Practice Support Update
Michelle MacGillivray July 08
Are you putting patients at risk by placing them on hold? This topic (and a few others) are discussed in this month's article.
Meeting the RACGP Standards
Criterion 1.1.1 of the RACGP Standards for general practices 3rd edition relates to the scheduling of care in normal opening hours. To meet this criterion practices should have a flexible system that enables the practice to see patients with both non-urgent and urgent needs. The system must also accommodate patients with complex, planned chronic care and preventative health needs during normal opening hours.
There are times when patients need urgent access to primary medical care, and practices need to have systems that anticipate this need. For example, the appointment system could include reserving unbooked appointment times for patients with urgent medical needs.
The practice system needs to include consultations of appropriate length for patients with more complex matters. Longer consultations may be required if the patient has complex medical needs, or if the patient's carer or translator is present. Patients need to be encouraged to ask for a longer consultation if they think it is necessary.
- Indicator A requires practices to have a written policy on how they can accommodate patients with urgent, non-urgent, complex and planned chronic care, and preventative health needs.
- Indicator B requires practices to have a written policy on how they inform patients that longer consultations are available on request. The practice can demonstrate this by including information on the practice information sheet, a sign in the waiting room, and/or a message on your answering machine.
- Indicator C is assessed through an interview with practice team members. Practice team members need to be able to describe the process by which they identify urgent medical matters and their procedures for obtaining urgent medical attention.
- Indicator D requires practices to have a written policy for dealing with urgent medical matters.
There are written policies and links to guides and resources for triaging patients on QbAY to assist practices.
Source - DGP Assist July 2008
QA & CPD Numbers - AccreditationPro - AGPAL
In AccreditationPro practices need to fill out the practice profile including QA & CPD numbers for RACGP and/or ACRRM. If the numbers are not recorded in AccreditationPro, RACGP and ACRRM will not be notified that the practitioners were involved in accreditation. Without this information these practitioners will not receive the QA & CPD points they are entitled to.
Source - DGP Assist July 2008
DANGER! Placing Patients On Hold
The simple question of 'are you able to hold?' and waiting for a response could make or break a life-threatening situation. The importance of a Medical Receptionist to adequately ensure that it's acceptable to place a patient on hold cannot be stressed enough.
The reality is that putting patients on hold without asking first is unsafe, because there will be instances when they absolutely cannot wait for attention. From a patient's viewpoint, there is nothing more annoying and possibly dangerous than being told to hold the line.
Source - GPA NEWS plus July Issue - 44
For Practice Nurses
Best Practice Awards - is there a nurse in your practice who should be nominated?
The Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) Best Practice Awards are on again, and 2008 nominations are now open!
The APNA Best Practice Awards aim to identify and honour those nurses working in general practice and are open to all APNA members who can either be self-nominated or peers can nominate.
In 2008 the Best Practice Awards will be offered in six categories:
- Immunisation
- Chronic Disease Management
- Innovation and Commitment to Nursing in General Practice
- Wound Management
- Women's Health
- Quality Improvement
To continue their professional development the winner of each award will receive a prize between $1,000 and $5,000.
For further details on how nurses can nominate themselves or GPs/Practice Managers can nominate their Practice Nurse, go to the APNA website.
General Information and Upcoming Events
- General Practice Nurse Leadership Program distance education via the University of New England - applications close August 4th 2008.
- Spirometry Training Course - Saturday October 18th to be facilitated by National Asthma Council (NAC). Flyer and registration information will be distributed to practices mid August.
- Launch of Chlamydia web site.
- Health professionals Act 2005 - Impact on Nurses. NBV are currently updating policies and standards on the website and all practice nurses will need to attend professional development to adhere with these changes. Dates and times will be advised.
- APNA will be launching a quarterly magazine for all members and it will be available in September. The first edition will also be provided to practice nurses who are non members as part of a membership drive, and to increase the awareness of the association.
Coming up later in the year is the RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference 2008, at Coffs Harbour NSW from 25-27 November. Any nurse who wish to present a paper at the conference the call for abstract should be out soon on the RCNA web site.
AMA Victoria - training for health professionals
AMA Victoria and La Trobe University have worked together to develop a two-day, Business Principles of Health Management training course suitable for a range of health professionals working in a variety of medical settings. The course was developed to provide GPs, registrars, unit directors, medical administrators and specialists with new ways of thinking, more systematic approaches to practice management and practical business skills to succeed in a medical environment.
The Business Principles of Health Management course, headed by Dr Pauline Stantion, a leader in human resources management and a prominent academic, will commence Saturday August 2 and conclude Saturday September 13. Dr Stantion will be assisted by La Trobe University School of Management business experts who will provide insight and advice on financial management, budgeting, cash flow management, cost analysis, human resource management, performance management, staff dynamics, delegation, training and more.
AMA Victoria is offering early bird specials for the next Business Principles of Health Management course. Non-AMA members accompanied by a colleague will enjoy member rates for themselves and that colleague.
Register now by calling AMA Victoria on (03) 9280 8722 or email .
Source - GPV Friday Fax 11 July 2008
This article is available online at http://bddgp.org.au/article/2008/07/practice-support
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