Care Plans, Assessments, Mental Health Plans – how many is too many?
There are no guidelines exist in regards to how many Chronic Disease items GP should bill.
Various statistics state that 20 – 30% of Australians suffer from chronic conditions. We can also see from the attendance statistics of an average clinic that chronically ill patients see GP 10-12 times a year. We can also see that chronic and complex patients take approximately 80% of GP appointments.
If we provide services to all chronically ill patients, we will bill 721, 723 once a year or in 2 years, 732 x 4-6 times a year, 900, 11506 etc. 40% of attendances by chronically ill patients are not consultations.
All of the above statistics and observations lead us to conclude that an average GP would have 40% of items on any day as non-consultation items. (721, 723, 732, 900, 2717, 2712, 2713 etc)
Every 6th consultation with GP is primarily for mental health-related issues.
The number of patients with chronic and mental conditions varies from area to area, mainly depending on the socio-economic status of the local population. That is why it is essential to know your area and look at your work from a Population Health perspective. (RACGP guidelines ask you to do precisely that)
