MFM1008 - Practice management

Leader: Dr I Chenoweth

Offered

Clayton First semester 2008 (Off-campus)

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%)