Australia has one of the finest healthcare systems in the world. All thanks to the combined efforts by the government and our highly qualified healthcare professionals. Accordingly, every patient expects the highest level of health care from medical professionals. However, some patients fail to understand that health care is an inherently risky sector.
Every day healthcare professionals go through multiple challenges, which include negative results from their actions. So, it is the responsibility of every healthcare professional to safeguard their interest. Following all rules and regulations and having a backup plan can significantly mitigate risk. This guide talks about 5 Things you Should Do As a Healthcare Professional. Meanwhile if you are searching about the dental Implants and want to read proper reviews before you start these things, then click here and you might get some authentic all on 4 dental implants reviews.
5 Things you Should Do As a Healthcare Professional
The Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care shared a few tips for safer healthcare practices. It insists on the combined efforts of both patients and doctors to make this profession safer.
But, in the case of any mishappening, most of the time, healthcare professionals are the ones who stand at the receiving end. Therefore, to practice confidently, it is imperative to do the following 5 things:
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Registration
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), in collaboration with the Medical Board of Australia, is responsible for regulating the registration and accreditation of healthcare professionals. Every State in Australia has AHPRA offices and medical boards.
These offices maintain a public register of those registered.
There are four categories of registration based on training and expertise:
- General
- Specialist
- Provisional
- Limited
- Other are non-practitioners and interns
Registering with AHPRA is also essential to provide government-funded Medicare services. So, the first step entails registration to practice legally and to get other benefits.
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Get a Medicare Provider Number
The government funds healthcare in Australia through Medicare. When private practitioners or GPs provide medical services to citizens, they become eligible for medicare rebates. But to avail of these benefits, a practitioner should have a Medicare Provider Number.
It is a unique number issued to qualified health care professionals. Healthcare professionals with Medicare Provider Number can claim, bill, refer or request Medicare services. If you don’t have a provider number, your services will not be covered under the Medicare Scheme. In this scenario, inform the patient in advance as they can’t get a Medicare rebate
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Obtain a Prescriber Number
In addition to the medical provider number, obtain a prescriber number. Every healthcare professional needs this number to prescribe medicines covered under Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
All eligible citizens get affordable, subsidized medicines under this scheme. Moreover, this number should appear in all of your prescriptions and remain the same everywhere.
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Get medical indemnity insurance.
Despite following all procedures and guidelines, there are chances of mistakes. Sometimes, you may have to face unruly patients or people with wrong intentions. So to safeguard your practices, signing up for medical indemnity insurance is crucial. Moreover, every registered medical practitioner needs to have professional indemnity insurance.
Furthermore, it is key to mitigating the risk faced by healthcare daily. While several providers offer this type of insurance, only Tego offers tailor-made, fairly-priced Medical Indemnity insurance based on the merits of the healthcare professional’s specific practice.
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Consider Personal medical indemnity.
Apart from professional medical indemnity, consider signing up for a personal medical indemnity. Sometimes, you may have to administer medical help out of coverage in an emergency or volunteer for not-for-profit organizations. In this case, personal medical indemnity can safeguard any practice you might do outside the workplace.
Similarly, explore your options in life insurance and health insurance. Look out for any additional coverages or discounts offered to a healthcare professional. These two become more crucial as you are involved in a potentially hazardous job.
In addition to these aspects, consider the expert tips laid down by the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care for providing smooth medicare services:
- Involve patients and answer their every query
- Make communication simple and easy to understand
- Get detailed information about the medications history of the patient
- Prescribe medications in simple and plain language
- Let the patients decide their possible treatment options
- If necessary, explain to them the need to have a surgery or procedure
- Explain the results or complications any surgery may pose to them and get written consent
Conclusion
This article shows that healthcare professionals must understand medicare codes, register with AHPRA, get a medicare provider number, and sign up for medical indemnity insurance. When you have the right insurance and follow all codes, you can continue contributing to Australian healthcare without any worries.
For more registration information, visit Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
