As usual Oliver you have provided some sound research advice. I still rate your electronic prompt work as some of the most elegant research in this space so why would I be surprised.
I am conscious of space so will see what I can do in terms of computer experiences. I like the suggested question 4 "Do you write on paper in your practice?" We will try to do an online version - we have a longer lead time now as we are looking for the December release of Pulse IT. Simon offered previously to put up an online version so will ask whether we can do that now or if there is an alternate site we can use. This I would hope offer wider coverage and preferences to participate. Thanks Geoff -----Original Message----- From: Oliver Frank [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 6 October 2006 9:09 a.m. To: General Practice Computing Group Talk; Geoff Sayer Subject: Re: [GPCG_TALK] 5 important things > > Given this interest in starting a new enterprise I was wondering whether > it is possible that this group could identify the 5 most important > things that they feel a "system" would have that would make them want to > use it. Dear Geoff, Three things that I believe would improve general practice would be: 1. An agreed way of structuring clinical and billing data that allows GPs to use any clinical and billing packages they want with the same dataset. That is, if I want to, I can use Genie for my first consultation today, Profile for the next and Medical Director for the third. They all read from and write to the same dataset. This would allow GPs freedom to change easily from using one software package to another as they wish. 2. All forms that outside agencies like Centrelink, driving licence authorities, etc. want us to complete for patients are available either online via the Web, and are populated automatically from the information that we already have in in our clinical record (which we can edit in the online form as required) OR are generated automatically from within our software package (for example, like the South Australian Prescribed Medical Certificate for Workcover claims) and able to be emailed securely automatically. It is important that these agencies do NOT ask repeatedly for information that is static and not going to change, for example, the patient's date of birth, or the nature of their permanent disability e.g. blind from birth. 3. A method of providing test results to patients automatically e.g. by the patients being able to access their electronic medical record and read our comments and advice about the results. Medicare needs to fund our costs in providing this service - that is, payment for our time spent writing our comments and advice. A couple of comments about your draft: The question: "When did you start to use computers?" does not differentiate between use for computers at home for non-medical uses, e.g. games, doing the family tree, etc. or use in the practice. Further, you would know that many practices used computer billing systems for years before they started using electronic clinical records. I suggest that you break this into several questions, something like: 1. When did you first use a computer for any purpose, at home or in your practice? 2. When did your practice first use computers for any purpose, including patient billing? 3. When did your practice start using computers to make any part of the clinical record, including prescribing? 4. Do you write on paper in your practice? I have found that this last question is the easiest way to determine which practices are really using their clinical packages fully. Many practices say "Oh yes, we are computerised", but when you ask, you find that they use the computer only for prescribing or only for writing referrals or only to generate health summaries. I suggest refining and rewording the question: "Which best describes your current occupation: GP - Year of graduation (e.g. 1990) ____________ Specialist - Year of graduation (e.g. 1990) ____________ GP Practice Staff Specialist Practice Staff" along the lines of: "Which best describes your current occupation: GP - Year of graduation (e.g. 1990) ____________ Medical specialist - Year of graduation (e.g. 1990) ____________ Staff member in a general practice Staff member in a medical specialist practice" mainly to clarify that you are talking about medical specialists and not any other kind of specialised health professional or indeed non-health professional. Lastly, I hope that you will provide an online version of the survey rather than only a fill-in-by-hand-and-fax-back version. -- Oliver Frank, general practitioner 255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia 5086 Phone 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 Mobile 0407 181 683 _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
