Upskilling practice staff to increase MyMedicare engagement
A new voluntary patient registration model, MyMedicare, was launched by the Department of Health and Aged Care in May 2023. The purpose of MyMedicare is to improve the continuity of care in communities by formalising the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner and primary care teams.
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How does MyMedicare work?
Patients nominate their preferred general practitioner which allows their healthcare information to be shared with the right people at the right time. Patients can self register or be invited by their practice following an initial discussion.
By registering with MyMedicare, patients and practices can access a range of benefits, including longer MBS-funded telephone calls, triple bulk billing incentives for telehealth consultations, and tailored care for complex chronic diseases.
My Health Record displays the MyMedicare registered practice and general practioner the patient has selected, facilitating effective communication amongst healthcare providers.
SEMPHN identified early, that uptake of MyMedicare was dependent on general practice and patient understanding of this initiative and its benefits, as well as confidence in the registration process.
A tailored approach to training
When MyMedicare launched, SEMPHN’s initial focus was on supporting general practices in the south east Melbourne catchment to register. Our Provider Support Officers (PSOs) delivered information sessions about MyMedicare and provided individualised registration support. Additionally, a booking system was introduced for general practices to book time with our Digital Health Team to assist them with the registration process over the phone.
During this time, our PSOs identified a gap in MyMedicare knowledge for general practice reception staff, specifically in understanding its benefits and how to encourage patient registration. Given reception staff are often the first point of contact for patients, their ability to confidently explain MyMedicare is paramount to the successful integration of MyMedicare.
Co-designing for success
In response to this finding, we consulted our Practice Managers Brains Trust (a working group made up of SEMPHN’s Provider Support team and general practice managers who assist in providing ideas, feedback and advice on ways to better support general practice ‘on the ground’) to identify training needs.
In collaboration with practice managers and receptionists from the south east Melbourne catchment, we developed:
- A script and educational video about MyMedicare. The video provided a role-play demonstration of how a patient and receptionist might interact when discussing MyMedicare.
- A webinar providing a broader understanding of MyMedicare, benefits, registration process, and available resources. The video was incorporated into the webinar.
There was great interest in the webinar across our region and the State. Following the webinar, the webinar recording and video were shared with all Victorian PHNs and their general practices.
Knowledge increases patient and practice registrations
Our targeted approach to training resulted in an improved understanding of MyMedicare across general practice staff, increased practice registrations and enhanced confidence in reception staff to promote and support patients with registration.
of accredited general practices registered for MyMedicare
general practice staff viewed the educational Webinar.
of webinar attendees believe their learning outcomes were met.
of survey respondents said they would like more reception staff training.
Melanie Dove, Practice Manager from Eastbound Medical Clinic said the webinar provided clarity and confidence for reception staff.
“Receptionists of general practices need to be across many moving parts, including systems and new initiatives. It can become confusing. Having this session dedicated to receptionists (rather than Practice Managers only) really clarified the benefits of MyMedicare for them, making it an easy conversation with existing and future patients.”
– Melanie Dove, Practice Manager at Eastbound Medical Clinic
General practice receptionist, Hannah Pontifex, said the role-play video was a useful resource that she could draw on for future conversations.
“The patient-receptionist role-play video during the MyMedicare webinar provided a real-life demonstration of how we could explain the benefits of MyMedicare and help encourage patients to register. It was very useful and is something we can draw on for future conversations with patients."
– Hannah Pintifex, General Practice Receiptionist at Eastbound Medical Clinic
Following the success of the MyMedicare webinar, it will soon be a module on our Practice Coaching website, providing even more general practices with an understanding of MyMedicare and its benefits from a patient's perspective.
By equipping general practice reception staff with the knowledge and skills to answer patient questions about MyMedicare, we’re not only building primary care capacity, but also supporting improved integration and coordination across the healthcare system.
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Empowering the health care workforce through education and training
SEMPHN is committed to providing education and training events for primary health care professionals across south eastern Melbourne.
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