician”, which includes general medicine, cardiology and haematology, was the largest main speciality of practice (5,918). “Surgery” was the second largest (4,275). Of employed non-clinicians, more than half were researchers (27.8%) or administrators (24.5%).
“Women are increasingly represented in the medical practitioner workforce,
with the proportion of female medical practitioners up from 35% to 38% between 2008 and 2012,” Ms Dickinson said.
The average age of medical practitioners remains steady at around 46.
The average weekly hours worked by employed medical practitioners remained stable between 2008 and 2012. In 2012, male medical practitioners worked an average of 45 hours per week, while female medical practitioners worked an average of 38 hours per week.
More information: http://www.aihw.gov.au/media-release-detail/?id=60129546149.
AAPM National Salary Survey 2013This is now the 5th National Salary Survey conducted by AAPM. When we started conducting these surveys in 2005, the objective was to obtain data which would pr ovide credible data for the healthcare industry about the salaries, benefits, employment conditions, qualifications, professional development and the role of practice managers in Australia.
This AAPM research project has been a major success so we now have an accurate picture not only of the salaries of the practice manager but of the increasing responsibilities and recognition of the role of the practice manager in Australia.
We have also responded to requests from the industry and in this 2013 survey we have included the salaries of other staff in healthcare practices – registered nurse, enrolled nurse, clinical assistant, office manager, receptionist, senior receptionist, administrative assistant and bookkeeper.
We also have produced practice profiles of General Practice, Specialist Practice, Dental Practice, Allied Health and Private Hospital. As we continue to develop these areas of the survey, so will our benchmarks.
It is exciting to be able to present the results of the 2013 survey and over the coming issues of the Practice Manager, we will present a series of articles that will include an in depth analysis of this comprehensive report. The 2013 AAPM National Salary Survey was conducted by Insync Surveys incorporating UltraFeedback and, as always, they were wonderful to work with – professional, supportive and accommodating.
See page 34 for an order form for the 5th National Salary Survey.
– Colleen Sullivan
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Our Board
L to R: Fiona Wong, Carolyn Ingram, Jannine De Veau, Danny Haydon, Linda Osman, Gary Smith, Lynne GreenInset: Terri-Helen Gaynor
PresidentCarolyn IngramCarolyn Ingram has a real grounding and experience in small-to-medium healthcare business enterprises, marketing, innovation, corporate governance and strategic planning. She has been involved in the business of healthcare practice management for over a decade and has established successful small businesses in the widely contested field of aesthetic medicine.
She is currently in her second term as AAPM national president and Board chair. Carolyn is invited to participate on both state and federal government consultative groups and task forces; and meets regularly with industry and business leaders alike.
Carolyn believes in ensuring those working in healthcare practice management are afforded recognition for their valuable work in developing, innovating and insuring continual compliance in the industry. Research in the areas of healthcare innovation and practice management have become somewhat of a passion for her as she continually strives for excellence in this field.
Carolyn is an invited guest speaker at both national and international conferences on practice management principles and innovation in health care.
She is a long-standing member of the AAPM Queensland branch committee, and has held many executive positions including state president. She is also a member of the AAPM national editorial committee for the Practice Manager journal.
Carolyn is a Fellow of AAPM, and holds the additional qualifications of BA, Grad Dip Teach, Dip Prac Man, Directors Course (AICD), and CPM.
Vice-presidentLinda OsmanLinda has been working in practice management for many years, including work in a varied range of disciplines from general practice, specialist practice and Aboriginal health and medical imaging.
Initially becoming involved with AAPM in 1995, she subsequently joined the Victorian committee in 1999. During that time Linda has been the Victorian president, vice-president, national secretary and national vice-president.
Her involvement at the national level has extended to being part of the working party for AAPM’s practice manual “The Guide”, participating on the internal business committee (formerly structure committee) for which she served as chairperson and as part of the working party for the national website.
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Currently Linda is the Victorian representative of the national Board and represented AAPM as the conference convenor for the 2009 Melbourne conference.
She currently leads the AAPM National Indigenous Taskforce, which was established in 2011.
SecretaryFiona WongFiona has been on the WA branch committee for the past five years and has completed her Diploma of Practice Management.
Originally from Tasmania, Fiona started out in the credit union industry before moving to Perth where she commenced her health industry career in 1996 with a combined physiotherapy, podiatry and massage practice that amongst other clients treated the Perth Wildcats NBL basketball team and the Australian hockey teams.
She then worked for varied specialist practices as well as for an accounting firm before settling in her current role as practice manager of a busy multi-doctor ophthalmology practice.
The practice was already an AAPM member which gave Fiona her initial opportunities to attend the many local seminars for the first time.
Quickly realising the rewards and benefits of being a member Fiona then joined the AAPM WA branch committee to be able to contribute professionally to the association.
TreasurerDanny HaydonDanny is executive officer at Clare Medical Centre, a 12-doctor rural practice with seven nurses and allied health providers integrated within the practice. He originally trained as an occupational therapist and worked in rural community health settings for over 10 years.
Having completed a Masters in Health Service Management, Danny is committed to the development of contemporary business practices in general practice. He is also a strong advocate for integrated delivery of health services and the development of allied health services in the general practice.
Danny now shares his experience and skills with other practices as managing consultant of Haydon Practice Innovations. Providing consulting services including practice assessments and business planning services, he assists practices to plan for the future and implement strategies for improved financial performance, new models of service delivery, effective management of human resources and expanded infrastructure.
Danny is currently the state president of AAPM in South Australia, leading a great team of practice managers who are
committed to increasing the professional status of practice management in the healthcare industry.
Non-Executive DirectorsJannine De VeauJannine has been working in the healthcare industry for over 17 years. With a long career in administration she moved into healthcare, managing an aged care facility before moving to practice management over 13 years ago. She currently manages a large two-site practice in Central West NSW, has been an AAPM member for 13 years and is currently serving on the NSW committee for AAPM.
Jannine also works as a consultant and has worked with the Division of General Practice, the Medicare Local and general practices in delivering training, accreditation preparation, practice assessment, human resources and systems management.
She also has 10 years and over 100 site visits working as a surveyor for AGPAL and has a special interest in supporting and surveying remote Indigenous practices.
Terri-Helen GaynorTerri-Helen is managing director and founding partner of PR and corporate communications company, Reputation. She has over 33 years of national and international experience advising on communication issues including corporate, government affairs and financial communications and provides strategic counsel to a number of Australia’s leading listed and private companies and government agencies.
She began her career in the commonwealth government sector, working for 10 years in health in the areas of policy development, communications, training, and for the federal minister for health. She then consulted for 15 years in Asia developing and implementing internal and external communications programs for clients in Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. She was involved in a number of programs such as the separation of the department of health from the hospital authority and was a director of the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation.
Prior to establishing Reputation in 2002, Terri-Helen re-located to Australia to work on the Olympic Games as a strategic communications consultant working with individual companies to promote business development opportunities within Australia. Since returning to Australia her clients have included prominent corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations. These include Philips, BUPA, Kimberly-Clark,
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Pfizer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Becton Dickinson, and the World Health Organisation.
Terri- Helen is a former director of the board for not-for-profit organisation, the 100% Project, and the chair for their fundraising and marketing committee. She was also the founding member and director of the Canadian- Australian Chamber of Commerce for five years.
Terri-Helen is currently the national president of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA). She is also chair of the risk and audit committee and NSW council president. She sits on the PRIA national mentoring committee and currently has two active mentees.
She also mentors several Indigenous businesses, having completed the Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) Cross-Cultural Awareness Program. Terri-Helen currently advises two Indigenous businesses on overseas expansion plans and Australian government procurement processes.
Lynne GreenDuring the last 20 years I have worked as a Practice Manager in both small and large practices, and been privileged to be a part of the huge change and growth in the management and delivery of both clinical and non-clinical systems . Included in my employment history are private and government clinics all employing a variety of systems and management processes.
Joining AAPM in 1995 was enlightening – the ability to network and gain education was fascinating.
As an AGPAL surveyor I have surveyed over 145 practices. These include all rural/remote areas in Tasmania.
The variety of practices themselves include dispensing practices, isolated practices, large and small suburban practices, single doctor city and rural practices.
My personal ethos is that of recognising quality in practice, sharing any knowledge I may have, and encouraging all involved in the practice team.
Gary SmithGary manages a 10-doctor general practice at Penrith, which is located at the foot of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. He has managed this practice for some 29 years and he lives in the Blue Mountains.
He is an active member of AAPM. Gary is a past national president and NSW state president of the association. He is a Certified Practice Manager, Fellow, and a Life Member of AAPM.
Gary represents his association on a number of advisory committees, task groups and expert standing committees in the healthcare sector. He is a sought after presenter both locally and internationally on practice management topics.
He is the academic director for the University of New England Partnerships Cert III Medical Administration (Health)
He has been a surveyor with the Australian General Practice Accreditation Ltd and has taken a role as a surveyor with the international organisation ISQua. He is chair of Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) and an independent director with AGPAL. He also holds directorships with General Practice Workforce Tasmania and has been appointed by the NSW government to the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Board.
In his spare time he enjoys traveling, going to movies and being involved in his community.
Medicare has ceased bulk bill chequesMedicare stopped issuing bulk bill cheques 12 months ago. While 99% of all healthcare providers have provided Medicare with their EFT details, those that haven’t have had their bulk bill payments withheld.
If you haven’t provided Medicare with your EFT details, please complete and submit the “bank account details collection for healthcare providers” form to them as soon as possible. If you haven’t given Medicare your EFT details your bulk bill payments are being withheld. Medicare can release your payments only when you supply your EFT details.
If you practice out of more than one location you must fill in a form for each provider number and location. For security and privacy reasons bank account details cannot be accepted over the phone.
For more information go to humanservices.gov.au/healthprofessionals then Medicare > Bulk billing cheques – FAQ.
ECLIPSE user guide available onlineElectronic Claim Lodgement and Information Processing Service Environment (ECLIPSE) lets you submit inpatient medical claims and in-hospital claims securely to Medicare and private health insurers in one transaction.
The Medical and Eligibility User Guide for Medical Practices helps you use ECLIPSE. This guide includes information about submitting an inpatient medical claim, and checking your patient’s details and eligibility before you submit a claim.
The user guide is available at humanservices.gov.au/healthprofessionals then Doing business with Medicare > Online business > ECLIPSE.
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Applies to all healthcare practices
There is no doubt that change can often be resisted as we try to minimise frustration and disruption.
We have become so dependent on the computers in our lives that when new software such as an Office suite or a PC Operating System (OS) is released, our productivity takes a nosedive as we have to learn the new ways of doing things. (Grrr, just where is that Start button?) In the typical PC lifecycle there is a time when new PCs come pre-installed with only the newest OS and either you can ask your IT techs to downgrade the software to the previous version or, if that is not possible or too expensive to downgrade, we just have to learn to adapt to the new software. Reminder: check that your clinical and practice management applications are supported on Windows 8.1 before you do anything (e.g., HCN does list support for Medical Director and Pracsoft running on Windows 8 and 8.1, Best Practice does not.1,2 Note, the clinical or practice management app may well work on Windows 8.1, it just won’t be supported. You take the risk.)
Microsoft Windows 8 was released in October 2012 with a new User Interface (UI) from the previous Windows 7 interface.3 Windows 8 was specifically designed to work with the new breed of tablet and touch screen PCs and called this new way of computing the “Metro” touch interface. My guess is that the vast majority of Windows users, however, use a desktop with a keyboard and mouse, not touch screen or tablet PCs, and prefer a UI optimized for desktop use. (Here is an idea: why not give users an option
to choose the style? Watch out for Windows 9 some time in the future.)
In response to user complaints about Windows 8, Microsoft released version 8.1 in October 2013. A Start button similar to (but not the same as) the Windows 7 Start button was again available as well as a Shutdown from desktop button, amongst other tweaks.
Whether or not users like it, change is inevitable, especially in software technology. If you don’t like Windows 8 or 8.1, and have no choice in the matter, here are some tips on how to make Windows 8.1 look and act more like the Windows 7 you may be used to.
Configure Boot to Desktop
If you don’t like the Metro Start screen and just want the desktop back, Windows 8.1 allows you to boot directly to the desktop. To configure this option, right-click the taskbar and select “Properties” to display the “Taskbar and
Make Windows 8.1 look more like Windows 7
Core principles: Risk management, Information management
Miroslav Doncevic is managing director of Digital Medical Systems, a company which has been providing ITC solutions and support to medical practice in Australia since 1990.
Fig 2 Properties button
Fiq. 1: Windows 7 Desktop screen next to Windows 8 Start screen
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Jan Chaffey, Executive OfficerCamp Hill Medical Centre, Brisbane Qld
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Navigation properties” dialog box. From the “Taskbar and Navigation properties” dialog box, select “when I sign in… Go to the desktop instead of Start”. Notice that the “Show my desktop background on Start” is also ticked in Fig 4.
Use the Desktop and TaskbarMaking good use of the desktop and the taskbar are two keys to being productive with Windows 8.1 in a desktop (i.e.,
keyboard and mouse) environment. From either the Start screen or the Apps view, you can select an item and choose Pin to the Taskbar from the popup menu. Creating desktop shortcuts is a bit more difficult. On the Start screen, click the arrow that appears when you move the cursor to display the Apps view. From the Apps view, select the items you want to create shortcuts for and then select File Locations from the popup menu. Right-click the desired items, and choose Send to and then Desktop from the context menu.
Start Button
Windows 8.1 brings back the Start button, but the new button does not have a Windows 7 style Start menu. If you right-click the new Start button, you will open a context menu that allows you to work with Programs and Features, Power Options, Event Viewer, Device Manager, Network Connections, Disk Management, Task Manager, Control Panel, File Explorer, Shut down, etc.
Keyboard ShortcutsOne of the quickest ways to navigate the new interface in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 is by using shortcut keys which include most of the previous Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts. Some of these keyboard shortcuts include the following:
Alt+Tab to switch between applications,
Alt+F4 to close the current application,
the Windows key ( ) to switch between the desktop and Start screen,
Win+D to display the desktop,
Win+L to lock the desktop,
Win+R open the Run dialog box,
Ctrl+A to select all,
Ctrl+C to copy,
Ctrl+X to cut,
Ctrl+V to paste,
Ctrl+Z to undo.
Show Apps View instead of the Start ScreenThe Apps view shows you a list of all installed applications, without the Start screen tiles. To enable the Apps view, open the Taskbar and Navigation properties dialog box and select “Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start”.
Fig 3 & 4 Taskbar and Navigation dialog box
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Hide the File Explorer ribbonThe new File Explorer ribbon makes tasks such as displaying file extensions and displaying hidden items very easy by using the new View tab on the ribbon. However, the ribbon is different to Windows 7 and does take up window real estate. You can’t remove it, but you can hide it by clicking the up arrow in the ribbon’s upper right hand corner.
Play DVDsMicrosoft has removed from Windows 8 and 8.1 the ability to play DVDs in Windows 8 due to third party licensing and the associated costs. If you want to play DVDs and are NOT using Windows 8.1 Pro, you can go to the Microsoft web site and download the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack for AU$249.99. Windows 8.1 Pro users can buy the Windows 8.1 Media Center Pack for AU$9.99.4 You can also download the free VLC media player from VideoLAN.org.5
Access POP email in MailThe new Windows 8.1 Mail app doesn’t like POP6 email accounts, but you can gain access to them (the Mail app in Windows 8.1 is reminiscent of Outlook Express which was also free. This does not apply to you if you use Outlook or another mail client program). The trick with Windows Mail is to configure your web mail account to access your POP mail, which in turn can be read in Windows Mail. For example, if you use Hotmail -- log on at http://mail.live.com /, go to Settings > “More mail settings” to add accounts by choosing “Sending/receiving email from other accounts”.
Install a third-party Start MenuIf the tips above still don’t make you happy with Windows 8.1, there is another non-Microsoft option – install a third party Start Menu replacement.
There are also other utilities with good reviews,7 ranging from the free Classic Shell8 utility that is designed to give you back your Windows 7 – like Start menu and a number of other features or you can buy a utility such as Stardock’s Start8 which costs US$4.99.9 Both of these third-party Start menus make Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 a much better desktop experience.
The next article will explain Virtual Computing and its applications in primary healthcare.
When your IT support tech talks about virtual machines do you wonder what it really means?
Is your server a Virtual Server?
Do you have Virtual Machines?
References1. www.hcn.com.au/Products/
Medical+Director, accessed January 2014
2. bpsoftware.com.au/, accessed January 2014
3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8, accessed January 2014
4. windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-8/feature-packs, accessed January 2014
5. www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html, accessed January 2014
6. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_Protocol, accessed January 2014 “In computing, the Post Office Protocol
(POP) is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection”
7. www.pcworld.com/article/2054422/five-tools-to-bring-the-start-menu-back-to-windows-8-1.html, accessed January 2014
8. www.classicshell.net/, accessed January 2014
9. www.stardock.com/products/start8/download.asp, accessed January 2014
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Applies to all healthcare practices
Good evening, and thank you Heather for inviting me to give this talk to our members. Let me first of all congratulate you and your excellent committee for keeping AAPM on the move. You all must be delighted with the heightened awareness of the organization in the community and the constant referral to the spouse as a practice manager in reports in the journals.
I believe in AAPM and I am sure this organization has an important role to play in helping the professions to survive mediocrity and near-sighted government intrusions into the way we practice.
My address is on the computer, and has it a future in the medico’s office? While talking to that point, I also want to allude to several basic practice management principles that we should always remember and keep before us.
First of all, we must appreciate we are well behind the USA and Canada, Europe, and Japan in utilizing the new technology. I know that, in the next 12 months, each of you here will be thinking about the installation of a computer in your practice.
Some of you have already done so and may be well advanced with your own thoughts on the subject. My feeling is that, five years from now, none of you will be able to afford not to be computerized.
At our first national AAPM conference in Sydney in 1982, some of you will remember how we made our own contribution to the history of computers in medicine when we tackled the subject of “breaking the computer barrier”. One
of the major barriers was a psychological one, and I told you then that we should “switch on” to computers.
Computer literacy has improved dramatically but there are still thousands of professional people who need to be reached.
It seems so trite now to talk of “garbage in-garbage out”, “you can’t computerize a mess”, and “caveat emptor”, but these are now accepted as basic computer truisms. You must do your homework first and put your house in order before installing a computer system – and I guess that is the first practice management point I want to make.
Two years further down the track we can now confirm what was then stated.
The cost of hardware has come down dramatically. The $8,000.00 personal computer is now more powerful than the $50,000 minicomputer of 5 years ago. It also gives a better performance.
We now know that software is more important than hardware. Software is what makes the computer run. It organizes and commands its functions. It is the application of the program that makes the computer a logical and useful instrument. So, we now realize the starting point in computerizing your practice is to know what function you require from a computer, i.e., what do you want it to do?
by Dr Abe Assef
This remarkable address was delivered to the AGM of AAPM’s NSW branch on 10 August, 1984, by the then national president, Abe Assef. Thanks to another former national president, Colleen Sullivan, for providing us with it all these years later.
The computer:Has it a future in the professional office
Core principles: Information management, Business and clinical operations
I met Dr Abe Assef not long after I joined AAPM and he became a wonderful friend and mentor. Abe not only supported practice management and AAPM he became one of the first elected presidents of the Association. I had the privilege of being on the national Board when Abe was national president of the Association and one of the highlights was to not only have the leadership of a GP but also somebody who was one of the early advocates for computers in health care practices. He was indeed ahead of his time. He also taught me that to get the most from your organisation and to really get to know it, you should become involved!
His address to the AGM of the NSW branch of AAPM in 1984 is still important for all of us.Colleen Sullivan
19 | Issue 1 – 2014
There are no cost savings in installing a computer in your practice. The fact is that a computer installation will increase practice costs. Some costs may be offset by savings in other areas, but let us be clear, you will have added practice costs.
Another observation I wish to make is that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners having held 4 national computer conferences has set the stage for the specialists of this country to reap the benefit of the knowledge gained by holding these conferences. Put another way, if the GPs take too long deliberating over the PCs the market place will desert them for the specialist groups.
Installation of a computer system in a practice will cause some degree of havoc in the first few weeks no matter how well you prepare for the event. The staff will always have the ear that they might break something, erase all that data, or cause irreparable damage. Except having said all that, you might well ask “why would you need a computer?” It’s going to increase practice costs, cause some degree of chaos, and add to one’s anxiety. Why go through all that?
The ideal is that every practice should be efficient and effective. Isn’t that our AAPM motto? Every practice needs to have:
• Accurate and detailed patient information
• A range of identifiable information essential for good patient care
• Better and more efficient practice management techniques. This means access to detailed information about income and expenditure.
• To assess and compare its performance against others.
A properly installed computer system should satisfy all these requirements and do the job faster and more efficiently than any other conventional method. The information gained and the time saved is considerable and must be worth the effort to justify the cost. The practice manager should be able to find out the method of acquisition so as to maximize the taxation benefits and write off the purchase over several years.
The medical practitioners will find the most satisfying justification in improved patient care. This is why I chose this subject to debate in the practice management section of our 4th national computer conference. Two of my four speakers are well known to AAPM. Professor Geoff Meredith and Dr Graeme Simpson have been guest speakers at our last national conference in Manly.
The other two speakers were Dr David Rowed and Dr Brian Driver, both younger College members. David is a suburban GP with qualifications in engineering and has developed his own program. Brian is a lecturer at Sydney University and has a background in pharmacy. Tonight I want to share with you the arguments put forward and some of the recommendations that were made in May.
Geoff Meredith equated patient care with professional services. The computer was to be used to promote better management and better care. Better care means access to information about the patient, including up to the minute data on drugs and health services.
Better care infers more information – not necessarily on the patient, but on the practice.
It is a fact of life for the professional in Australia today that government, irrespective of the political party in office, will demand more information on the way you run the practice. Most problems with government arise because of the lack or
NAME IBM PC AT 5170
MANUFACTURER IBM
TYPE Home Computer
ORIGIN USA
YEAR 1984
BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic
KEYBOARD Full-stroke AT keyboard, 10 function keys, arrow keys and separated numeric keypad
CPU Intel 80286
SPEED 6 MHz
RAM 512 KB originally; this is expanded to 2Mb
ROM 64 KB
TEXT MODES 40 or 80 x 24 lines
GRAPHIC MODES Depends on card; CGA, EGA or VGA
I/O PORTS 8 x internal slots (six 16 bit ISA and two 8 bit ISA), RS232c, Centronics
POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit
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A quick look at what was a new PC in 1984
20 | Issue 1 – 2014
paucity of this information. Proper and adequate information is the means by which criticisms of the profession can be countered.
Geoff asked: “what is the cost of what you are providing?” not with the intention of saving on cost but defining the cost of a necessary service, i.e., the cost of time, changes in patient services, the cost of appropriate support services. Geoff made a plea for private practitioners to provide facts and figures and to maintain office procedures which produce this type of information. He rejected the commonly held view that practice development equated with practice growth or increase in size. He emphasized that practice development implied:
• Competent services
• Competent and adequate staff
• Adequate information
• Adequate dollars for service time and for capital outlay.
He equated practice development to effective and efficient management and stated the computer has a significant role to play in practice development. He strongly advised:
• The present practitioner to define his practice goals for now and the future
• That action be taken to assist the thousands of practitioners to overcome whatever barriers they had to the use of the computer in practice.
The teaching institutions should be put under pressure to introduce formal courses in practice management incorporating the use of computers in professional practice.
Graeme Simpson spoke about medical records. He told us to think about the information we hold and what we wanted to do about it. He offered his structure:
• Current information – hold for 1 day to 3/12. Recent info – hold for 3/12 to 2 years.
• Long-term information – needed to be held from 1 year to a lifetime.
Information could be recorded in:
a) Free format
b) Segment oriented
c) Problem oriented.
By coding the information you get more out of the computerized medical record. By alert coding, the computer will remind the practitioner on each encounter.
A well-designed drug register in the data base can interact with the individual patient to give a current medication list and a warning against potential dangers. Bulky current information should be culled into long-term information –
surely another basic practice management principle. You must cull, cull, cull! Surely the hallmark of a well-run practice.
David Rowed talked about keyboard substitutes and the importance of speed in enhancing the doctor/patient relationship. He cautioned in regard to voice recognition that data input may be made too easy and lead to bulky accumulation of data.
The personal computer today is a very powerful, interactive device, allowing multi-tasking and even direct patient hook up to the computer converting the desk top computer to a powerful physiological monitor. David sees a whole new area of clinical assessments which can be carried out with the aid of the computer.
Brian Driver identified a small group of high-utilizer patients who need close medical monitoring and control of medication. He demonstrated how the computer could be helpful in this situation of high error potential.
Such a program would have the ability to indicate potential drug cross reactions, potential non compliance by patients, and allow recall of high risk patients. Such a program was in use overseas. Similar Australian packages are being hampered in their development by outdated legislation which required the doctor to write and hand sign a prescription.
In a multicultural society such as ours, there is a need for change. A strong recommendation to lobby state and federal governments, to permit the introduction of computer-written prescriptions was made.
Readers of the AMA’s latest “Medical Practice” will read references to these issues which are now beginning to surface and hopefully lead to much more discussion.
There is no doubt in my mind that a properly installed computer system must enhance the doctor/patient relationship and lead to a more efficient and effective practice. I feel sure we now have enough experience in Australia to install computer systems in our office with confidence.
The market place can be confusing and daunting to the uninitiated. There is an abundance of hardware from all over the world, but more so from the US, Taiwan, Japan, and Europe.
A shakeout must occur, so the wise buyer will endeavour to choose a system from a provide who will survive the rationalization.
Thank you for surviving this far. Yes, I feel the personal computer has an important role to play in the professional’s office and the time is right to make the move. I’m switching on – how about you?
21 | Issue 1 – 2014
More than just a practice manual
... it's your unique onlinepractice management tool.
FREE trialTry it for yourself... mypracticemanual.com
To � nd out more, call 1300 96 86 36 or email [email protected]
MyPracticeManual is a unique online practice management tool that provides a complete range of features to securely organise, access and administer all your essential data in the one place:
• Created by medical professionals,for medical professionals with relevant templates and links to get you started
• Customisation options that allow you to set up MyPracticeManual yourself, or get us to do it for you - either way the system is customised to suit your practice
• Standardised for accreditationif required for your practice
• Version Control so you can quickly and easily track changes and access previous versions
• Real person-to-person supportvia phone or email
I was frustrated that while our practice was mostly paperless, our paper-based policy and procedures manual was out-of-date, hard to access
and not being used by all our sta� consistently.
We developed MyPracticeManual as an online procedures manual and it has grown to now address all aspects of running of our
practice e� ciently... It completely changed our practice for the better, and I believe it will change yours too!
Carmel Brown, Practice Manager and Developer of MyPracticeManual
I like that MyPracticeManual meets all the Accreditation Standards and I love the expiry dates
which prompt me to check or review documents.
Sue Ayres, Practice Manager
ALL YOUR INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE
Essential administrative information like sta� records, procedure manuals, legislative requirements, certi� cates and validations, workplace records, insurances - all in the one, easy to navigate online system.
ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE IN YOUR TEAM
Provide your sta� with user logins, and regardless of where they are they can access all of the information in MyPracticeManual.Perfect for streamlining sta� training as well as for practices with multiple locations and larger teams.
UPDATED AUTOMATICALLY
We regularly add relevant policies and procedures and other documentation to support changing practice requirements as well as regularly updating hyperlinks to ensure the information you need about legislation, workplace relations and critical resources is always current.
REMINDERS & PROMPTS
Easy-to-setup reminders, prompts and expiry dates make remembering licence renewals, compliance and registrations and other events easy to manage.
1
2
3
4
22 | Issue 1 – 2014
Applies to all healthcare practices
Many practice managers find giving feedback and coaching other staff members to be one of the most taxing parts of their job. It takes both time and energy and can be perceived as interrupting operational tasks. However, providing team members with effective feedback and allowing time for coaching can improve efficiency and effectiveness of the individual and the business.
Feedback is best given shortly after you’ve observed the behaviour or event. Do not wait a month after a bad incident to broach the subject with your colleague. If the issue is rather small, perhaps it can wait until your weekly one-on-one. However, if the incident is more severe, address it as soon as possible. Just make sure you have taken enough time to properly prepare so you can provide solid, actionable feedback. The same goes for positive reinforcement – praise your colleague’s work in a timely manner.
Between emails, text messages, phone calls and instant messaging programs, few conversations take place face to face in the modern workplace. While this may improve efficiency in some ways,
it can also cause major communication issues. Without body language and tone of voice, it can be easy to misinterpret language, leading to resentment or confusion. For conversations concerning employee performance, it may be best to step away from the computer and talk in real life. Generally, it’s wise to have quarterly or biannual anonymous feedback surveys for all employees, which will help strengthen managerial staff across the board and allow workers to feel valued and understood.
Feedback is an important element of communication, as it allows workers at all levels to understand where they need to improve. It’s very common for managers to give feedback to the lower members of their team, but offices should also make sure that low-level employees can provide anonymous feedback about their superiors.
To find out more about the art of effective communication, please consider a qualification with UNE Partnerships. To discuss the right qualification for you please call 1800 066 128 or visit our website at www.unep.edu.au .
Giving feedbackby Beth Lloyd, Program manager of practice management, University of New England Partnerships
UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd
T: 1800 288 622E: [email protected]: www.practicemanagement.edu.au
Applies to all healthcare practices
Core principle: Human resource management
UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd
T: 1800 288 622E: [email protected]: www.practicemanagement.edu.au
Workshops open for enrolment in:Sydney • Brisbane • Canberra • Melbourne • Adelaide
Call to discuss funding & study options1800 066 128 • www.practicemanagement.edu.au
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23 | Issue 1 – 2014
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24 | Issue 1 – 2014
From 1 January 2014, many workers across Australia will be able to make a complaint about bullying at work to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) under new laws.
The term “worker” covers most people engaged to work at a workplace including employees, contractors, volunteers and work experience students. It does not include a person working in a state public sector organisation.
A worker is “bullied at work” if an individual or a group of individuals repeatedly behaves unreasonably towards the worker, or a group of workers of which the worker is a member and that behaviour creates a risk to health and safety. It does not include reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable manner (for example, performance managing a worker in a reasonable way).
A worker who reasonably believes that he or she has been bullied at work can apply to the FWC for an order to stop the bullying. The FWC can make any order that it considers appropriate to stop the bullying at work. The FWC cannot order the payment of a financial penalty or compensation to the bullied worker.
The FWC must start to deal with an application within 14 days of the application being made. This may include:• The FWC making enquiries, • The FWC requiring the parties to attend a
conference, and/or• The FWC holding a hearing.
The FWC has not yet released information about how an application may be made, the cost of making an application or the process that the FWC will follow in dealing with an application.
Hopefully, this information will be provided shortly.
For employees, these new laws may prove to be invaluable for those who have been bullied at work and who have, until now, had few options to seek redress.
For employers, it is time to prepare for the commencement of the new laws. In particular, employers should ensure that:• they have systems in place to deal with a
likely increase in internal bullying complaints;• policies and procedures (such as grievance
and bullying policies) are updated in light of the new laws;
• refresher training and appropriate skills is provided; and
• all workers are trained in appropriate workplace behaviours training.
If you need assistance, you can contact Avant on 1800 128 268 or by email [email protected].
Applies to all healthcare practices
Core principles: Risk management, Human resource management
AvantRisk Advisory • Avant Mutual Group Limited
ABN 58 123 154 898
Website www.avant.org.au
Freecall 1800 128 268
Freefax 1800 228 268
www.avant.org.au
National bullying legislation: What you need to know by Sonya Black, Avant Special Counsel – Employment
25 | Issue 1 – 2014
mutual group
26 | Issue 1 – 2014
Applies to all healthcare practices
In an attempt to minimise day-to-day running
costs, some GP practices have entered into
contracting agreements with GP registrars.
While such arrangements can be beneficial,
they carry with them a risk for both the
practice and the registrar.
The intention behind these arrangements is
to reduce practice costs such as employee
benefits (annual leave, long service leave
and sick leave), superannuation guarantee
contributions, PAYG withholding, payroll tax
liabilities, workers’ compensation cover and
professional indemnity insurance.
This is all well and good if the situation does
indeed warrant a contracting agreement. But
here’s the catch: putting in place a contractual
agreement does not deem a relationship to be a
contractor agreement.
It is the substance of the relationship that
determines whether an employment or
contractual agreement exists.
Australian courts refer to a number of factors to
determine the nature of a relationship. The key
factor is that of control.
This covers the level of supervision and degree
to which a registrar is obliged to obey the orders
of the practice, including performance, location
and hours of work.
Registrars are subject to varying levels of
supervision that reduce as they progress from
GPT1 to GPT3.
They are subject to the supervision of the
practice and are obliged to perform the work
personally.
Satisfactory compliance is necessary in order to
meet registrar requirements.
Due to these restrictions, the relationship
between a practice and registrar is most likely
characterised as employer and employee,
despite an agreement being in place.
Now to the risks
For the GP practice entering a contracting
agreement with a registrar where the relationship
is legally employer and employee, there are a
number of risks.
In particular, if audited by the relevant
government department, they may be liable for:
• Unpaid superannuation guarantee
contributions and penalties
• Unpaid employee entitlements, such as
annual leave, long service leave and sick
leave
• Unpaid PAYG withholding
• Penalties under the Fair Work Act
• Unfair dismissal procedures.
For the GP registrar who enters a
contractual agreement where the relationship
is legally that of employee and employer, risks
include:
• Insufficient professional indemnity insurance
cover
• Inadequate planning for taxation and
GST liabilities as a consequence of
misunderstanding their obligations arising
from the relationship
• Loss of income in the event of sickness
or accident if the registrar fails to take out
satisfactory insurances.
So, what at first seemed like a simple cost-
saving solution could turn out to be a costly
miscalculation.
Still not sure about your particular situation? Contact a member of Cutcher & Neale’s Specialist
Medical Services team for a no-obligation discussion.
Contractor or employee:
The risks of getting it wrong
Core principles: Human resource management, Financial management, Risk management
by Jarrod Bramble
Partner, Cutcher & Neale
27 | Issue 1 – 2014
Should a practice be considered just “a business”, or
should it play a wider role in its community?
I have to admit that I was around in the 1970s when talk
first started about professional practices using modern
management methods to operate as a business: to take
a more commercial approach to matters such as time
management, efficiency and – dare I say it – marketing. At
the time, this represented a radical change of approach.
Within and across various professiost sense of the word, is
the secondary outcome. Spend a few minutes thinking of
ways your practice could take this kind of position in your
local area.
There is currently some debate about whether big business
should be involved in altruistic pursuits. While some
advocates see the giving of donations as a normal corporate
activity, others argue that a corporation’s role is to make
sales and generate profits for its owners. Higher profits
lead to higher dividends, they say, which each shareholder
can then use however they choose, including donations,
philanthropy and the like. The fact that such a difference
of opinion exists represents an opportunity for many
professional practices – small businesses in many cases,
actively involved in your local community – to position your
practice as “good citizens” in your local area.
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28 | Issue 1 – 2014
Applies to all healthcare practices
Politicians aren’t the only ones who
sometimes blur the distinction between
business and personal travel. It’s important
to get it right, so let’s try and clarify the
matter.
Expenses incurred for commuting between
home and work are generally not deductible.
However, you may be able to claim home-to-
work travel in the following circumstances:
• When your home is used as a central place
for business (travel must be in the course of
the work).
• When you are required to carry heavy items
of equipment to various locations including
taking equipment home where there are
justifiable reasons for doing this (for instance,
there is nowhere to leave the equipment at
work).
• When you are genuinely on call and give
medical instructions over the telephone prior
to leaving home.
• When performing employment-related duties
during the trip.
Expenses incurred in the course of carrying out
your work generally are deductible.
Some examples:
• If you travel from the surgery to a patient’s
house for a house call then return from the
patient’s house to the surgery.
• If you make a house call in the afternoon,
travelling from the surgery to the patient’s
house and then directly home, the entire
journey can be claimed.
• If you travel from home to a hospital or
patient’s house and then on to the surgery,
the entire journey can be claimed.
• If you incur travel expenses when attending
work-related conferences and seminars or
on continuing education events where the
dominant purpose of the trip is for work.
Still not sure about your particular situation? Contact a member of Cutcher & Neale’s Specialist
Medical Services team for a no-obligation discussion.
Business or personal: Welcome to the murky world of travel expenses
Core principles: Financial management, Risk management
by Jarrod Bramble
Partner, Cutcher & Neale
Golden rules of motor vehicle deductions
1. Understand deductible travel.2. Maintain a log book.
3. Understand and comply with depreciation costs limit (including the luxury car tax limit).
4. Retain receipts of your expenses.
Miscellaneous services must not be included in your claimMiscellaneous services should not be submitted in electronic claims to Medicare. You must only include MBS items in your claims.
Miscellaneous services refers to any item that doesn’t have an MBS item number.
For more information
w: humanservices.gov.au/healthprofessionals then Doing business with Medicare > Online Business
29 | Issue 1 – 2014
AAPM and EBOS supporting Indigenous Australiansby Gareth Hamill, National Sales Manager - Primary Health Division, EBOS HealthcareEBOS Healthcare is one of Australia’s leading providers of medical and surgical products to all sectors of the healthcare market – hospitals, infection prevention, aged care and primary care. We operate in every state across Australia and specialize in community health care through our Primary Division.
It’s this specialist approach and desire to be linked in with our communities and our customers that has enabled us to be successful. We encourage our staff to customize their service and supply solutions to meet the expectations of all community groups that we work with, thus providing superior value to our customers and differentiating ourselves in the industry.
We have a special interest in community health care and in fostering
continuous training and professional development to Indigenous health workers in general practice and community health.
Providing the AAPM Indigenous scholarships is an action that we are proud of at EBOS. It’s about believing in something and doing something about it. By taking similar actions companies can play meaningful roles in the future development of our indigenous communities.
Working with AAPM has helped us to see how by providing an education and a managerial career pathway for our Indigenous communities can do more than just affect the people who win the scholarships.
We hope a ripple effect will resonate throughout those communities, encouraging more and more people
to take up education in all of its forms. Our ideal is that we create a platform for those Indigenous Australians with leadership and career aspirations, and we hope that they go on to inspire others. We are very proud and excited to announce the winner of the inaugural AAPM-EBOS Indigenous Scholarship Award as Suzie Smith, Senior Aboriginal Health Worker, Tasmanian Aboriginal Health Centre.
We look forward to many more years of supporting Indigenous Australians who have career and leadership aspirations and to play a small role in helping them achieve their goals.
Thank you again to AAPM. You have helped EBOS make these scholarships a reality. Be sure to keep an eye out for when we announce the opening of the 2014 scholarship.
Electronic claiming is an easier, faster and more convenient way for you to lodge claims with Medicare and private health insurers for your patients.
When you lodge a claim for your patients using Medicare Online, they’ll receive their Medicare benefit into their bank account via electronic funds transfer (EFT). Let your patients know their claim has been lodged by remembering these points.
Medicare Online Bulk BillProvide your patient with a Bulk Bill Assignment Advice form listing the services received. For pathology services, you need to give them an Offer to assign form.
The Bulk Bill Assignment Advice form must be printed and given to your patient to sign and keep for their records.
Medicare Online Patient ClaimsProvide your patient with a printed copy of one of the following for their records:
• a Lodgement Advice when you have lodged the claim via Store-and-Forward, or when you have lodged the claim with Medicare but it hasn’t been processed straight away, or
• a Statement of Claim and Benefit Payment when you lodge the claim in real-time, it’s processed by Medicare, and a benefit amount is returned to you.
Medicare Easyclaim is separate from Medicare Online and is another way for you to lodge patient and bulk bill claims.
Medicare Easyclaim Bulk BillProvide your patient with a Bulk Bill Assignment Advice receipt printed from your EFTPOS terminal, listing the services received.
Medicare Easyclaim Patient ClaimsProvide your patient with a printed copy of one of the following receipts from your EFTPOS terminal for their records:• a Lodgement Advice when the claim is unpaid, part paid
or pending, or• a Medicare Claim Receipt when a paid patient claim has
been successfully processed.
Make it easier for your patients to claim Medicare and private health insurance benefits
If you’ve lodged a Medicare Online Patient Claim with Medicare and you have given your patient the Lodgement Advice or Statement of Claim and Benefit Payment, they’ll need to claim their private health insurance benefit directly from their private health insurer. This is because the Medicare benefit has already been claimed.
To make it easier for your patients to claim their Medicare and private health insurer benefit in one simple step:• ask your Medicare Online software vendor about In-
patient Medical Claiming through ECLIPSE, or• speak with a Medicare Business Development Officer by
calling the eBusiness Service Centre on 1800 700 199**.
For more information go to humanservices.gov.au/healthprofessionals then Doing business with Medicare > Online business.
Remember to let your patients know you have lodged their Medicare claim for them
30 | Issue 1 – 2014
Applies to all healthcare practices
Sir Bob Geldof’s 1979 classic “I Don’t Like
Mondays” was a UK number one hit for
four weeks and his band’s second number
one single. But it is the legacy of the song’s
sentiment that has lived large in popular
culture ever since. It has become the war
cry for everyone who’s ever winced at the
thought of returning to work after a relaxing
weekend.
General practices often see evidence of this.
Talk to any practice manager and thoughts of
0830 every Monday can induce outbreaks of
perspiration and mild panic attacks. It’s what
people in the industry call “Monday hell.”
Patients wake up on Monday morning ill, and
from 5 am wait to pick up the phone to try to
book an appointment with their local health
practitioner when they open. They proceed
to bombard practices until there is resolution
or certainty of appointment. The calls clog up
phone lines for an inordinate period of time every
Monday morning. Woe betide any receptionist
who can’t find an appointment for the person
on the end of the phone that day. The other
extreme example is patients who just show up
without an appointment, who are prepared to
wait for hours to sneak in or take their chance
at a walk-in clinic. It would come as no surprise
that Mondays are twice as busy as Fridays.
Surely there has to be a better way that services
the needs of both practice and patients.
Despite Australia’s international reputation as
a pioneer platform for early adopters of new
technologies and an ideal marketplace to test
the latest and greatest apps, software, widgets
and gadgets, it appears the health industry is
lagging behind when it comes to generational
change. Booking a healthcare appointment
should not be a race for the phone every
Monday morning in a confluence of calls. The
world has moved beyond the touchpad phone
and is actually now comfortable with buying,
selling and trading goods and services online.
The opportunity has arrived for Australian
healthcare practices to embrace this step
change.
Booking healthcare appointments is still largely done by telephone, when the practice is open. Sixty per cent of Australians confirm the current process is frustrating and inconvenient. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. It’s not such a big technological leap to have an integrated platform where a patient can instantaneously interact electronically with a healthcare practice and remove forever the dreaded “Mondayitis” which besets front desk staff.
Talk to any customer service manager in a large organisation and the latest buzz catchphrase is “UX” or, user experience. I’d like to propose a reworked version of that, but call it “PX” for patient experience. In a modern country like Australia, where we don’t operate on “Bali time”, every patient expects instant connectivity and certainty around exactly when their appointment needs will be attended to.
There’s also another issue at play here – empathy. I’m a melanoma and leukaemia survivor who has spent more time in and out of doctors’ surgeries and hospital rooms than I care to think about. I also know from experience that practice staff desire what is best for the patient and work hard to try to provide the best service that they can. However not all of the systems currently in place work in concert with that objective and the telephone has certainly a lot of answer for.
Hitting a permanent engaged signal on the surgery telephone, staying on hold for indeterminate periods of time or being told to “come back tomorrow” are all factors which can trigger delayed medical treatment. The 2012 Healthcare Access Study (commissioned by 1st Available) found that nearly two in three people had experienced frustration during the booking process with an Australian healthcare professional. Disturbingly, the same study found that more than one in two patients had postponed medical treatment because they could not find timely healthcare services. Of these, as a result of postponing treatment, 59% experienced more pain, 46% had their condition worsen, 35% experienced general health deterioration, while the cost of treatment was more expensive for 14% of respondents.
I don’t like Mondays
Core principles: Human resource management, Business and clinical operations, Information management
by Klaus Bartosch,
Managing Director of 1stAvailable.com.au
31 | Issue 1 – 2014
Patients also like to book appointments with anonymity. While it might be second nature to reach for the telephone, it’s hardly in the patients’ best interests to start reciting chapter and verse to a front desk receptionist why they might need to see their local doctors urgently, let alone in the presence of their family, friends or work colleagues which is difficult to avoid when the call needs to be made during working hours. But things are changing, and the pace of that change is picking up speed. People now have the ability to book appointments after hours, late at night, first thing in the morning, on the way or home from work, without talking to a single person. The process is quick, easy and seamless. The only physical exertion is a few clicks of a mouse or taps of the smart phone or tablet. Of course, not all appointments can be made online, but 50-75% of appointments could easily be made this way.
1stAvailable.com.au provides patients with a central online booking platform to find and book healthcare appointments instantly, at any hour of the day including when the practice is closed, either through 1stAvailable.com.au, the 1stAvailable mobile apps or your practice website. It is free to patients, easy to use, convenient and easily accessible and works to support existing patient retention. There are tens of thousands of appointments available online at any time. If consumers don’t find what they need, by simply signing up
they can help bring on the healthcare providers they are
looking for.
But be careful, as not all online booking platforms are
equal. Integration with your existing practice management
software system is key, as are other features that ensure the
booking is made with the right practitioner and for the right
length of time. Ultimately, Australians prefer to go to one
destination, use one system to book all of their healthcare
appointments, not separate systems, logins and processes
for different practices or healthcare services. It’s why sites
like Seek, Carsales, Wotif, Realestate.com.au and others
have become so popular. They offer everything you want in
one convenience place.
1stAvailable.com.au is also a breakthrough for healthcare
professionals. It improves practice efficiency and profitability
by freeing up front desk staff, improving customer service
and helping to fill open and costly last-minute cancellations.
Essentially, it alleviates and creates capacity in an
overextended healthcare system. With the increasing shift
towards digital technology, the 1stAvailable.com.au platform
has the ability to improving access to Australian healthcare
services. For so many reasons, it’s finally making that famous
Bob Geldof song, obsolete – at least for practice managers
anyway.
Are your patients really satisfied?Ultrafeedback is the healthcare division of Insync Surveys that helps organisations achievesustainable high performance. We achieve this by measuring and improving employee, customer, board and other stakeholder engagement. For over 20 years, we’ve been creating and implementing innovative research designs to drive improvement and innovation.
Patient satisfaction and experienceOne of our main focal points is patient research within hospitals, clinical settings and other areas where end-user satisfaction and experience is used to drive quality improvement. As experts in this fi eld, our RACGP-approved survey, the Patient Satisfaction Instrument (PSI), has been well received by over 60,000 patients across the last two years.
The PSI meets accreditation requirements and enables practices to extend beyond the traditional patient feedback by collecting additional information which can be used for business development and quality improvement. The PSI survey looks at patient demographics, use and access to your practice and consultation experience. Our two week turnaround reporting promise ensures that you will be ready for your accreditation with a comprehensive and benchmarked report.
Employee, customer and other stakeholder engagementInsync Surveys has conducted over 1,000 employee, member, customer and board surveys over the last fi ve years for organisations including beyondblue, Cathay Pacifi c, CSIRO, Fairfax, KPMG, Medicare Locals, Orica, Swire, Toll, Visy, AFL, federal and state government departments, local councils and universities.
Our employee surveys and consulting services help organisations improve performance by assessing what’s happening in the organisation and pinpointing key improvement areas. We also tailor our surveys to work around specifi c requirements.
We’ve delivered surveys in 38 languages across more than 90 countries. With a benchmark database that exceeds one million responses, we have the ability to provide context and deep insights when interpreting results. We also assist clients with focus groups, action planning and change management.
Contact usTo fi nd out more about the PSI or other services, contact one of our research specialists on 1800 143 733 or visit us at www.insyncsurveys.com.au.
incorporating
32 | Issue 1 – 2014
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ClockOn offer a fully integrated system providing payroll, time and attendance, rostering, human resources, industrial relations and payroll requirements.
ClockOn offers AAPM members a 7.5% Special Discount on the software fee and professional services.
Health IT Magazine
www.pulseitmagazine.com.au
Australia’s first and only Health IT magazine.As part of your membership, AAPM members receive up to 5 editions of this magazine each year.
Australia’s leading VoIP Company
www.engin.com.au/business
Phone 1300 157 169
With a system utilising leading edge technology, Engin can help you save up to 50% on your phone bills. Other benefits include:
• Free line rental for the first 3 months
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AAPM members receive a discount on Qantas Club Corporate Membership. Representing a saving of over $220
Phone 1300 784 440
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Phone 1300 425 275
GlobalArk provide a fully automated secure offsite back-up service to protect your data.
AAPM members receive a 15% discount off this service.
www.practicemanagement.edu.au
Phone 1800 288 622
AAPM members receive adiscount on enrolment fees for UNEP courses.
www.gr8hrsolutions.com.au
Phone 1300 882 906
AAPM members receive a 5% discount by quoting their AAPM Membership number on the relevant Staff systems Software order form.
For the latest member benefits head to the website: www.aapm.org.au
member benefitsDISCOUNTS AND OTHER FINANCIAL BENEFITS
33 | Issue 1 – 2014
34 | Issue 1 – 2014
ESSENTIAL FACTS FOR HEALTHCARE PRACTICES AND PRACTICE MANAGERS
To order your Salary Survey 5th Edition CD complete all details and post, fax or email your order to:
AAPM Head Office; Level 1, 60 Lothian Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051; Fax: (03) 9329 2524; Email: [email protected]
PLEASE PRINT
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Delivery Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
State: Postcode: _________
Ph: __________________ Fax: _______________________ Mobile: ___________________________________
Please supply ________ (insert number required) CD(s) at:
$57.95 Participants to 5th survey (AAPM member)
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$129.95 Individual member (non-participants to 5th survey)
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Prices include 10% GST and postage & handling for up to 2 CDs Payment options (Please tick):
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I enclose a cheque payable to AAPM Ltd - Drawer__________________________________________ Note: Your order will not be dispatched until the cheque has cleared.
National Biennial Practice Managers
Salary Survey 5th Edition
35 | Issue 1 – 2014
ESSENTIAL FACTS FOR HEALTHCARE PRACTICES AND PRACTICE MANAGERS
To order your Salary Survey 5th Edition CD complete all details and post, fax or email your order to:
AAPM Head Office; Level 1, 60 Lothian Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051; Fax: (03) 9329 2524; Email: [email protected]
PLEASE PRINT
AAPM Membership No: __________________ Name: ______________________________________________
Delivery Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
State: Postcode: _________
Ph: __________________ Fax: _______________________ Mobile: ___________________________________
Please supply ________ (insert number required) CD(s) at:
$57.95 Participants to 5th survey (AAPM member)
$89.95 Participants to 5th survey (non AAPM member)
$129.95 Individual member (non-participants to 5th survey)
$231.45 Individual non-member (non-participants to 5th survey)
$219.45 Organisational member
$388.45 Organisational non-member
Prices include 10% GST and postage & handling for up to 2 CDs Payment options (Please tick):
Please debit my credit card MasterCard Visa Amount $
Cardholder’s name Cardholder’s signature
Card number Expiry date _______ / _______ CCV: _______
Direct Deposit: Account Name: AAPM Ltd BSB: 063-114 Account No: 10119934 NB: To avoid disappointment and delay in receiving your order, please use your AAPM membership number as your reference or your last name and initial if you are not a member or the name of your organisation. To facilitate ease of reconciliation of payment, please provide a copy of your bank receipt with this order form.
I enclose a cheque payable to AAPM Ltd - Drawer__________________________________________ Note: Your order will not be dispatched until the cheque has cleared.
National Biennial Practice Managers
Salary Survey 5th Edition
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