Patients can choose to be public or private patients for inpatient or outpatient services. Patients should not receive preferential access to services if they choose to be private patients. To facilitate private practice, health services enter into private practice agreements with senior medical specialists. This audit examined whether the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and three audited public health serives are effectively managing private practice in public hospitals to optimise outcomes for the health sector and Victorians. We made 10 recommendations in total - seven for DHHS, two for health services and one for Western Health.
This edited collection focuses on the global growth of privatisation and private sector medicine in both developed and lesser developed countries, and the impact of this on patients, health workers, managers and policy-makers. Drawing upon sociological theories, concepts and insights, as well as experts from several countries with extensive experience in researching the field either nationally or internationally, the collection offers a unique perspective on healthcare services and healthcare systems: a view from those trying to access healthcare services, working inside health systems, or responsible for managing and organising services. Collectively, the chapters contribute an international perspective on the navigation of healthcare systems, and addresses the growing salience of ‘choice’ between public and private medicine in a variety of different national systems and contexts.
This paper proposes a theoretical analysis of the private provision of care within public hospitals and assesses its impact on the quality and cost of healthcare. We also capture this policy's impact on the number of outpatients that are seen and the number that are cured. We show that the private income gathered by consultants engaged in dual practice has a negative impact on the level of care being provided as it incentivises consultants to focus on the number of patients seen. However, the private fees generate lower healthcare costs. Hence the removal of private practice in public hospitals is only optimal when the benefit associated with curing patients is large enough. The impact on waiting lists is ambiguous. Considering that consultants may differ in their ability, we show that the optimal contracts enable senior doctors (with more experience) to get a greater private income than junior doctors when discrimination between senior and junior physicians is allowed. When discrimination is not allowed, it is optimal to offer a uniform contract. Proposing distinct contracts, as currently done in Ireland, increases healthcare costs due to incentive compatibility issues.
Building on the foundation of the previous edition, this book takes readers to the next level of management of medical practices for the 21st century. The road to becoming a physician is not an easy one to travel, nor does it become easier once a doctor completes his\her training. After a long and arduous training process, doctors embark on their professional journey, and there are major crossroads that are fraught with challenges, unknowns and risk. The transition to professional practice is daunting, and many physicians leave their training unprepared for the business of medicine. Even at the peak of their careers, sustaining a successful and profitable practice is not easy. Opening chapters revisit the basic business concepts that every physician needs to know, emphasizing the benefits that accrue to a physician who understands the basics of business, from accounting and contracts to managing people and personal finances. The next set of chapters offers a roadmap for doctors who are beginning a medical practice and will include new methods and procedures that have become available since the original edition, defining the various options for doctors’ employment such as solo practice, group practice and academic medicine. The final chapters emphasize strategies on how to build and grow a successful practice, including the use of technology and telemedicine, cybersecurity, marketing and much more. Unfortunately, not every doctor has the background, training and skills to manage a medical practice. The Business of Building and Managing a Healthcare Practice simplifies the process of business management and provides the practicing physician with knowledge to be able to enjoy the business component of his\her medical practice.
This book is intended to be a roadmap towards a successful practice for medical students, residents, fellows, and doctors. This roadmap focuses on how to build and manage a medical practice, and can be applied regardless if the reader is employed, joins a small group, or if they are a doctor who decides to start their own practice. Part I covers the basic business concepts that every physician needs to know. Chapters emphasize the benefits that accrue to a physician who understands the basics of business. Part II provides a guide for doctors who are beginning a medical practice. The chapters define the various options for doctors’ employment such as solo practice, group practice, and academic medicine. The section also includes the process of negotiating contracts, identifying the advisers who help physicians become successful, and secure within their field and practice. The final part emphasizes strategies on how to build and grow a successful practice by covering topics such as hiring staff, employee motivation, creating a brand, gaining recognition, online reputation and presence, crisis management, integrating new technology, and work/life balance. The Business Basics of Building and Managing a Healthcare Practice serves as a valuable resource that helps doctors make a difference in the lives of their patients, as well as help them make good financial decisions.
Essentials of Physician Practice Management offers a practical reference for administrators and medical directors and provides a comprehensive text for those preparing for a career in medical administration, practice management, and health plan administration. Essentials of Physician Practice Management is filled with valuable insights into every aspect of medical practice management including operations, financial management, strategic planning, regulation and risk management, human resources, and community relations.
This text provides physicians with the basic business skills in order for them to become involved in the financial aspect of their practices. The text will help the physician decide what kind of practice they would like to join (i.e. private practice, small group practice, solo practice, hospital employment, large group practice, academic medicine, or institutional\government practice) as well as understand the basics of contracting, restrictive covenants and how to navigate the road to partnership. Additional topics covered include, monthly balance sheets, productivity, overhead costs and profits, trend analysis and benchmarking. Finally, the book provides advice on advisors that doctors will need to help with the business of their professional and personal lives. These include accountants, bankers, lawyers, insurance agents and other financial advisors. The Complete Business Guide for a Successful Medical Practice provides a roadmap for physicians to be not only good clinical doctors but also good businessmen and businesswomen. It will help doctors make a difference in the lives of their patients as well as sound financial decisions for their practice.
Medical Group Management in Turbulent Times: How Physician Leadership Can Optimize Health Plan, Hospital, and Medical Group Performance provides you with proven methods and new strategies on how to deliver more effective health care, health products, and related services to patients and other consumers. Stressing physician leadership and proactive participation, this text will enhance your understanding of how a working relationship between practicing physicians and health care managers is a positive and necessary means for administering and managing quality health care now and in the future. Through units preceded by defined goals, projected outcomes, and outcome analyses, Medical Group Management presents material to you in a practical, comprehensive manner on topics such as: understanding values and relationships among physicians, hospitals, and health plans working together toward a common goal establishing trust and communication between physicians, hospitals, and health plans embracing change as a catalyst for the enhancement of medical practice understanding the physicians’role in the management of a consumer-focused medical group planning for shifts in medical practice away from intervention and toward prevention creating jointly developed plans and budgets predicated upon principles of continuous quality improvement, such as eliminating unnecessary patient paperwork and improving employees’morale and job satisfaction In addition, most units in this text feature a “factors to consider” category that advises you, for example, how to research competition, establish a target market, and research the demographics of a community before formulating a plan to increase your number of patients. Complete with recommendations, sample plans on how to market health services or better serve your patients, and suggestions on how to enhance quality care, Medical Group Management will give you the knowledge to successfully address problems and work together with other professionals in the health care community to provide quality services to patients and consumers now and into the next century.
Praise for the previous edition: "This comprehensive multi-authored text contains over 450 pages of highly specific and well-documented information that will be interest to physicians in private practice, academics, and in medical management. . . [Chapters are] readable, concise yet complete, and well developed. I could have used a book like this in the past, I will certainly refer to it frequently now." 4 stars Carol EH Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA American College of Physician Executives Does Health 2.0 enhance or detract from traditional medical care delivery, and can private practice business models survive? How does transparent business information and reimbursement data impact the modern competitive healthcare scene? How are medical practices, clinics, and physicians evolving as a result of rapid health- and non-health-related technology change? Does transparent quality information affect the private practice ecosystem? Answering these questions and more, this newly updated and revised edition is an essential tool for doctors, nurses, and healthcare administrators; management and business consultants; accountants; and medical, dental, business, and healthcare administration graduate and doctoral students. Written in plain language using nontechnical jargon, the text presents a progressive discussion of management and operation strategies. It incorporates prose, news reports, and regulatory and academic perspectives with Health 2.0 examples, and blog and internet links, as well as charts, tables, diagrams, and Web site references, resulting in an all-encompassing resource. It integrates various medical practice business disciplines-from finance and economics to marketing to the strategic management sciences-to improve patient outcomes and achieve best practices in the healthcare administration field. With contributions by a world-class team of expert authors, the third edition covers brand-new information, including: The impact of Web 2.0 technologies on the healthcare industry Internal office controls for preventing fraud and abuse Physician compensation with pay-for-performance trend analysis Healthcare marketing, advertising, CRM, and public relations eMRs, mobile IT systems, medical devices, and cloud computing and much more!
This textbook covers all general areas of knowledge required for a trainee, generalist medical administrator, and doctor undergoing training to be a medical administrator specialist. Chapters cover all the key topics on medical administration and leadership. Some of the key topics included are: health systems and policy, health law, private health and insurance, health disaster planning, population and public health, health information and technology, and health economics and financial management. Medical practitioners of today are part of huge changes in medical practice as continuing developments are happening in biomedical sciences and clinical practice with new health priorities, rising expectations among patients and the public, and changing societal attitudes. Consequently, basic knowledge and skills, while fundamentally important are not enough today on their own and doctors thus need to demonstrate leadership combined with sound management skills to drive the necessary changes required to meet the challenges head. This book serve as an invaluable resource for a wide spectrum of physicians including specialists, clinician managers and other health professionals, as well as non-clinical managers working in health. This is a gateway text for trainees in medical administration, specialist medical administrators, aspiring medical managers, health service managers, and heads of service and departments in various medical specialties.
