MFM1008

Practice management ( 8 points, SCA Band 3, 0.167 EFTSL)

Leader: Dr I Chenoweth

Offered:
Clayton First semester 2006 (OCL)

Synopsis: This elective unit questions what is management, setting goals, managing general practice - introduction, managing patients, managing staff, managing money, managing infrastructure, managing risk and managing the future.

Objectives: On completion of this unit students should be able to: 1. Present an overview of key management concepts for a general practice; 2. Describe the key elements of service provision; 3. Understand in broad terms the area of marketing a service; 4. Describe the specific focus of relationship making; 5. Understand the sequential steps in the handling of patient contracts in general practice; 6. Analyse the telephone system if the practice; 7. Analyse the appointment system of the practice; 8. Describe the important aspects of handling difficult situations and complaints; 9. Produce a detailed Clinical Information Document for the practice; 10. Define the key elements of a health record; 11. Describe the main uses for a health record; 12. Understand the legal dimensions of the health record, including ownership, access by patients, confidentiality and retention; 13. Understand the issues pertinent to information management in the practice; 14. Describe the most useful conceptual frameworks for managing people; 15. Recognise the legal obligations of employers; 16. Describe the cycle of human resource management (and its associated skills) from recruitment and selection to termination or resignation; 17. Describe the main elements of an accounting system, including the basic accounts and their linkages; 18. Set up a chart of accounts for a medical practice; 19. Describe the most useful financial reports for a medical practice. 20. Describe in broad terms the bahaviour of costs in a medical practice; 21. Describe the most common legal structures utilised by general practices; 22. Describe in broad terms the management of Payroll, Billing, and Accounts Payable; 23. Understand the main elements of a contract of employment; 24. Describe the overall framework of risk management; 25. Understand main areas of risk in general practice.

Assessment: Practice Manual (70%), Strategic Plan (30%)