What should you look for in a home doctor? Nowadays, many Australians are selecting after-hour General Practitioners (GPs) over visits to doctor’s offices. A recent study shows that one-third of Australians feel they’re too busy with work to take a vacation, according to IHG. A busy schedule, convenient hours, and medical conditions are some reasons people select a house doctor. You can also visit bulk billed doctors in Gold Coast. You should also know what features to look for in after-hour physicians:

Industry Qualifications  

It’s important for GP home visit services to provide well-qualified and experienced doctors. For example, some companies require their doctors to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA). 

The AHPRA is a national organisation that implements Australia’s National Scheme throughout the country. It works with the nation’s National Boards to protect public health in regulating Australia’s registered practitioners.

Another important accreditation is Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL). This 1997-established not-for-profit organisation provides quality improvement services and general practice accreditation within Australia.

AGPAL focuses on serving and supporting groups like general practices, medical deputizing services, and after-hours services. This is throughout the processes of accreditation and quality improvement.

Doctors should also have a substantial amount of experience in their particular fields. It provides the knowledge and experience that’s needed to handle health conditions and medical emergencies. These are both important to help provide the best service possible.  

Convenient Hours

This includes hours for weekdays, weekends, and holidays. It’s important for an after-hours service to be truly as such.

Doctor’s offices tend to be closed early evening to early morning on weekdays, after noon on Saturday, and all day Sundays and holidays. Look for at-home physician services that fill the gaps when your regular GP doesn’t have office hours.    

In some situations your regular doctor might be unavailable when you need to see him or her, due to limited clinic hours. This could be especially true during situations like weekends or holidays.

Medicare Compatible

Statistics show that Medicare costs and benefits make up over 41% of Australia’s total health funding (2019-2020), according to the Australian government. This makes it practical for after-hour GP services to be Medicare-compatible since 60% of patients are seniors.

The result is a company will charge Medicare for bulk-billed visits that home doctors make. Bulk-billing means that a health care provider accepts the rate found in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). The end result is the company bills the Australian government for the medical care instead of you.

GP Reports

It’s important for your general practitioner to receive a prompt report about the home-based services you received, including:

• Treatments
• Medications
• Tests (required)

Such information is especially critical when the patient has a severe medical condition.

Emergency Medications

Some in-home GP services also provide emergency meds when you need them. This is an important service for various reasons. For example, if you’re having an episode due to a serious disease or medical condition, it can be difficult or even unsafe to travel to a local pharmacy.

In fact, some companies don’t charge customers for urgent medicines. This adds value to their medical care and also reduces the total cost of your doctor’s house call.

When searching for a house doctor, it’s important to consider various factors. This includes medical certifications, flexible hours, and Medicare compatibility. Weighing these factors can help you get the best old-school house call in New South Wales.