Here a clinic, there a clinic, poor patient care

While not convinced brown’s the new black, I’m in full agreement with those who say heart clinics are the new skin clinics – they both advertise widely, using the selling points of bulk billing and no need for a referral.
There seem to be at least two groups of heart clinics around, including four Sydney clinics run by Your Heart Clinic
offering on its website ‘Heart disease assessment and lifestyle prescription, stress testing, assessing circulation and BP, prompt referrals to heart and diabetes specialists, advice on diet and exercise and health checks for 45 to 49 year olds”.
Another group, featured in Australian Doctor this week, is called Heart Check and are sometimes co-located in Advanced Medical Institute practices around the country, NZ and Asia.
There may be others.
After operating under the radar for some time, some of the clinics are now getting doctors hot enough under the collar to start speaking out on behalf of their patients and there’s a pattern in the complaints.
For instance, complaints from members to the NSW AMA have concerned quality of care, unnecessary testing and the initiation of new medications with no follow-up planned by the clinic, which advised patients to return to see their own GP. In response, the organisation has written to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission and Medicare Australia about inappropriate use of item numbers.
An email from a GP tells an almost identical story.
Even if the standard of care and follow-up procedures are top notch, this is Medicare rorting at its worst – radio advertising luring worried people to spend the Medicare dollar on services best done in the context of comprehensive general practice.
In any case, the 45 to 49 year old health assessment is intended to be performed by the patient’s usual GP, not a one-off check by someone they don’t know and never will.
Federal health minister, Tony Abbott, told Australian Doctor he may consider legislation banning the advertising of Medicare items, and wonders “whether these services are clinically necessary”.
They’re not, Mr Abbott.
Don’t ever forget there’s good evidence that countries with strong non-fragmented primary care have lower overall costs and generally healthier populations.
As usual, we welcome comments and feedback from all sources.