Policies and Appointments

Policy

 PATHOLOGY RESULTS

 Patients are encouraged to see their own GP for necessary investigations to enhance continuity of care.

It is DoctorDoctor policy that it is preferable for tests to be conducted by a patient’s usual GP, as follow up of results is more practical, or in the case of more urgent tests that emergency care providers may be more appropriate. If a DoctorDoctor doctor does instigate tests, the following policy is followed.

1.         The doctor that orders the test is responsible for the test.

2.         The doctor will always copy the GP on the request as extra insurance for follow up and for continuity of care acting as their deputy.

3.         DoctorDoctor FCM call management system records that a test has been initiated – when clinically significant, this is indicated also via FCM.

4.         DoctorDoctor administrative staff assists the doctor to ensure appropriate protocols are followed and assist them in meeting their obligation as the doctor that ordered the test.

5.         When results are received at the DoctorDoctor office:

a. the doctor that ordered the test is notified that the results can be viewed on the applicable docket number for the patient;

b. the doctor reviews the result;

c. the doctor will contact the patient when follow up is required and advise the office once this is completed;

d.DoctorDoctor confirms that the patient’s usual GP has also received a copy of the test result;

e. where the GP has not received a copy, DoctorDoctor staff forwards a copy and confirms receipt;

f. a copy of the result and letter advising of the need for follow up is sent to the patient;

g. the result is scanned and attached to the patient’s file in Documents (it must be noted in the Description box that the result has gone to the GP and emailed to the Deputising Doctor, dated and staff initialed. It is then also attached to the appropriate docket number);

h. where the DoctorDoctor doctor is not contactable and the GP has received the result, the GP is requested to follow up with their patient;

i. where both the DoctorDoctor doctor and the patient’s regular GP is not available, the DoctorDoctor Medical Director is contacted to follow up on the results;

6.         When clinical significant tests are requested by the doctor:

a. if the results have not been received by DoctorDoctor within 5 days, DoctorDoctor administrative staff will contact the patient for follow up as to whether the tests have been conducted;

b. if the doctor has not been advised of the result of clinically significant tests within 5 days, the doctor will contact DoctorDoctor to initiate or verify that contact has been made with the patient for follow up.

It is DoctorDoctor policy that if a Deputising Doctor initiates testing of a patient, it is that Doctor’s responsibility to follow up on both the results of this testing and also that any recommendation to conduct clinically significant tests are followed up with the patient, if it has not been acted upon.

It is very rare for Deputising doctors to review, act upon and incorporate in the medical record details of pathology results, diagnostic imaging reports and clinical correspondence, given DoctorDoctor ’ role as an afterhours medical deputising service providing episodes of care – in the interests of continuity of care, these details are generally referred immediately to the patient’s own GP.

In the very rare case where tests are commissioned, the Deputising Doctor makes a written request that the results are sent to the patient’s GP address and a copy to DoctorDoctor to enable review if the patients GP is unavailable to review test results.

There are two exceptions to this general rule:

·         if the patient does not have a GP (but has been referred by DoctorDoctor  to a GP member practice) and the matter is urgent;

·         if patient does have GP – but the matter is urgent and the GP member practice is not likely to open soon given, say, an extended public holiday period.

 In each of these cases, DoctorDoctor policy requires that the Deputising Doctor:

·         urgently reviews the pathology results, diagnostic imaging reports and clinical correspondence;

·         calls the patient for a phone consultation or to arrange a follow up home visit consultation to discuss the results with the patient;

·         initiates any urgent follow up action required (as agreed with the patient); 

·         incorporates the salient details of the pathology results, diagnostic imaging reports and clinical correspondence – as well as any further advice given to the patient in the consultation – in the medical record of the consultation; 

·         where the patient does have a GP, and where necessary – the Deputising Doctor may call the GP using the GP’s afterhours contact telephone number (as provided to DoctorDoctor ); and

·         give the patient the pathology results, diagnostic imaging reports and clinical correspondence (if the Deputising Doctor is not with the patient, the Deputising Doctor sends the documents to the patient by secure mail).

If a report or test is sent by the pathology lab etc. to DoctorDoctor – DoctorDoctor day staff immediately contact the patient’s GP to inquire whether a copy has been received. If so, the results are sent to the patient by secure mail, along with a letter suggesting that for their own wellbeing that they contact their own GP as soon as possible to follow up such tests. If not, DoctorDoctor fax the results or if required contacts a courier immediately to deliver this test to the patient’s GP. DoctorDoctor then call the GP member practice to confirm receipt. DoctorDoctor is also utilising technology that enables copies of results (the original having gone to the patients GP) to be uploaded and attached to the patients consult record on our call management system.

If the patient does not have a GP, DoctorDoctor  day staff contact the Deputising Doctor who attended the patient; the Deputising Doctor is required to review the results as soon as practicable. After review, any necessary notes are made to the patient’s medical record and the originals are sent to the patient.

If for some reason the Deputising Doctor who attended the patient is not available to review the results, the DoctorDoctor  Medical Director or Medical Advisor is required to review the results as soon as practicable. After review, any necessary notes are made to the patient’s medical record and the originals are sent to the patient.

DoctorDoctor has also recently developed its customer relations software to provide visibility of the audit trail of investigations to our Deputising Doctor on the home screen of their individual login. This will enhance the ability of doctors to monitor the entire process personally, initial such review and initiate any further follow up as and when required.

In the interests of continuity of care, the medical record of the consultation is sent by DoctorDoctor to the patient’s GP (or new GP, as the case may be) on the next business day. This report contains information regarding any investigations.

 

In the circumstance where our Call Centre is contacted regarding urgent test results for the patients of one of our subscribing General Practice, the call centre staff will contact that practices afterhours emergency contact immediately and document that contact in our CRM system.. If they are unable to reach the nominated contact and the diagnostic company does not have a doctor to act on these results, one of our Deputising Doctors will be contacted to review the results and contact the patient concerned as appropriate.

 

 

Complaints

COMPLAINTS

We take patient concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. Please write to, or contact our Client Service Manager Mr Andrew Crowley during business hours to discuss any matter. For matters to be dealt with outside this practice, please contact the following formal complaint body in Melbourne: Victorian Health Services Commissioner Level 26, 570 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic 3000 Tel: 1300 582 113. E: hsc@health.vic.gov.au

If you are in Perth  for matters to be dealt with outside this practice, please contact the following formal complaint body in Perth: The Office of Health Review;GPO Box B61;Perth WA 6838;Phone (08) 9323 0600

In Brisbane for matters to be dealt with outside this practice, please contact the following formal complaint body:

The Office of the Health Ombudsman

PO Box 13281

George Street Brisbane QLD 4003

Phone: 133 646

In Sydney for matters to be dealt with outside this practice, please contact the following formal complaint body:

Health Care Complaints Commission

Level 13, 323 Castlereagh Street (corner of Hay St)

Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: 1800 043 159

Social Medial Policy

Follow this hyperlink to a copy of our Social Media  Policy

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IT Network Email Policy

Follow this hyperlink to a copy of our IT Network Email Policy

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Telephone and electronic communications policy

Telephone and electronic communications policy

Emergencies: Where immediate attention is required, a Deputising Doctor takes calls (from the Operations Supervisor only – but not patients – for Deputising Doctor safety reasons the Deputising Doctor calls the patient directly – e.g. providing first aid advice over the phone while the patient is waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Non-emergencies: DoctorDoctor Deputising Doctors provide telephone consultations to patients as soon as possible after they receive the patient’s details from the Operations Supervisor. DoctorDoctor requires that, for personal security and privacy reasons, a Deputising Doctor’s mobile phone number and other personal contact details never be given out to patients. If a patient asks to speak to a Deputising Doctor, this must be done through a Customer Service Officer. The Customer Service Officer takes down the patient’s details and then asks the Doctor to call the patient (either by calling the Doctor, or by sending the Doctor an encrypted message – or SMS text message with the patient contact details, and then confirming receipt). All callers to DoctorDoctor hear a recorded message advising them to contact 000 if they have an emergency before speaking with a call centre representative and Customer Service Officers will always ask patients if the matter is an emergency before putting them on hold.

Emergencies and potential emergencies – must be dealt with in accordance with the Call Triage and Referral Protocol.

If the patient calls DoctorDoctor  with continuing medical concerns even after seeing a Doctor that same night/shift: Unless an emergency, the Operations Supervisor calls the same Deputising Doctor who previously attended the patient (wherever possible), to provide a further telephone and/or home visit consultation for the patient 

A separate medical record is made by each Deputising Doctor for each such telephone consultation, confirming that they do in fact call each patient for this purpose. Where contact is not made, doctors will note the time of the unsuccessful attempt in the record of that patients consultation.

 

DoctorDoctor does not take patient bookings via email, however an auto generated reply is in placed on  administrative emails that advises patients of this fact, provides the phone number to make bookings or contact administration during business hours and provides a timeframe for when any emails are likely to be replied to, that is within 3 business days.

Privacy Policy

 

Follow this hyperlink to a copy of our Privacy Policy

 

Sonic Clinical Services Privacy Officer contact details Address The Privacy Officer, Sonic Clinical Services Level 21, Grosvenor Place, 225 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 Email privacy@scs.com.au Telephone (02) 8288 8988

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Appointments

Patients may request to book an after hours home visit consult from 6pm Monday to Friday, from 12 noon Saturday and all day Sunday and public Holidays.

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