Eastern Ranges GP Association

By weaving your way through this module you will find a variety of information relating to IT including the IT/IM Incentive and Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

Detailed information relating to the PEN CAT Tool and the Practice Health Atlas (PHA) is available here.  Items such as a checklist for bushfire safety precautions and the General Practice Occupational Health and Safety booklet can be downloaded off this module. All you need to know about human resources and financial management has also been included.

Information Technology & Management

Having a paperless practices involves the gradual electronification of your entire practice workflow, both internally and externally.  Going paperless allows the practice to benefit in a number of ways including faster communication  of information with collegues and efficient filing and retrieval of patient and administration records.

Currently it is not possible to be completely paperless in medical practice.  Most areas of practice can be relatively paper-free but still involve paper as the medium of communication between the practice and other practitioners, hospitals, labs or funding bodies.  Probably paper light is a better term and covers the following areas:

Resources

Becoming a paperless practice: Where do I begin? With compliments doctorware 2008

The PIP IM/IT Incentive arrangements aims to encourage practices to implement more secure IT practice systems and electronic patient health records to facilitate efficient and widespread information transfer and storage.  Accurate and complete medical documentation is essential for supporting good clinical care and ensuring good communication between health providers, allowing them to respond quickly to patient needs to benefit both consumers and provider.

Payments are made to PIP practices on a quarterly basis with other PIP practice payments.

To be eligible for the PIP IM/IT Incentive; the practice must:

  • Participate in the PIP; and
  • Meet the requirements of the Tier for which the practice is applying

There are two levels of IM/IT activity recognized under the PIP IM/IT Incentive

Tier 1 (Basic) . Annual payments per SWPE $4.00

Tier 2 (Enhanced). Annual payments per SWPE  $3.00 Click here for more info.

Resources

Information about Tier 1 IT IM PIP Payment

Information about Tier 2 IM IT PIP Payment

Applying for a PIP -download an application form here

The PIP eHealth Incentive aims to encourage practices to keep up to date with the latest developments in eHealth.  As technology continues to emerge, practices will be able to securely exchange information such as discharge summaries, pathology reports and specialist reports electronically; send electronic referrals and pathology orders; and participate in prescribing electronically.  Patient information sent and received electronically will also be available to be added directly into a patient’s electronic health record.

To meet the requirements of the PIP your practice must:

  • Participate in the PIP
  • Have a secure messaging capability, which is provider by an eligible supplier
  • Have or have applied for a location/site Public Key Infrastructure certificate for the practice and each practice branch, and ensure that each GP working at the practice has (or has applied for) and individual PKI certificate; and
  • Provide practitioners from the practice with access to a range of key electronic clinical resources

Resources

What is PKI ?

What are the benefits of using PKI?

How does PKI work?

Location/ site and individual PKI certificates can be downloaded here:

Site certificate

Location certificate

Information about requirement to access to key electronic resources

Healthcare public directory

The Healthcare public directory lets you download other subscribers' certificates and check the certifcation revocation list.

Resources

Pen Clinical Audit Tool (CAT) -Getting started

The Pen CAT Tool is a clinical information system that supports quality improvement in information management and enhances the business capability of general practice. The CAT software tool operates with the GP Clincial Desktop System to present the GP and other practice staff with meaningful clinical information.  To register for the installation of the CAT Tool.  Please complete the following form:

Using the Pen CAT Tool -training booklet

Using the Pen CAT Tool -a training booklet for  a "hands -on" session using the CAT, written by Noel Stewert (NEVDGP).  ERGPA would like to acknowledge NEVDGP for supplying this fantastic resource.

Pen CAT User Guide -NEVDGP

Additional Resources -With compliments NEVDGP

Use the Pen Clinical Audit Tool to complete your CHD and Diabetes Baseline Report

Collecting the National Performance Indicators using Pen CAT Tool

Clean up you act -an MD training manual on how to accurately record clinical information and to "clean up" those areas of past neglect

The Practice Health Atlas (PHA) provides epidemiological analysis of a practice’s chronic disease population.  Its application to business modelling can inform plans to suit practice capacity and goals.  The PHA’s objectives include developing a professional culture around quality health data and building aggregated de-identified general practice data at both practice and divisional level to assist with local needs assessment, planning and funding. 

The construction of the PHA takes place at the Division and is done using the Microsoft Office suite. (ie Access, Excel and Word) and MapInfo Professional GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software.  The PHA aims to inspire general Practice Teams to reflect on their activities and to develop business models for more effective health care services/outcomes (innovation).  It is hoped that the overall health of our community will profit from this initiative and that health professionals will also profit from improved professional satisfactions and rewards for delivering quality services.

Process for registering:

1. Register your Practice interest

2. We schedule your PHA

3. We consult with your Practice re: existing systems/software in place

4. We collect a de-identified back-up of your clinical data

5. We provide your PHA to you and consult re: potential business and clinical systems

Resources

Business modelling by analyzing item number usage (with thanks to NEVDGP)

NEVDGP have designed spreadsheets which allow you to use practice management software to analyse item number use. The following spreadsheet allows you to type in the $totals

of an item number for a given period and the spreadsheet then works out the number of claims for that item number.

Resources

Are your patients ready for electronic communication -with compliments www.aafp.org 2007

Conputer User Groups

The General Practice Computing Group is the peak national body for GP informatics in Australian General Practice

Electronic Resources

This module from the General Practice Computing Group develops your search skills so you can have credible relevant information when you need it, and have confidence to use the resources in your clinical processes

IT/IMIT Quality Improvement Tool

Medical Director shortcuts- with compliments Inner Eastern Melbourne Division of General Practice

Occupational, Health & Safety

Resources

Hazard checklist for Medical Practice

Resources

General Practice booklet

Human Resources & Communications

Resources

Getting beyond blame in your practice

Guide to managing conflict

Positive steps for managing and promoting a health workplace culture

Resources

Doctors entering a private practice

Resources

10 Steps to make a more efficient medical practice

10 Steps to make a more efficient medical practice

Resources

How to make your meetings more productive

Resources

Efficiencies in Reception- Better use of the telephone

Financial Management

These documents provide a mechanism to allow practice principals to critically analyse the financial performance of the practice.

Resources

Making your balance sheet work for you

Work smarter, not harder to save your practice money

Look beyond your practices bottom line