Virtual medical practice management has been highly adopted by medical specialists in Australia. Medical specialists can benefit from virtual medical practice management enormously once it is understood how virtual management works in the medical specialist context. Here is an overview of how the day to day operations will look like if you choose to run your medical practice with virtual management.
SET UP
Phones
Virtual medical practice embraces VOIP (voice over internet protocol) phone systems. This gives you the option of keeping your existing phone number or creating a practice phone number that you can take with you anywhere. An existing number can be pointed to our system (ported) generally within 24 hours. Calls are answered through the phone system interface utilising either desktop software or a standard handset.
Messages can be left by patients if calls are missed or out of hours. Queue systems are availalbe for heavy demand practices so there can be more than one operator answering calls at any given time. Out of office messages can be left to allow patients to contact you if desired.
Phones are answered using your identification (Dr Brown’s rooms Jessica speaking). The phone sytems used identify each line coming into my office so I know which rooms I am answering calls for.
Email and Website
Email is crucial to any medical practice and this is managed easily in a virtual environment. If you already have an existing email account all you need to do is allow access to it and virtual administrators can manage your email instantly. If you don’t have an email set up, these can be done for you creating an email from either an existing or new domain that we can help you set up.
Diary Management
Practice management software can be configured easily to reflect the consulting and operating availability of your practice. This is also a service I offer once you have been onboarded by your software provider.
Patient Appointments
When patients contact your rooms it will appear to them that they are calling your dedicated rooms. I then organise an appointment, send out patient detail and consent forms, create patients in the software, take payment details or organise for payment prior to the appointment (depending on your model of practice).
Patient appointments are confirmed prior to the clinic day either via SMS (as part of your practice managmeent software) or a phone call if confirmation has not been received. This maximises the clinic time as much as possible.
At the time of clinic I ensure that all results and imaging are in the chart, referrals are in the chart and valid, Medicare and fund details are up to date. I can send the clinic lists to the consulting suites as appropriate.
Consulting Suites
Generally there are many sessional consulting suites available throughout major cities in Australia, particularly associated with the private hospital of your choice. All that may be required is a receptionist to meet and greet your patients, but even this step can be overcome with simple signage to take a seat and wait to be called. The medical pracitioner has full access to the appointments for the day, with notes updated in real time if patients are running late or late cancellations.
After Clinic
Once a patient appointment is completed, I process the payment and send the account through to Medicare for the patient through practice management software. You leave your notes for follow up in whichever way is most convenient for you using the practice software, or via email. This can be discussed at the onboarding phase.
From there, I book surgeries or follow up appointments and notify the patient via email.
Theatre and Procedure Bookings
I become the point of contact for all theatre bookings for the practice, ensuring that lists are sent regularly to all parties. I can negotiate with the hospitals on your behalf for theatre time if needed. After hours theatres are dealt with at the time of the emergency by the hospital staff and I bill at the next earliest opportunity. This is usually communicated through the clinic software or via email. I can sort these preferences with you at onboarding.
Depending on your specialty I can organise assistants, anaesthetists, orthopaedic reps and more.
If you are participating in the known gap scheme with the health fund I ensure that the gap payments are collected 7 days prior to the procedure. If a self-funded or AMA fee applies, we collect full payment prior to the procedure and send off to the funds as appropriate afterwards.
A post-operative appointment is booked at the time of booking the procedure as per the clinical guidelines of the practice.
Debtor Management
Generally I try to run each practice on as close to a cash basis as possible. Sometimes this is not always possible with insurance companies and Medicare so I make sure that each outstanding debt is followed up weekly and any errors found early to ensure rapid cashflow for your business.
Doucments
Patient detail forms and consents are generally emailed directly to the practice. However some patients are not always able to do this and will bring them to the appointment. These can be scanned and sent over One Drive along with any other paperwork that needs to go into the system and patient chart.
Transcription
Voice to text is the most efficient way to move forward with transcription with up to date practice management software that have this facility. Distribution of letters is undertaken within 24 hours of the letters being ready to send with careful attention given to copies required for the healthcare team. I also proof read the letters in case the voice to tet may have made an error.
Medical Objects / Healthlink / Argus
These are generally configured in conjunction with your practice management software provider. When correspondence comes into the practice through this portal, such as referrals, they are handled immediately by either sending through to the practitioner for triage or booked for appointment, depending on the clinical guidelines of the practice.
Conclusion
There are a lot of moving parts in any medical practice. Virtual medical practice management gives you the facade of an established room without the expense of rent, staffing costs and commitment to a specific room and location. Virtual practice management is affordable and efficient. It serves those starting out and those caught out without staff. I can offer services temporarily as an emergency fill in, right through to complete practice management for your career.
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