Indicator
C1.1 A Our patients can access up-to-date information about the practice.
At a minimum, this information contains:
- our practice’s address and telephone numbers
- our consulting hours and details of arrangements for care outside normal opening hours
- appointment types
- our practice’s billing principles
- a list of our practitioners
- our practice’s communication policy, including when and how we receive and return telephone calls and electronic communications
- our practice’s policy for managing patient health information (or its principles and how full details can be obtained from the practice)
- how to provide feedback or make a complaint to the practice
- details on the range of services we provide.
Why this is important
Information about the practice, including the range and cost of services provided by the practice, is important to all patients.
Meeting this Criterion
The format of the information
You can provide this information in many formats, such as printed information sheets and text on the practice’s website. Pictures and simple language versions help patients who would otherwise be unable to read or understand the information. The practice needs to update this information regularly so that it remains accurate. Ideally, the information is updated as soon as it changes. If your practice serves specific ethnic communities, provide access to written information in the languages most commonly used by your patients. You could also display the languages spoken by the practice team on an information sheet or on your website.
Appointment types
The information you provide to patients about appointment types needs to detail whether in-person and/or telehealth appointments are available and in what circumstances. Your practice could educate, and communicate with, patients about the process and the benefits of an appointment type before they take part, especially if a patient is unfamiliar with an appointment supported by technology. You could also advise patients of the different durations available for each appointment type.
If your practice offers telehealth appointments, provide your patients with details on how to access these appointments, and the types of telehealth appointments available to them, such as:
- video, phone or other
- specialist-only telehealth appointments
- telehealth offered at certain times.
Advertisements in your practice information
If any of the material providing information about your practice contains local advertisements, include a disclaimer that states that the inclusion of advertisements is not an endorsement by the practice of those advertised services or products.
Meeting each Indicator
C1.1 A Our patients can access up-to-date information about the practice.
You must:
- make practice information available to patients
- update practice information if there are any changes.
You could:
- create and maintain an up-to-date information sheet that contains all the required information in language that is clear and easily understood
- create and maintain an up-to-date website that contains all the required information about the practice in clear, simple language
- provide alternative ways to make the information available to patients who have low literacy levels (eg provide versions in languages other than English, and versions including pictures)
- provide brochures and/or signs in the waiting room, written in English and languages other than English, explaining
- the practice’s policy regarding its collection, storage, use, and disclosure of personal and health information
- the practice’s fees
- available services
- after-hours services
- display a list of names of the practice’s team members on duty
- make contact details of interpreters available
- train practice team members so that they can use the interpreter service.