GP Tools

  In an era where 70% of Australian GPs express concern about their administrative workload—up from 60% just a year ago—finding practical ways to reduce this burden has never been more critical. As this administrative load continues to be cited as the primary reason GPs plan to leave practice within the next five years, implementing effective solutions is essential for both individual wellbeing and workforce sustainability. The Real Impact of Templates on Your Practice Time Pre-made electronic templates within clinical information systems offer a practical solution for standardising and expediting common clinical and administrative tasks. But what tangible benefits can they deliver to your practice? Documented Time Savings Consultation Documentation : Tools like 'autofills' in Best Practice or 'auto text' in Zedmed can save significant typing time for routine consultations. For instance, using shortcuts for immunisation checks or standard advice for common conditi...

The Australian Government has announced significant changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule items for chronic disease management, with implementation now deferred until 1 July 2025. These changes represent the first major overhaul of the framework in almost two decades and aim to modernise and streamline chronic disease management in general practice. As GPs, we have a critical opportunity to prepare for these changes while continuing to deliver high-quality care to our patients with chronic conditions. This article outlines the upcoming changes and provides practical strategies for GPs to prepare their practices and enhance chronic disease management approaches. What's Changing in Chronic Disease Management? From 1 July 2025, several key changes will be implemented: Simplified Documentation : The current GP Management Plan (GPMP) and Team Care Arrangements (TCA) will be replaced with a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, reducing administrative complexity. MyMe...

Bulk billing incentives are an essential component of the Medicare Benefits Schedule, designed to encourage practitioners to bulk bill eligible patients. Understanding the interaction between consultation item numbers, MyMedicare enrolment, and available incentives is crucial for both practice management and patient care. This guide aims to help GPs and GP trainees understand how bulk billing incentives apply to different consultation types and how MyMedicare enrolment affects item eligibility. This guide will focus on services provided in Modified Monash 1 areas.   Understanding Bulk Billing Incentives in MM1 Areas General Practitioners practicing in Modified Monash 1 (metropolitan) areas can access three different bulk billing incentives when bulk billing eligible patients: Item 10990 : Standard bulk billing incentive Item 75870 : Enhanced “triple” bulk billing incentive. Item 75880 : MyMedicare-specific bulk billing incentive (for enrolled patie...

The Australian healthcare landscape is constantly evolving, and recent changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) concerning bulk billing incentives are significant for General Practitioners. As of November 1st, 2023, we've seen an exciting development: increased Medicare bulk billing incentive payments , often referred to as "triple incentives," for specific patient groups and consultation types. This article aims to demystify these changes and provide a clear, practical guide for GPs and GP trainees to understand and utilise these incentives effectively, ultimately enhancing patient access to care. Let's revisit some fundamental concepts: What is a Medicare Rebate? The Medicare rebate is the amount the Australian government contributes towards the cost of eligible medical services. When a patient sees a doctor, Medicare typically covers a portion of the scheduled fee for that service. The patient is then responsible for the gap, if any, between the scheduled fe...