When utilising a medical service, patients are very discerning about time management and are focused on getting the best care in the shortest timeframe and at the more affordable price. Realistically, patient complaints are a common occurrence in the majority of medical practices.

In this podcast, Paul talks about the most common reason for patient complaints (including the doctor running late and poor communication) and how doctors and practice managers can best manage these complaints.

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There are two types of complaints: those that are voiced inside the clinic and those that are expressed outside the clinic (through social media, word of mouth or online reviews, by way of example). Paul explains some strategies for handling both types of patient complaints in a way that minimises damage to the reputation of you and your medical practice.

Unfortunately, patients who have a negative experience are more likely to tell people about that experience than patient who have a positive one. Paul covers some of the ways doctors and practice managers can communicate with patients to resolve issues before they develop.

About Presenters

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Paul Elmslie is the Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres. Paul is a pioneer of the subspecialised skin cancer clinic model and has built a network of dedicated skin cancer referral centres and training facilities across Australia. Paul has owned or operated about 28 skin cancer clinics in his 20+ years of experience.

Welcome to this podcast series, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Macquarie University) speaks with Professor Michael Henderson (Deputy Director; Division of Cancer Surgery, Tumour Stream Director; Melanoma and Skin, Peter Mac) about the current landscape of melanoma management.

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Prof Henderson talks about how the treatment of melanoma has significantly changed not just over his career, but even in the past few years. He speaks about the options now available to patients with advanced metastatic melanoma – treatments that offer more hope than ever before and can dramatically improve patient prognosis.

The latest data suggests that 70 per cent or more of patients who receive combination immunotherapy for melanoma are likely to survive five years – an extraordinary feat in comparison to statistics from just 10 years ago.

In the podcast, Prof Henderson speaks about the stage at which primary care doctors should be sending patients on to a melanoma unit, and when referral to these tertiary centres is most appropriate. This includes mention of the latest melanoma management guidelines.

Prof Henderson also discusses sentinel node biopsy and whether this is a recommended or necessary standard of care in melanoma management.

Hear all this and much more in the full podcast above.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Professor Michael Henderson is a Professor of Surgery with the The University of Melbourne and surgeon in the Melanoma and Skin Service, Breast Service and Sarcoma Service at Peter Mac. He graduated in medicine from The University of Melbourne and trained as a general surgeon. He completed his training with a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston. Melanoma makes up a major part of his clinical workload and he is actively involved in clinical and translational research. He maintains an active clinical and translational research interest in melanoma and is supervising several higher degree research candidates.

In this latest podcast, Elena Currie (Co-founder, Aesthetic MET) talks about aesthetic consultations and how to manage the problem of psychological conditions and body dysmorphia among your patients.

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A psychological focus is crucial to identify the drivers for patients wanting cosmetic procedures and to assess whether they are doing it for the right reasons. In the podcast, Elena talks about what body dysmorphia is and why it’s important for medical practitioners to keep it in mind as part of every aesthetic consultation.

Body dysmorphia is an imagined defect or a completely distorted perception a person possesses about their physical appearance. This is a diagnosed psychiatric disorder with compulsive behaviours, rather than simply a poor body image. Patients with body dysmorphia may change clothes often throughout the day or wear loose clothing to camouflage their perceived flaw; they may wear excessive make-up or check their reflection in a mirror repeatedly throughout the day.

Elena believes that medical practitioners in the aesthetic industry have a duty of care to guide patients with body dysmorphia in the right direction. Studies have shown that only about 3.6 per cent of people with this condition actually have an improvement in their symptoms following a cosmetic procedure.

It’s important for practitioners to screen patients for symptoms or compulsions of body dysmorphia during an aesthetic consultation, because treating these patients can lead to dissatisfaction from the patient as well as aggression and abuse towards the practitioner.

Elena gives practical advice for the questions practitioners can ask during aesthetic consultations and what to keep in mind, including understanding patients’ mental and emotional health. She also discusses the mistakes to avoid when conducting an aesthetic consultation, including poor communication and pointing out patients’ flaws rather than strengths.

The podcast also covers how practitioners can create an environment of trust and set appropriate expectations for their patients.

With the launch of our new online Professional Diploma of Medicinal Cannabis program – the first university-reviewed program in medicinal cannabis for doctors in Australia – Dr Joe Kosterich recently held an insightful webinar on the uses and benefits of medicinal cannabis in primary care.

To address the significant number of questions that arose from this webinar, we have compiled a four-part FAQ series with Dr Kosterich. In the third podcast in the series, Dr Kosterich answers your most common questions about the implications, side effects and limitations of medicinal cannabis (and so much more!).

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Dr Joe Kosterich is a doctor, speaker, author, media presenter and health industry consultant. Wanting you to be healthy and get the most out of life, Dr Kosterich writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications and is a regular on radio and television. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases, is clinical editor of Medical Forum Magazine, adjunct professor (teaching) at UWA and a lecturer at Curtin Medical School. Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis company Little Green Pharma and Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, Dr Kosterich has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health, and maintains a website and blog with health information and commentary. Previously he held senior positions in the Australian Medical Association and sat on numerous industry and government boards. He has extensive corporate experience in the setting up and management of medical centres and in helping businesses maintain a healthy workforce. Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.

Welcome to this podcast series, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Paul Elmslie (Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres) about a key part of a successful medical business: people.

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About Presenters

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Paul Elmslie is the Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres. Paul is a pioneer of the subspecialised skin cancer clinic model and has built a network of dedicated skin cancer referral centres and training facilities across Australia. Paul has owned or operated about 28 skin cancer clinics in his 20+ years of experience.

In this insightful podcast, Elena Currie (Co-founder, Aesthetic MET) talks about cosmetic injectables, adverse reactions, and how medical practitioners can get support with managing complications.

In the podcast, Elena describes the current market for cosmetic procedures in Australia – particularly injectable procedures like dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections – and how this impacts practitioners and patients.

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Elena discusses the possible adverse reactions and side effects of cosmetic injectables, including blindness and interaction with adjacent muscles, and the actual risk of these adverse events occurring. She also talks about complications like vascular occlusions and delayed inflammatory reactions, which affect around one per cent of patients.

There is often a false stigma attached to adverse events from cosmetic injectables that purports any complications are related to the experience level of the practitioner who performs the procedure. In fact, research has found that 65 per cent of practitioners with 11+ years experience has had one or more adverse events.

Elena breaks down the Four Ps of the real causes of adverse reactions: the practitioner, the patient, the placement, and the product. She says two of the main mistakes made by practitioners are failing to have a sound understanding of facial anatomy and injecting too fast.

In terms of the patient, cosmetic injectables stimulate an immune response that not all patients can tolerate, and not all patients will fit into a “textbook” case. It’s important to ensure that patients are receiving these treatments for the right reasons and don’t try to overdo it.

Elena then discusses some of the options available to practitioners in terms of finding the right training to perform cosmetic injectables as well as adequate support in managing complications. She explains the importance of finding a credible training provider that avoids pharmaceutical sponsorship where possible, delivered by experts who are practising and invested in the field.

In terms of managing complications, Elena co-founded Aesthetic MET to create a formalised, structured aesthetic safety support service. You can learn more about Aesthetic MET and much more in the full podcast below.

With the launch of our new online Professional Diploma of Medicinal Cannabis program – the first university-reviewed program in medicinal cannabis for doctors in Australia – Dr Joe Kosterich recently held an insightful webinar on the uses and benefits of medicinal cannabis in primary care.

To address the significant number of questions that arose from this webinar, we have compiled a four-part FAQ series with Dr Kosterich. In the second podcast in the series, Dr Kosterich answers your most common questions about conditions medicinal cannabis can treat in primary care (and so much more!).

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Dr Joe Kosterich is a doctor, speaker, author, media presenter and health industry consultant. Wanting you to be healthy and get the most out of life, Dr Kosterich writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications and is a regular on radio and television. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases, is clinical editor of Medical Forum Magazine, adjunct professor (teaching) at UWA and a lecturer at Curtin Medical School. Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis company Little Green Pharma and Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, Dr Kosterich has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health, and maintains a website and blog with health information and commentary. Previously he held senior positions in the Australian Medical Association and sat on numerous industry and government boards. He has extensive corporate experience in the setting up and management of medical centres and in helping businesses maintain a healthy workforce. Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.

Welcome to our podcast series on medical business management, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Dr Jeremy Hudson (Skin Cancer Doctor and Chair of Dermatology SI RACGP) about the current landscape of skin cancer care, including digital imaging and its impact on the work of GPs and skin cancer doctors.

Prof Wilkinson and Dr Hudson discuss how skin cancer care has changed recently and how it functions in practice today. Dr Hudson explains that the entire basis of detecting skin cancer is seeing a patient face-to-face, talking to the patient and using a dermatoscope, which continues to be the primary decision-making tool in skin cancer diagnosis.

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Stronger magnification and a range of digital imaging tools – including artificial intelligence – have strengthened skin cancer care in recent years, helping doctors to diagnose skin cancers earlier. Despite this, technology is not a substitute for the diagnostic skills of GPs and skin cancer doctors who continue to be the workhorse of skin cancer detection.

But where is skin cancer care headed in the future for GPs and primary care skin cancer doctors? Dr Hudson describes how sequential imaging and artificial intelligence fit into clinical application and which patients would most benefit from these technologies. He talks about the problems of AI-bias and skills degradation for doctors.

Prof Wilkinson discusses pathways of care for high-risk patients and how screening and managing these patients might be changing.

Dr Hudson also speaks about the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Specific Interests (RACGP SI) Dermatology body and how GPs and skin cancer doctors can get involved.

If you are a general practitioner with a special interest in general dermatology and would like to have input at the national RACGP level, you are invited to join the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Specific Interests (RACGP SI) Dermatology body. This is a body of approximately 2,500 GPs who officially work under the RACGP as a grass-roots body to raise contemporary issues and assist with policy development. If you want to have direct input into the RACGP either raising issues or developing solutions, register for the RACGP SI Dermatology group: RACGP – RACGP Specific Interests.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Dr Jeremy Hudson works full time in Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery in Townsville, Queensland, and has extensive qualifications in the field, performing regular skin checks and a wide range of treatments including non-surgical therapies, basic excisions and complex flap and graft surgery. Dr Hudson strongly believes that patients deserve access to the best and latest advancements in skin cancer medicine. He also holds the position of Senior Lecturer at James Cook University, where he writes and teaches courses in skin cancer medicine, dermoscopy (skin cancer imaging), and advanced graft and flap surgery. He is currently developing a series of online written and video resources for skin cancer surgical training. Dr Hudson is an active member of several research and training organisations including the Dermatology Special Interests Group (RACGP), the Skin Cancer College of Australasia, and has assisted in research projects on surgical outcomes, histological sampling and tissue samples for cell line studies. He is a strong advocate of education for both patients and doctors, and has worked extensively in both paid and volunteer positions to deliver high quality care and raise local training standards.

Welcome to our podcast series on medical business management, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Professor David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Paul Elmslie (Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres) about how to deliver a really high quality skin cancer service for your patients and measure patient satisfaction.

Prof Wilkinson and Paul speak about how this goes beyond the standard clinical care provided by general practitioners and primary care doctors.

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In everything we do, we expect good quality products and services – whether it be getting our car serviced, having a hair cut or visiting the doctor. We look for services that deliver what we need while also being professional, on time, clean and COVID-Safe. This podcast looks at the importance of the service patients receive and how doctors can provide a really good service outside of the clinical work, and how this is measured and managed.

It is important to note that patients have choices – they don’t have to see you. And a patient with a poor experience has the ability to tell tens of thousands of other potential patients about their situation via online platforms. Paul talks about how doctors can manage the patient journey – all the way from booking their appointment to the recall and follow-up stages – to minimise patient complaints, create raving fans, and ultimately deliver an exceptional patient experience.

Everyone plays a role in patient satisfaction – from the receptionist to the doctor and beyond. A great way of measuring this patient satisfaction is through a Net Promoter Score (NPS) that collects feedback from patients immediately after their appointment. This kind of data is essential for understanding what is working well in your practice and what areas need to be improved. Paul discusses how the NPS works and how the data can be used to improve the overall patient experience in your practice.

Did you know: People are 10 times more likely to share a negative experience with their friends than a positive experience.

Importantly, Paul says that the key thing you need to do as a doctor or practice manager when managing poor patient feedback is to show that you are listening, that you care, and that you are going to take action. This helps to diffuse the situation and can convert a patient from a “detractor” into a “promoter”.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Paul Elmslie is the Founder and CEO of HealthCert Education and the National Skin Cancer Centres. Paul is a pioneer of the subspecialised skin cancer clinic model and has built a network of dedicated skin cancer referral centres and training facilities across Australia. Paul has owned or operated about 28 skin cancer clinics in his 20+ years of experience.

With the launch of our new online Professional Diploma of Medicinal Cannabis program – the first university-reviewed program in medicinal cannabis for doctors in Australia – Dr Joe Kosterich recently held an insightful podcast on the uses and benefits of medicinal cannabis in primary care.

To address the significant number of questions that arose from this webinar, we have compiled a four-part FAQ series with Dr Kosterich. In the first podcast in the series, Dr Kosterich answers your most common questions about prescribing medicinal cannabis in primary care (and so much more!).

----more----

Dr Joe Kosterich is a doctor, speaker, author, media presenter and health industry consultant. Wanting you to be healthy and get the most out of life, Dr Kosterich writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications and is a regular on radio and television. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases, is clinical editor of Medical Forum Magazine, adjunct professor (teaching) at UWA and a lecturer at Curtin Medical School. Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis company Little Green Pharma and Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, Dr Kosterich has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health, and maintains a website and blog with health information and commentary. Previously he held senior positions in the Australian Medical Association and sat on numerous industry and government boards. He has extensive corporate experience in the setting up and management of medical centres and in helping businesses maintain a healthy workforce. Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.