General Practice is in a difficult place and the biggest changes in decades are about to occur.
All practices need to consider if you are doing everything you can to maxmise value for your practice and patients.
In a recent General Practice in a Rapidly Changing World webinar presented by Tonic Media Network, Dr Norman Swan asked his guests, Dr Steve Hambleton and Dr Wally Jammal what practices can do now to stay ahead of the game.
Dr Steve Hambleton, former President of the AMA, a leading proponent of reform and a General Practitioner in Brisbane, believes practices need to be systematic about their ‘regulars’. “Are you looking after them with chronic disease management plans and annual health assessments? They’re the high value item numbers”. He also highlighted the importance of relationships and building links between you and your patients including your part-time GPs “Are you structured correctly because one day patients will be asked which practice they want to link to and funding will follow that registration.” Dr Hambleton also encouraged practices to consider if you are making the best use of practice nurses to warp around the care your practice is giving alongside better understanding your local population to match your services to needs.
Dr Wally Jammal, a General Practitioner in Sydney, believes the current funding mechanism drives us to do certain things in certain ways and is anti-teamwork. “We need to use the team around us to the best of their ability, even under the current system. It can save time, increase income, increase efficiency and improve patient outcomes. And we know this because we have the data. Practices should start thinking how they can tweak things and become better organised”. Dr Jammal also believes practices should look at ways of better using the data available to them.
For more information:
To watch or listen to a recording of this General Practice in a Rapidly Changing World webinar visit https://www.tonicmedianetwork.com.au/gp-webinar-access/ or find the podcast on your favourite podcast streaming platform.
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