Free Course: How to Document Long Consultations and Avoid Medicare Audit Trouble
Some patient consultations require more time. Whether you’re addressing complex physical health, mental health concerns, or language barriers, longer appointments are a routine part of general practice. But if your documentation doesn’t reflect the time and clinical reasoning involved, these services can draw unwanted attention during Medicare audits.
To help GPs and general practice staff avoid this, General Practice Training and Consulting offers a free online course: Documentation Best Practices for Justifying Long Consultations.
Why This Course Was Developed
Every year, thousands of GPs are audited. One of the most common issues is billing longer consultations—like MBS item 36 or 44—without sufficient supporting notes. Even when the consultation was clinically appropriate, vague or missing documentation puts the clinician and the practice at risk.
This course was created in response to common documentation gaps noticed during audits, billing reviews, and PSR referrals. It’s designed to help general practice teams record accurate details consistently and defensibly.
What’s Covered in the Course
This self-paced online course walks you through:
- MBS consultation time thresholds and how to determine if a long consultation item is appropriate
- What to include in your clinical notes to match time spent and clinical content
- Examples of high-quality documentation, such as:
“Discussed long-term diabetes management plan. Dietary changes, exercise, and medication adherence covered. Duration: 21 minutes.” - Scenarios that justify longer time:
- Interpreter use
- Complex comorbidities
- Detailed care planning
- Mental health or trauma discussions
- How to word your notes without overcomplicating your workflow
Why It Matters for Practices
- Poor or missing documentation is a key reason billings are flagged
- Medicare audits often target high-value items billed frequently or without clear justification
- Learning how to document appropriately improves billing confidence and protects clinicians and practices from compliance issues
Who Should Complete This Course
- GPs billing time-based consultation items
- Practice nurses involved in chronic disease and mental health care
- Practice Managers responsible for reviewing billing behaviour
- Admin staff who schedule or triage longer appointments
Course Highlights
- Free and online—complete anytime, from any device
- Takes under an hour
- Real examples and practical takeaways
- Certificate of Completion provided (suitable for CPD or onboarding records)
Final Word
Billing for long consultations is legitimate when clinically required. This course helps ensure your documentation reflects the true nature of the consult, supports the MBS item billed, and reduces your risk of audit-related issues.
Start the course here or share it with your team.