Sizzling summer updates

January 21, 2025

Sizzling Summer Updates

The MediRecords team is turning up the heat this summer with a range of exciting product enhancements!

Inspired by user feedback and our team’s appetite for innovation, the enhancements include streamlined prescribing and clinical workflows, centralised billing for multi-practice sites, user customisation options and much more. These sizzling updates are designed to boost efficiency and enhance your experience with MediRecords!

Check out the enhancements below, and stay tuned for even more enhancements that will supercharge your productivity and elevate your care this summer. First release for these new features is scheduled for 27 January 2025.

Enhancement Name

Enhancement Description

Availability

Prescribe menu labelling update


The prescribing drop-down menu options are being renamed to provide clearer, more intuitive labels, ensuring prescribers can easily understand their actions. There are no functional changes, just improved labels for ease of use:

  • E-Prescribe → Save Draft (eRx)
  • E-Prescribe and Print → ePrescribe
  • Prescribe → Save Draft (Paper)
  • Prescribe & Print → Prescribe (Paper)
  • Prescribe and New → Save and New (Paper)

This update aims to enhance user experience by offering more transparent and descriptive button labels.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)


Enhanced dose list & search function

The Dose menu in the prescribing window will soon include additional options and a search feature. This update will support prescribers, particularly in medicinal cannabis clinics, by offering more accurate dose choices, such as 0.5ml or 1 puff, and saving time when creating prescriptions. The new search functionality allows providers to quickly find the doses they need and easily save them to their Favourites, eliminating the need to manually enter doses for each prescription.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)


New medicinal cannabis forms in Drug Recipes

The Drug Recipe form list will soon be expanded to include Dried Herb, Dried Flower, and Cartridge options. This update will provide medicinal cannabis clinics and prescribers greater flexibility, allowing them to describe medications more accurately and streamline the prescription process.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Enhanced Route List & search function in Drug Recipes

The Drug Recipe Route list now aligns with Medications for improved accuracy in electronic prescribing, with a new search function to streamline recipe creation.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

PBS/RPBS filter enhancement

Easily filter out non-PBS/RPBS medications to streamline prescribing for patients eligible for reduced pharmacy costs. The filter can be applied across drug searches, Drug Recipes, Drug Classes, and Favourites, ensuring you only see PBS/RPBS-listed medications, saving time and improving prescribing accuracy. Ideal for providers who prescribe predominantly from the PBS/RPBS list, such as GPs who bulk bill.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Enhanced medication view: Added Prescribed As, Days Between Repeats and Annotations

The Expanded Medication View will soon include Prescribed As, Days Between Repeats, and Annotations, allowing prescribers to easily review key prescription details and how medications were prescribed, all within the Medications grid.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Extended Prescription Preview Area

The Prescription Preview display area will be expanded and headers added, enabling users to easily view prescription information from any page in the prescribing workflow, at any time.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

AIR Claim Status & Failure Messages in Immunisation Grid

AIR Claim Status and Failure Messages will be added to the patient’s Immunisation Grid, allowing users to quickly view the status of outstanding claims or check if an immunisation has been successfully claimed, all within the patient context. This update will help streamline the process of managing immunisation claims.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

New Clinical Templates

Discover a comprehensive suite of new clinical templates designed to enhance assessments, streamline care delivery, and support informed decision-making. These include:

  • Observations: Range of Motion (ROM) Upper Limb, Range of Motion (ROM), Lower Limb, Audiogram
  • Examinations: Absolute Cardiovascular Risk Assessment (CVD), Pain Scale Assessment, Glasgow Coma Score/Scale, Eye-Enhanced, Anthropometry, Sharpened Romberg, Neurovascular
  • Health Assessments: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification (AUDIT), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5)

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Enhanced Centralised Billing for multi-location practices


MediRecords recently introduced Centralised Billing, enabling users to easily create and manage multiple practices within a single MediRecords customer account. This feature simplifies payment management for organisations with multiple locations. In our upcoming release, you’ll be able to select the desired practice directly from the Invoices, Quotes, Adjustment, and Payment screens. This update will save you time, reduce clicks, and create a more efficient billing process.


For instructions on how to enable Centralised Billing, visit our Knowledge Base article here.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Invoice Notes enhancement

Invoice Notes will soon be updated regardless of the invoice status. Previously, the Notes field was disabled once the invoice transitioned away from 'On Hold,' preventing users from capturing important updates like payment delays or awaiting cheque details. With this enhancement, users can maintain a running commentary and add any relevant information about the invoice at any stage, ensuring full visibility and better tracking throughout the payment process.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

New Account Notes feature

A new feature for adding, updating, and managing account-related notes will soon be available in the billing section of the Accounts Tab. With the upcoming Notes feature directly in the Accounts tab, you’ll be able to capture and access account-specific notes without leaving the billing area. This update will streamline your workflow, keep patient records organised, and ensure important account details are always easily accessible.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Credit information added to Invoice

The credit and balance due information will be added directly to the invoice, providing increased visibility of the patient’s account. This enhancement streamlines billing by making it easier to track payments and balances when billing from an appointment or the Waiting Room.

All customers

(Standard and Premium)

Admission Notes Custom View

The Admission Notes Custom View allows users to personalise their experience by choosing between the existing summary view (the new default option) or a new detailed preview option. This enhancement eliminates the need to open each individual note, enabling users to quickly navigate through patient notes. By saving time and reducing clicks, this feature streamlines the workflow and improves overall efficiency.

Admissions Customers (Premium)

Want to know more about the upcoming features?

Current customers can contact their Customer Success Manager or email  success@medirecords.com for more details.

New to MediRecords? Click the button below to schedule a demo with our Sales team!

Book a demo

More from the Blog

Looking to stay updated with the latest from MediRecords?

Sign up to the newsletter

    Deposits in MediRecords: A Smarter Way to Manage Pre-Payments and Patient Credits

    December 04 , 2024

    Deposits: A smarter way to handle pre-payments and patient credits

    Deposits is now live in MediRecords, providing practices with an easy and organised way to manage pre-payments and payment plans.

    Designed for practice managers, billing agents, administrative staff, surgeons, and specialists, Deposits offers an intuitive way to handle funds from the initial quote, right through to the final payment.

    With Deposits, users can easily record pre-payments, hold credits in a patient’s account, and apply funds directly to invoices as needed. This dedicated space for deposits in each patient’s account eliminates the need for manual tracking, creating a clear and easy payment process. Deposits provides flexibility to distribute funds across multiple invoices, making it ideal for a range of scenarios—from pre-paid sessions to payments for high-cost surgical procedures.

    A new Centralised Billing configuration allows practices with multiple locations to create deposits for different practices within the same MediRecords customer account, without needing to change the viewed practice. This is a game-changer for multi-location practices or practices with central billing teams, providing a more streamlined experience across locations.

    MediRecords Product Owner Megan Harker said, “Deposits is designed to be streamlined and flexible. Our goal was to create a feature that could support all service offerings—whether it’s capturing a booking fee when scheduling an appointment or maintaining a record of an incremental payment plan leading up to a procedure. We also prioritised making Deposits information-rich, ensuring that every transaction is recorded in real time, both in the patient record and in reporting.”

    Key Benefits of using Deposits
    • Easy tracking: Record and track deposits within the patient’s account. A detailed transaction history is available at a glance.
    • Flexible application across invoices: Apply funds to one or multiple invoices, or combine deposits into a single payment when covering multiple services.
    • Refund and credit options: Refunds can be issued to the patient or held as a credit for future use, providing flexibility for various patient payment preferences.
    • Detailed reporting: A dedicated Deposits Report tracks every movement throughout the deposit’s lifecycle, from creation to allocation and refunds. This ensures your practice’s financial incomings perfectly match the bank statement.
    • Centralised billing for multi-location practices: Create and manage deposits across multiple practices within the same MediRecords customer account, simplifying payment management for practices with multiple locations.
    What makes MediRecords Deposits unique? 

    MediRecords Deposits goes beyond traditional deposit management by allowing deposits to be shared across multiple providers. This is especially useful for surgical procedures that involve multiple billing parties. A single deposit can be used to pay the primary surgeon, assistant, and anaesthesiologist—all from the same payment.

    Our platform also clearly distinguishes between patient credits and outstanding balances, enabling practices to view unpaid invoices alongside available credits in real-time. This structure reduces guesswork in financial reconciliation and promotes more accurate, efficient practice management.

    Ready to start using Deposits in MediRecords? 

    If you would like to read more on how to use Deposits, please visit the following Knowledge Base articles:

    Example use case: General practice 

    Emma books a consultation with her GP and makes a $50 deposit to secure her appointment. After the consultation, the clinic generates an invoice for $120, applies the deposit, and Emma pays the remaining $70 with her credit card, all in one seamless transaction.

    Alternatively, if Emma books an appointment and pays a deposit, then needs to cancel, the clinic’s no-show policy allows them to refund $30 while retaining $20 as a cancellation fee, all tracked and processed through MediRecords’ Deposits feature.

     

    Example use case: Surgical procedure 

    John needs a $10,000 surgical procedure but can’t pay the full amount upfront. The practice uses MediRecords’ Deposits feature to set up a payment plan, allowing John to pay in instalments leading up to the surgery. Once the procedure is completed, the practice consolidates these instalments and allocates the funds across invoices for the primary surgeon, assistant surgeon, and anaesthesiologist.  This streamlined process ensures that the practice can easily track payments and maintain accurate financial records while offering flexibility to both the patient and the healthcare team.

    Frequently asked questions

    Deposits is designed for practice managers, billing agents, administrative staff, surgeons, and specialists who need a reliable method to handle pre-payments, especially for high-cost procedures or multiple-session treatments.

    You can record a deposit directly in the patient’s account. Detailed instructions are available in the Knowledge Base under “How to Create a New Deposit?”. 

    Yes, deposits can be distributed across multiple invoices, making it easy to manage payments for multi-service scenarios or complex billing cases.

    Yes, MediRecords offers a dedicated transactional report for deposits, so every deposit’s movement is recorded and can be easily reviewed.

    While there is a field available to earmark a deposit for a particular provider, this does not restrict the deposit to only that provider when it is applied to a payment. This flexibility allows a single deposit to be shared among all applicable staff members. For example, a primary surgeon, assistant, and anaesthesiologist can all be invoiced using the same deposit.

    Yes, with Centralised Billing configuration, users can create a deposit for a different practice within the same MediRecords customer account, without switching views.

    A deposit is a holding of funds, so it will not appear on any financial reports as “income” or “payment” until it is allocated to a payment. Similarly, it will only appear on the Banking Report once (on the day it is received) and not again when it is allocated to a payment.

    The deposit portion of the payment will be reallocated to the patient’s credit pool, making it available for allocation to a new payment, if desired. If a full refund is needed (meaning the money is returned to the patient) a refund of the deposit can also be processed.

    More from the Blog

    Health in Sight: November 2024
     
     

    November 25, 2024

    Health in Sight: November 2024

    MediRecords reads healthcare news from around the globe so we can be well informed on innovation, developments and decisions that may affect future delivery of care. Here are some of the items that stood out in the inbox recently.

    Impatient experiences

    A data dump from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown some Aussies are delaying or doing without healthcare because they can’t afford it. While two thirds of people surveyed (66.4%) could access their preferred GP when needed, 11% of people in disadvantaged areas had to forgo medication or delay it due to the costs involved. And one in five Australians delayed or did not see a mental health professional because they couldn’t afford it. Significant as it is, this data may underestimate the growing gap in access to care. The Patient Experience Survey only interviewed people aged 15 or older who were usual residents of private dwellings, with the effect that people experiencing homelessness, in temporary or public housing are unlikely to have been counted.

    While the overall proportion of people surveyed who delayed or did not use health services when needed fell over the past year, this did not apply for people with long term health conditions, or people living in areas of most socio-economic disadvantage, who were more likely to forgo care.

    The survey shows GPs remain at the heart of Australian healthcare, with the proportion of people who saw a family doctor up slightly to 82.6% in 2023-24, from 82.3% in 2022-23. In contrast, only 53% saw a dental professional and 39% a medical specialist in 2023-24. Numbers of people seeing a GP for after hours care (5.2%) or urgent medical care (8.8%) were very low, while 15.3% of Australians visited a hospital emergency department in 2023-24. In outer regional, remote or very remote areas, (presumably with fewer GPs and options for after hours care,) 20.4% of people sought care at their local ED.

    Significant gender gaps on service usage suggests Australian men do not prioritise their health, with women more likely to present at all the healthcare services listed in the survey. For example, 87.3% of women saw a GP in 2023-24, compared to 77.7% of men. Use of telehealth fell, with the data revealing women are significantly more likely to use telehealth services than men.

    To read more of the Patient Experience survey results, go to Patient Experiences, 2023-24 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics.

    Housing-health linkages

    On the subject of doing without, a Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) Health and Energy Hardship project has sounded the alarm that utility bills are no longer affordable for some households, resulting in people living without heating or cooling. VCOSS says energy hardship has demonstrable impacts on health and lists signs for healthcare professionals to watch for here: Health and Energy Hardship | VCOSS

    This project is an example of focusing on opportunities to improve health equity, rather than just outcomes data. Cleveland’s Metro Health Institute for Hope recently posted on this issue, suggesting that asking communities how to change health outcomes may be more effective than monitoring distressing data. More detail on the Institute’s logic can be found here: Why health equity’s goal shouldn’t be outcomes

    Cultural connections count

    With Australian governments generally failing to achieve progress towards Closing the Gap targets for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (see Closing the Gap targets and outcomes | Closing the Gap), fresh approaches are clearly required. Recent University of New South Wales research may be a step in the right direction, with researchers finding that opportunities to practice culture on Country has a positive impact on “stress relief, inter-generational healing, and the journey to overcoming trauma, which in turn had a positive impact on … overall health and wellbeing.” Further details can be found here: The role of culture and connection in improving Aboriginal health :: Hospital + Healthcare

    Season for change

    The man who puts the flavour in demographic data, Bernard Salt, has added to the growing body of commentary suggesting the future of Australian Healthcare is in our own homes. Mr Salt told a Perth symposium that healthcare is about to be hit by the “baby boomer freight train” and “we will see the care sector redefined, re-imagined and repurposed” by this numerically and financially influential sector of our population. Health Services Daily reported the respected Mr Salt saying: “They will make it clear how their care should be delivered and the vast majority will want in-home care.” (Read more here: https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/future-of-care-is-in-the-home-salt/21895)

    Spending to save

    Whether you call them DNAs (Did not attend) or FTAs (failed to attend), a no show for a medical appointment means lost revenue and longer waitlists for patients who could have utilised the available timeslot. A partnership between Uber Health and Veteran Affairs in the US has made it easier for people to attend medical appointments by removing transportation as a reason for non-attendance. Veterans Health Administration report that 1.8 million appointments are missed annually due to transportation hurdles. Since inserting the Uber option, they say attendance has risen significantly, saving an estimated $196.7 million in missed appointments. (See VA finds medical transportation fix with Uber Health | TechTarget)

    MediRecords at the coalface

    As an access-anywhere cloud software system purpose-built for multidisciplinary care, MediRecords is used in a multitude of ways in Australian healthcare. These include use by paramedics; a remote mining camp; street, clinic and hospital care for people experiencing homelessness; Aboriginal health services; telehealth businesses; virtual emergency departments; alternative medication businesses and many more. Please reach out to us if you have a unique or innovative use of MediRecords you would like to showcase.

    Tim Pegler

    Senior Business Development Manager

    More from the Blog

    AI tools: What GPs think
     
     
     

    October 22, 2024

    AI tools: What GPs think

    Most GPs believe innovation improves patient health outcomes, yet only eight per cent of them identify as innovators and 35 per cent as early adopters, a new report has found.

    The RACGP’s Health of the Nation 2024 report revealed that while the majority of GPs regularly use digital technologies — such as electronic prescribing — only 13% felt well-informed about innovations within general practice.

    The report, in its eighth year, surveyed 3006 practising GPs.

    This year, GPs were asked about their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours regarding innovation in general practice, including:

    • adopting new care delivery methods, such as telehealth;
    • improved communication between healthcare professionals, including interoperable health records; and, 
    • new mechanisms to enhance patient care, such as patient enrolment schemes like MyMedicare.

    GPs identified funding incentives as the most significant enabler of innovation in general practice, with 60% highlighting this factor.

    While one survey respondent enthused, “Innovation has significantly enhanced general practice, particularly through technology”, 83% of GPs reported that they rarely or never use artificial intelligence tools.

    GPs were asked, ”What new innovative practices or methods do you believe should be adopted to positively impact the care you provide?” They said:

    • electronic health records, which improve care coordination and reduce errors
    •  telemedicine, which increases accessibility
    • AI-driven tools 
    • systems that talk to each other/improved interoperability
    • streamlined administrative systems that analyse business data
    • new models of care
    • multidisciplinary care
    • a health status dashboard for patients to see what is recommended for their age
    • remote monitoring, including wearable devices and health apps that empower patients to monitor their health

    “Overall, these advancements save time, enhance accuracy, and enable more personalised healthcare, ultimately improving patient outcomes and the efficiency of general practice,” a GP summarised.

    Regarding using AI scribe tools, one GP expressed increased job satisfaction after adopting the technology: “A happy GP is a good GP, and I’m even reconsidering my retirement plans.”

    Founder and CEO of MediRecords Matthew Galetto commented that the report’s chapter on innovation “notably omits discussion of cloud and related technologies as a key enabler of digital innovation in primary care practices”.

    “The report also lacks mention of the government’s initiative to promote real-time information sharing using FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards, which are essential for interoperability and seamless patient care,” Mr Galetto said.

    “FHIR is also a key enabler of digital innovation.”

    MediRecords is a leading digital innovator in healthcare, delivering cloud-based solutions built to FHIR standards across a diverse range of medical environments, from primary to tertiary care. Its recent integration of Heidi AI Scribe, an advanced AI tool powered by Heidi Health that streamlines clinical documentation, reinforces MediRecords’ commitment to digital innovation. Learn more about the partnership between Heidi Health and MediRecords here.

    Experience Heidi AI Scribe in MediRecords

    Reduce administrative burden and focus more on patient care with Heidi Health's AI-powered scribe tool, integrated seamlessly with MediRecords clinical dashboard.

    Learn more here

    More from the Blog

    MediRecords teams with Heidi Health for smarter clinical notes
     

    September 25, 2024

    MediRecords teams with Heidi Health for smarter clinical notes

    AI note-taking technology to streamline clinical documentation will be available in MediRecords from October.

     

    The leading cloud electronic health record and practice management system will offer an integration with Heidi Health’s AI Medical Scribe, enabling clinical consultations to be transformed into notes or documents in seconds. Doctors will not need to log into a separate software system, or cut and paste across browser tabs, thanks to embedded Heidi capability inside MediRecords.

    Supporting millions of sessions per month, Heidi generates documents such as referral letters, clinical notes and Care Plans. With Heidi scribing, doctors can type less and reclaim time for patient care — or better work life balance.

    MediRecords Founder and CEO Matthew Galetto said: “Everything we can do to improve working conditions for clinicians helps them provide better patient outcomes. We are excited about partnering with Heidi Health and our other AI initiatives on the way.”

    Heidi Health Founder and CEO Dr Thomas Kelly said: “As a clinician, I recognise that doctors rarely experience benefits from introducing new tools. Heidi is the rare case where simply clicking a button can be life-changing, saving hours of work each day. We’re proud to be partnering with MediRecords, who have led the industry in cloud, interoperability and now, AI.”

    Heidi Health data shows clinicians spend more than two hours per day on tasks other than patient care, losing up to $66,000 annually as a result. AI scribe technology means they can work up to twice as efficiently. Doctors who use Heidi report “getting home on time” and “taking their lunch break again.”

    With a Heidi subscription, MediRecords users can launch AI ambient technology from their clinical dashboard, transforming consultations into templated notes for review by the user. Once reviewed, the notes are automatically added to MediRecords’ Today’s Notes field. Heidi Health technology is GDPR and APP (Australian Privacy Principles) compliant and ISO27001 and SOC2 accredited for security.

    MediRecords is a multidisciplinary EHR and PMS system used by clients including Queensland Health, the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and soon to be deployed by the Australian Defence Force.

    Media inquiries

    To arrange to speak with Mr Galetto, or for further information on MediRecords, please email Tim Pegler or call 0435 444 690.

    To arrange to speak to Dr Kelly, please email leah@heidihealth.com.

    Key features MediRecords customers can expect with Heidi AI Medical Scribe

    AI Scribing

    Rely on high-quality AI scribing for consultations lasting up to two hours, ensuring detailed and accurate notes.

    Multilingual Scribing

    Benefit from Heidi AI Scribe in 26 languages, supporting diverse patient communities.

    Smart Transcription

    Upgrade from traditional dictation to smart transcription. No need for manual commands like "Full stop. New line."

    Custom Templates

    Create your own note formats or choose from pre-built templates to suit your clinical workflow.

    One-Click Access

    Once configured, you can open Heidi AI Scribe directly within MediRecords without the hassle of separate logins.

    Auto Documentation

    Following clinical review, Heidi AI Scribe adds notes to Today’s Notes, streamlining your documentation process.

    Interested in finding out more about Heidi AI Scribe in MediRecords?

    Complete the form below, and a member of our team will be in touch. 


    More from the Blog

    Aussies’ Sexual Health Trends: Insights for Sexual Health Month
     

    September 20, 2024

    Aussies’ Sexual Health Trends: Insights for Sexual Health Month

    Sexual Health Month provides a timely opportunity to survey some of the recent research in the field of sexual and reproductive health — and report some news from the coalface.

    Travellers

    Travelling Aussies are mostly proactive about their sexual health before departure when they see a travel-medicine doctor or nurse, with 72% of those in the study requesting STI testing pre-departure.

    Over 60s

    A survey of 1840 people aged over 60 found patients want GPs to initiate sexual health conversations as part of routine care. It also found that barriers included patient embarrassment, uncertainty about finding solutions, and ageism. 

    James Sneddon, co-founder of Stigma Health, said that while the largest age group accessing STI testing via his service is 20-30, the next biggest bracket is those aged 60-70, “with an influx of those who are pushing 80”.

    Prostate cancer

    Information on complications with sexual function following prostate surgery are the most commonly unmet need among men with prostate cancer, a study found. The researchers recommended sexual well-being discussions as standard care for all prostate cancer patients.

    Women’s health

    A special edition of the Australian Journal of Primary Health dedicated to optimising women’s sexual and reproductive health in primary care highlighted that:

    • There is a high level of unmet need for effective contraception in Australia and access barriers including the availability of services. 
    • The limited number of GPs who insert intrauterine devices presents a significant barrier to access.
    • Access to abortion care in Australia is inequitable, especially outside cities, and few publicly-funded abortion options are available in most states.
    • There is an urgent need for transparency around public abortion service availability and government commitment to expanding abortion care.
    • Most women did not receive in-depth contraceptive counselling antenatally or postnatally, but would have found this useful.
    • Women surveyed about over-the-counter access to the oral contraceptive pill were in favour, especially for repeat prescriptions.

    Awkward

    For sexual health month, the key message from Mr Sneddon is:  “Get awkward. Have a conversation with your mates or your partner about getting tested; the majority of STIs have no symptoms.” Among Aussies tested via Stigma Health, there has been a recent surge in Chlamydia numbers; it is 33% higher than the 5-year mean, Mr Sneddon said.

     

    Further reading:

    Ahmed, Z., Gu, Y., Sinha, K., Mutowo, M., Gauld, N., & Parkinson, B. (2024). A qualitative exploration of the over-the-counter availability of oral contraceptive pills in Australia. PloS one, 19(6), e0305085.

    Bourchier, L., Temple-Smith, M., Hocking, J. S., & Malta, S. (2024). Older patients want to talk about sexual health in Australian primary care. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 30(4).

    Charlick, M., Tiruye, T., Ettridge, K., O’Callaghan, M., Sara, S., Jay, A., & Beckmann, K. (2024). Prostate Cancer Related Sexual Dysfunction and Barriers to Help Seeking: A Scoping Review. Psycho‐Oncology, 33(8), e9303.

    Dev, T., Buckingham, P., & Mazza, D. (2023). Women’s perspectives of direct pharmacy access to oral contraception. Australian Journal of Primary Health.

    Haas, M., Church, J., Street, D. J., Bateson, D., & Mazza, D. (2023). How can we encourage the provision of early medical abortion in primary care? Results of a best-worst scaling survey. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 29(3), 252–259

    Li, C. K., Botfield, J., Amos, N., Mazza, D. (2023) Women’s experiences of, and preferences for, postpartum contraception counselling. Australian Journal of Primary Health 29(3), 229-234.

    Mazza, D., & Botfield, J. R. (2023). The role of primary care in optimising women’s sexual and reproductive health. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 29(i–iii).

    Power, A., Tuteja, A., Mascarenhas, L., & Temple-Smith, M. (2023). A qualitative exploration of obtaining informed consent in medical consultations with Burma-born women. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 29(3), 284–291.

    Srinivasan, S., Botfield, J. R., & Mazza, D. (2023). Utilising Health Pathways to understand the availability of public abortion in Australia. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 29(3), 260–267

    Warzywoda, S., Fowler, J. A., Debattista, J., Mills, D. J., Furuya-Kanamori, L., Durham, J., … & Dean, J. A. (2024). The provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services to travellers: an exploratory survey of Australian travel medicine clinicians. Sexual Health, 21(1).

    Stigma Health eliminates embarrassment by removing the need for in-person clinical consultations and allowing consumers to get a non-confrontational STI-test pathology referral online then take it to any of the 10,000 pathology collection centres Australia-wide.

     

    More from the Blog

    Meditations on a National Conference with a conscience
     
     

    August 30, 2024

    Meditations on a National Conference with a conscience

    The theme for the Catholic Health Australia National Conference that wound up in Sydney this week was ‘Rejoice Reimagine’. MediRecords has attended numerous innovation-focused gatherings over the years, but none where faith and belief have been so central to proceedings.

    The theme for the Catholic Health Australia National Conference that wound up in Sydney this week was ‘Rejoice Reimagine’. MediRecords has attended numerous innovation-focused gatherings over the years, but none where faith and belief have been so central to proceedings. Here are four take-aways from the event.

    Keynote speaker Dr  Gill Hicks  spoke with amazing grace about the events that led to her being critically wounded in a London terrorist attack and hospitalised for six months, initially labelled by rescuers as ‘one unknown, estimated female’. Dr Hicks said there is always opportunity in adversity; she used the loss of her legs as her chance to become taller, through longer than recommended prosthetic limbs. She said the thought of not being able to make a natural footprint on Australian soil had been confronting until she realised ‘how we leave each other’ is of more lasting importance.

    Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Secretary Blair Comley said that in developing a strategic map for health and aged care nationally, the department was aware it should be thinking 15 to 30 years ahead. He said the strategy had four key priorities:

    1. Prioritise prevention and early intervention.
    2. Address health and aged care inequities.
    3. Enhance system integration, in part through private sector engagement.
    4. Leverage available health and digital technology.

    Australian Medical Association federal president Professor Steve Robson said the recent introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) technology that was non-intuitive and complex for users had been a catastrophe. The transition period had been “really awful”, and several senior colleagues had left healthcare due to added stress and workload. Professor Robson urged politicians to spend less time cutting ribbons and announcing tech projects, when the focus should be on systems that enable patient-centred care.

    Operations Manager at St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney Katya Issa spoke of how prison accelerates aging and exacerbates existing illnesses. Older people often enter prison without medications, mobility aids and glasses, and can face long delays getting these. She said St Vincent’s Health needed to keep advocating for sentencing reform, age-specific facilities and more transitional services for people leaving prisons.

    Senior Peer Worker at the NSW Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network, Andrew Padayachy, who was arrested, charged and then had all charges dropped after several months in prison, spoke of the humiliation of being wheeled into a public hospital for a brain scan, handcuffed by hands and feet to a wheelchair. Mr Padayachy also called for greater support for people being released as many had become dependent on the justice system, having forgotten how to live in the community.

    MediRecords welcomes opportunities to work with faith-based and social justice organisations. An alternative to larger EMR vendors, our interoperable, secure, cloud-hosted Electronic Health Records system provides a longitudinal view of care in the community and hospitals. Our new Admissions module, built to support 200 beds managed by the Australian Defence Force, includes electronic prescribing, progress notes, handovers, charting, and assessments. Medication management and a new patient portal are in development.

    MediRecords welcomes opportunities to work with faith-based and social justice organisations. An alternative to larger EMR vendors, our interoperable, secure, cloud-hosted Electronic Health Records system provides a longitudinal view of care in the community and hospitals. Our new Admissions module, built to support 200 beds managed by the Australian Defence Force, includes electronic prescribing, progress notes, handovers, charting, and assessments. Medication management and a new patient portal are in development.

    More from the Blog

    Homelessness Awareness Week: The housing-health nexus
     

    August 06, 2024

    Homelessness Awareness Week: The housing-health nexus

    Tonight almost 122,500 Australians will have nowhere safe and secure to sleep, the most recent census data shows. One in seven of them will be children under 12.

    In 2022-23, 273,600 people were assisted by homelessness services, with another 108,000 unable to be assisted due to insufficient staff, accommodation or resources. In the group who could not be supported by overstretched services, 80 per cent were women and children, many of whom were fleeing domestic and family violence, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

    This week, Homelessness Awareness Week, the national peak body for homelessness, Homelessness Australia, is calling for the changes that could turn the tide of homelessness, including:

    • Increasing social housing to 10% of all housing;
    • Increasing funding to homelessness services to meet need; and
    • Increasing income support payments to at least $80 a day.

    This week also serves as a stark reminder of the health difficulties faced by people experiencing homelessness (PEH). Studies in Australia and internationally have found about 60% of PEH have a long-term physical condition or long-term mental health conditions – higher than the population who do not experience homelessness.

    The health disparities of PEH and a revolving hospital door — PEH are 43% more likely to reattend emergency departments within 28 days — reflect the social circumstances that have contributed to the experience of homelessness.

    A wide-ranging review study this year, led by Jean-Phillipe Miller at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, argued that while PEH were often viewed by healthcare services as “hard to reach”, it is the services themselves that are difficult to access for this vulnerable group. 

    By bringing healthcare directly to those in need, outreach programs, such as primary healthcare service outreach programs, offer a promising solution. A UK study found they can help bridge the gap between the homeless and essential health services. 

    Homeless Healthcare in Perth is one such service, providing outreach health care to PEH on the streets, along with fixed site clinics and a 20-bed inpatient facility.

    CEO Alison Sayer said Homeless Healthcare provides services where they are most needed, creating an alternative to busy public emergency departments.

    She said Homeless Healthcare supported over 2500 people in 2023, many of whom had multiple health conditions.

    Ms Sayer said, “People experiencing homelessness have an average life expectancy of less than 50 years, a stark contrast to the average Australian who can expect to live into their 80s.

    “This disparity largely exists due to the many barriers preventing people experiencing homelessness from accessing healthcare. Health problems are among the most significant factors leading to and perpetuating homelessness.” 

    MediRecords is proud to support the work of Homeless Healthcare as the electronic health record system for inpatient and outpatient care.

    You can help make a difference by donating to Homeless Healthcare today – donate here. 

    Sources and further reading:

    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Health of people experiencing homelessness. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/health-of-people-experiencing-homelessness

    Homelessness Australia. (2023). Home. https://homelessnessaustralia.org.au/

    Kopanitsa, V., McWilliams, S., Leung, R., Schischa, B., Sarela, S., Perelmuter, S., Sheeran, E., Mourgue, L., Tan, G. C., & Rosenthal, D. M. (2023). A systematic scoping review of primary health care service outreach for homeless populations. Family Practice, 40(1), 138-151. https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmac075

    Lee, S., Thomas, P., Newnham, H., Freidin, J., Smith, C., Lowthian, J., Borghmans, F., Gocentas, R. A., De Silva, D., & Stafrace, S. (2019). Homeless status documentation at a metropolitan hospital emergency department. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 31, 639–645.

    Miller, J. P., Hutton, J., Doherty, C., & Holmes, C. (2024). A scoping review examining patient experience and what matters to people experiencing homelessness when seeking healthcare. BMC Health Services Research, 24(492). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10971-8

    Morrison, D. S. (2009). Homelessness as an independent risk factor for mortality: Results from a retrospective cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 38(3), 877–883. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyp160

    Queen, A. B., Lowrie, R., Richardson, J., & Williamson, A. E. (2017). Multimorbidity, disadvantage, and patient engagement within a specialist homeless health service in the UK: An in-depth study of general practice data. BJGP Open, 1(3). https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen17X100941

    Wood, L., Wood, N. J. R., Vallesi, S., Stafford, A., Davies, A., & Cumming, C. (2019). Hospital collaboration with a housing first program to improve health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. Housing, Care and Support, 22(1), 27–39.

    More from the Blog

    What’s happening in health?
     
     
     

    July 9, 2024

    What's happening in health?

    As one of the biggest industries on the planet, there’s always something happening in healthcare. Here’s what has captured our attention recently.

    Industry news

    Private hospitals are facing tough times as costs of doing business keep rising while a major source of their revenue – private health insurers (PHI) – are seen to be holding tight to profits. The ill-will between PHI and private hospitals is best demonstrated by the battle between the St Vincent’s group and NIB, which is at breaking point.

    Suggestions of a crisis in the private hospital sector are underlined by key players co-operating with a Federal Government review. Health Services Daily reports that, “79 facilities — including day surgeries, endoscopy centres, private hospitals, wound care centres, cosmetic surgery centres, dental centres, respiratory and sleep disorder clinics, dialysis clinics and mental health centres — have either closed or revoked their declaration as a private hospital since 2019”.

    Internationally, post-pandemic use of telehealth has fallen and major retail chains who leapt into healthcare are back-pedalling. American companies Walmart and Walgreens winding back their health businesses (see What retail titans might do next on health care (axios.com)), makes us wonder how Healthylifeis going for Woolworths, locally.

    The pressure to be profitable means most hospitals are searching for ways to reduce the costs of delivering care. Managing patients in their own beds may be cheaper than hospital beds and so the cash-strapped UK National Health Service has committed to scaling up virtual care.

    If the NHS needs a success story to use as inspiration, the ever-innovative Cleveland Clinic is hailing its acute hospital care in the home program a success for patients and staff, while acknowledging further improvements are possible. For details, see Lessons from Cleveland Clinic’s 1st year of ‘hospital at home’ (beckershospitalreview.com).

    Melbourne’s Austin Hospital has also committed to virtual wards as business as usual, particularly for cardiac and haematology patients.

    And the Federal Government is funding virtual careto chip away at a barriers to accessing mental health inpatient care, (partly caused by a shortage of accessible psychiatrists).

    Keeping it real on artificial intelligence

    Investors seeking share-market alchemy remain bullish on Artificial Intelligence while potential end users want ethical, regulatory and security assurances to precede introduction of these potentially very useful new tools. The American Medical Association offers sensible tips on technology adoption here: In the push for AI in health care, avoid EHR rollout mistakes | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)

    As to the smorgasbord of AI news, here is an aperitif:

     

    Source: Future Health Index 2024 Better care for more people

    We're all healthcare consumers

    We also keep a close watch on consumer health news, in the interest of all of us avoiding hospitalisation. Here are some insights aimed at keeping our engines running:

    Evidence is mounting that good gut health boosts mental health and ability to handle stress. Stress: Could a healthy gut microbiome make you more resilient? (medicalnewstoday.com)

    Multivitamins, however, might only contribute to expensive and colourful urine. Another Study Finds No Life-Extending Benefit From Multivitamins (healthday.com)

    In other product news, the old advice (or excellent marketing) that taking aspirin reduces risk of heart attack appears to have been debunked – unless you have previously had a stroke or heart attack. American Adults Warned Over Aspirin Use Despite Risks – Newsweek

    Stanford University research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, has identified six different types of depression, which has implications for better treatment and management of mental ill-health. 6 types of depression identified in Stanford study | CNN

    And there are clear reasons to avoid COVID19 because the long form of the illness is particularly nasty. Report: More than 200 symptoms tied to long COVID | CIDRAP (umn.edu)

    The last word

    Police, prisons and hospital emergency departments are often the professionals most likely to be dealing with people experiencing acute mental ill health. Here’s a good news story of how technology and faster access to treatment can successfully divert people from EDs and custody – https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/outfitting-police-telehealth-ipads-mental-health-program-saves-government-62m?

    More from the Blog

    Feeling the heat at
    Burning GP
     
     

    June 17, 2024

    Feeling the heat at Burning GP

    MediRecords joined the sun-starved throng flocking to the Tweed for the Wild Health Burning GP conference last week.

    Here are 10 takeaways from two days of robust and enlightening conversations.

    1. GPs are divided on the impact of Urgent Care Centres (UCC)

    Are nascent UCCs an attempt to woo voters in outer suburban marginal seats, a means to divert a few people from crowded hospital emergency departments… or an example of government spending that would be better invested in primary care? The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) past president Adj Prof Karen Price also pondered whether UCCs are turning away “non-urgent” patients and referring them back to their family GPs.

    2. There’s a great divide between GPs and hospitals

    Healthdirect Australia is trialling a way to send NSW hospital discharge summaries to GPs and patients and Queensland discharge summaries are uploaded to The Viewer … but the data disconnect between primary and tertiary care remains vast*.

    Associate Professor Alam Yoosuff, the Rural Doctors Association NSW vice president, said GPs were often left in the dark about hospital outcomes for their patients.

    “We don’t always know if person has died, been discharged, or been sent home with only six (tablets)… We know the system is not right. It may be better than other countries, but we know it should be even better, given what (governments) are spending.” 

    – Associate Professor Alam Yoosuff, the Rural Doctors Association NSW vice president

    Judging by the overall vibe at Burning GP, GPs feel much of the government cash spent on shiny new hospitals could be better spent on disease prevention led by community-based primary care practitioners.

    3. Workforce scaling

    The RACGP warned Australia has a “whole of health” workforce crisis, exacerbated by insufficient medical students coming through, so we’re going to have to import doctors, nurses and specialists from overseas. (The ever-resilient Health Department Assistant Secretary Medicare Benefits and Digital Health, Mr Daniel McCabe, said he preferred “critical juncture” to crisis, triggering a running joke for the entire conference.)

    Grampians Health Chief Strategy & Regions Officer Dr Robert Grenfell said the shortage of GPs in western Victoria was so acute he was planning based on having none. He said: “If we have (GPs) I will use them” but it was now prudent to make alternative plans.

    4. Medicare misery is multiplying

    Several conference panels highlighted the challenges of determining the correct, optimally reimbursed Medicare item codes for complex consultations. Mr McCabe conceded all billable items are due for review, with an aspirational goal of improving access to healthcare for people who can least afford it.

    5. Telehealth – supplementary or threat?

    If young and tech-savvy consumers keep opting for online access to quick prescriptions, medical certificates and more, community GPs will be left with older, sicker, more complex clients, including those with mental ill health. Whitebridge Medical Centre owner Dr Max Mollenkopf said GPs needed to understand why consumers are switching to digital health companies such as Eucalyptus and adapt fast. He said, “Our old patients who love us will die off and all the young ones will be (Eucalyptus patients) unless we do something different.”

    6. The numbers speak for themselves

    The Australian National University Associate Professor (and GP) Louise Stone highlighted a 42% pay gap between men and women GPs. She said this was compounded by women GPs shouldering a majority of longer, underfunded consultations with complex patients, (who may have been released from hospital prematurely to reduce bed blockages).

    7. But metrics may deceive

    Associate Professor Stone cautioned that ‘evidence-based solutions’ in healthcare may not be what they seem. Analysis had shown the typical participant in clinical trials is a privileged white male, the researcher is likely to be a white urban male and even the average lab rat is a white furred male. This means clinical metrics may not be representative … and AI tools risk exaggerating biased data even further.

    Evrima Technologies CEO and Founder Charlotte Bradshaw said that 80% of clinical trials are delayed in Australia because eligible people can’t be found and paired with researchers.

    8. The My Health Record (MHR) will grow exponentially

    Mr McCabe confirmed legislation is imminent to mandate sharing diagnostic imaging and pathology with the MHR. The government will also “push very hard” for every medication event – prescribing and dispensing – to be uploaded. The CSIRO-led Sparked community will need to lead the software industry to a FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard to achieve this. Mr McCabe said Australian healthcare was hamstrung by “a lot of technology built in the 1990s that is not fit for purpose”. The recent MediSecure data breach showed, “We need to make sure we set the bar a lot higher than it is today”.

    9. Technology knowledge is variable

    When you’re a time poor GP, technology is rarely top of mind. You just want it to work. GPs still need reassurance from healthcare influencers that cloud technology is as safe (or safer) than server-driven desktop tech and that switching brings cost and time savings on hardware, hosting, back-ups, security, software patches, electricity and more. As one GP said to us, “You mean I can sack my IT guy?”

    As for innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), there’s a sense that while there are time, safety, revenue and efficiency gains to be made, the early adopters and innovators will be waiting a while for their conservative colleagues to join them.

    10. Summing up

    Based on our conversations and observations at Burning GP, community general practitioners feel underfunded, overworked, undervalued, and under siege from telehealth providers and pharmacists. They’re a resilient mob though, and still passionately defending their role as number one for longitudinal patient care.

    *MediRecords new Admissions module means we can provide a longitudinal record connecting primary and tertiary care in one secure, cloud-hosted software system. We can send Discharge Summaries from our Admissions module and store them against the central patient file. Please reach out to us at sales@medirecords.com if you’re trying to solve these types of connectivity problems!

    More from the Blog