We all know that GPs and clinical staff at practices are constantly short on time. At the start of the summer, Britain's GPs held 26 million appointments: an increase of 10% on the same time in 2019. The number of patients registered with GP practices is also rising.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the voluntary annual reward and incentive programme for all GP practices in England, is a vital source of income for many practices. Here we share some advice and tips on how to make the most of your time in every appointment, to help you achieve QOF points.
‘Stealing time’ in appointments
GPs have been ‘stealing time’ by performing multiple examinations in one appointment for many years, says Dr Ewan O’Farrell, Associate Medical Director at Livi.
“It’s something we do if a patient comes in with a specific illness but we also spot something else, or we check in on an ongoing condition. We can quickly check and update a patient’s asthma record, while at the same time reviewing a skin condition they may have come in for, for example. Or, we can monitor their COPD while looking at a mole they have noticed and are concerned about.
“This is opportunistic gathering of QOF points, and it’s routine at high performing GP practices.”
This approach is only appropriate if there is sufficient time, and the patient has no symptoms or concerns. In which case, a standalone appointment or review is always necessary.
Building rapport over the phone
It has undoubtedly been more difficult to examine patients using this technique since the reduction in face-to-face appointments. We can’t see or pick up on additional conditions, but we can work to build a rapport with patients over the phone, helping us to identify other factors.
We can also ensure we ask very straightforward, non-invasive questions such as a patient’s smoking status, which we can then add the smoking QOF code to their notes.
Of course, there are many ways we can now further engage with patients outside of the GP appointment. Mjog by Livi can help practices hit QOF targets through our batch messaging and remote monitoring questionnaires also enable practices to engage with patients with particular needs, and help to manage long term conditions.
To find out how Mjog by Livi can help your practice, and to request a demo, please email sales@mjog.com. If you’re an existing customer, our great product and features are accessible when you log in to our platform.
