Entries by Ben Dudley

Getting your money: Why debt collection is not the solution

In any business there is usually an ongoing need to manage debtors. While this process is usually managed by the staff within the business, the option to engage a debt collector can be appealing. In some cases, large debts account for a chunk of your outstanding total. In other cases, the accumulation of smaller debts […]

Health funds commentary on the value of your services

There is much more to the anaesthetists’ role than sending a patient to sleep. Patients need to consider which doctors are right for them – not simply shop around for the cheapest deal. Unfortunately, health funds are not focused on delivering the right information to their members. Rather than provide some sort of critical appraisal, […]

Best practice for getting informed financial consent

I was reading the June quarter ASA newsletter, and noticed that the Economics Advisory Committee continues to comment on informed financial consent (IFC). A continued flow of patient comments on fees and IFC illustrated that many patients still have a perception that services provided did not warrant the fee charged.

You wouldn’t do the work of your tech…

You’re a specialist. Not a GP, not a general physician – you’re a specialist. You’ve dedicated time to become the best at what you do and when you go to work, you focus on that specialist role. You don’t go to theatre and do the work of your tech, so why would you go home […]