quality), with the doctor's notes being
completed at the time of the consultation.
your patients via your website, a smart-
phone app and/or Wi-Fi connection at your
practice. If utilising your website, a good tip
is to ensure it's smart-phone friendly this
means the information displayed will be in a
format designed for smart phones. Your web
developer should be able to configure this
requirement. Services could include:
· Patient registration: The ability to have
and update data forms online, submit
via email or practice Wi-Fi connection
and uploaded to practice software
offers significant efficiencies with staff
utilisation and reliability of data entry.
to request repeat prescriptions via
your website reduces telephone
requests and gives patients time
to complete the request and input
details of the medication required.
to provide an alternate to the traditional
telephone-enquiry service. It may be worth
considering having a practice nurse as the
initial `filter' for such requests. As this
will be outside Medicare Benefit Schedule,
practices can set their own policies, and
fees around the use of such a service.
communication you aim to have with
your patients, this may be a cost-
effective marketing and practical
electronic tool. This would then enable
you to easily communicate with your
patients in an efficient and cost-effective
demographics show a high percentage in
the 20-40 age group, you can be assured
that they will expect electronic forms
of communication to be available.
patient to be physically present, or if the
consult could be conducted via a video
link. While obviously not appropriate
for every consultation, there will be a
number that could be conducted using
this technology. Reducing patient travel
and wait times would provide a far more
patient-friendly service and may well
establish your practice's competitive edge.
Again, this service could be provided as a
private service (non-MBS), with policies
and fees established by the practice.
I believe a similar type of system will
become available for medical practices.
Patients will be able to check in by
swiping their Medicare card and this will
be integrated to the practice software.
At the same time, patients will be
asked to update demographic data,
be reminded of any eligible/overdue
health checks and provided with any
relevant updated practice information.
Similarly, at the end of their consultation,
patients will be able to swipe their
debit/credit card to process payment.
as a possible alternative to conventional
waiting-room magazines. In this way they
can be used as educational tools, as well
as providing capability of e-magazines,
etcetera. Stand-mounted tablet computers
already exist and can be stationed within a
practice and used for patient registration,
patient surveys, educational material