Dispensing: MEC Guide

Question 1

Phone call introduction

Answer 1

“Good morning/afternoon, Melbourne Eyecare, [name] speaking

Question 2

What should you check before answering the phone?

Answer 2

look up phone # to search up patient
(NB: if new patient, file won’t appear)

Question 3

What do you do if you don’t know what to do during a phone call?

Answer 3

Put them on hold and talk to dispensing staff about it

Question 4

If a patient comes in, what should you ask them? (4)

Answer 4

Name
Phone number
Email
Medicare

Question 5

What should you inform the patient if they have no medicare?

Answer 5

There may be an extra consultation fee of up to $70

Question 6

What details should you ask of a patient when they make an appointment over the phone? (4)

Answer 6

Name, email, medicare
Basic history: reason for appointment.

Question 7

How do you insert an appointment into the appointment screen?

Answer 7

When patient file is up, click on a vacant time and make an appointment

Question 8

If a patient arrives with a heavy accent, what should you get them to do?

Answer 8

Ask to write down their phone number on a piece of paper so you can search them up that way

Question 9

What should you do on the schedule when a patient has arrived?

Answer 9

Mark “arrived” (should be on the bottom)

Question 10

What should you do on the schedule when a patient has finished their consultation?

Answer 10

Mark “completed” (should be on the bottom)

Question 11

What should you provide to each new patient who arrives? When might you not do this?

Answer 11

A consent/details form (on a clipboard with a pen). Afterwards, you should scan this to myscans and import the image to the patient’s file

Won’t do this if it’s a returning patient who’s information hasn’t changed.

Question 12

What should you do before the patient heads to the consultation?

Answer 12

Print a dispensing sheet which the optom will then collect
[On sunix, while clicked on patient –> click “print” –> “dispensing sheet”]

Question 13

How do you scan and upload the consent/details form to the patient’s file?

Answer 13

Scan on scanner (face up) –> should scan to myscans –> then bring up “Images” on the patient’s file in sunix –> import image

(NB: do not change name of file because won’t see it in the top 6 images available to import, unless it was named starting with like AA or something)

Question 14

After a patient has made an appointment, what should you let them know? What action is this accompanied with?

Answer 14

Let them know “you’ll receive an SMS reminder the day before”
Then on sunix you should select “SMS-1” (NOT SMS-day) –> then select “Send SMS and Save”

Question 15

What action should you perform on sunix when material is handed over?

Answer 15

Click on the tab at the top and hit “collect”

Question 16

What is the typical cost for a consult (without medicare)?

Answer 16

$67.85 + ($10-to-30 for any imaging)

Question 17

How do you scan a document on the scanner?

Answer 17

Scan to network –> 2-sided –> green button

Question 18

What should you ask a patient who has arrived to purchase contact lenses?

Answer 18

When were you last seen by an optometrist (see if its less than 12 months)

Question 19

Can a patient order new CLs if their last eye check was within 12 months?

Answer 19

Yes

Question 20

Can a patient order new CLs if their last eye check was between 12-18 months ago?

Answer 20

Yes, but advise patient this will be the last time they can order new CLs before needing another eye test

Question 21

Can a patient order new CLs if their last eye check was over 18 months ago?

Answer 21

Yes, HOWEVER they will need a re-check/eye-test first

Question 22

When a patient wants to order new CLs, what do you need for verification?

Answer 22

Written details of their current CLs (e.g. power, brand, type)

NB: picture of the box is fine

Question 23

When might we be unable to order new CLs for a patient?

Answer 23

Some CLs might not be available in Australia, so we can’t provide those

Question 24

Should you verify a person’s name over phone-call by saying “is your name ___”?

Answer 24

No. Even if their file is on sunix, you may get it wrong or the patient may say “I never told you my name”. It’ll weird them out so just say “may I ask your name?”

Question 25

When organising appointments over the phone, what should you ask the patient?

Answer 25

“is there a particular day you’re after?”

Question 26

When organising appointments over the phone, how should you phrase available vacancies/timeslots?

Answer 26

“Would you like an appointment in the morning or afternoon?”. If a patient says “anytime” you should then pick/suggest 8:45am.

Otherwise, if you give specific times in e.g. the morning, the patient is likely to choose later in the morning and you’ll be less able to book 8:45am times for student optometrists to see patients on the day.

Question 27

When making an appointment on sunix, what should you code the appointment if it’s a subsequent appointment?

Answer 27

Type SU (= Subsequent appointment. E.g. good to use if last appointment was months ago)

You type this in the little box on the bottom of the screen

Question 28

When making an appointment on sunix, how can you easily see all the possible consult codes you can choose from?

Answer 28

Double click the little box at the bottom of sunix and a list of the codes will come up

(Pretty much everything in sunix is sorted out by a double-click. Good tip to remember)

Question 29

What should you consider when a patient comes in for new frames?

Answer 29

When was the last consult (is Rx up to date? Check px details)
What will they be using them for (single/bifocal/PALs)
Show to shelves - is their a particular type of frame you’d prefer? (e.g. large, small, thick, thin)

Question 30

What type of frame should you usually suggest for a patient with high cyl?

Answer 30

“Usually you’d want a thin frame, like mine” - Shane

Question 31

What consideration should you make in frame selection for patients of asian ethnicity?

Answer 31

Be careful with nosebridges, you’ll probably want deeper/thinner nosebridges so the frames don’t fall off

Question 32

When a patient is ordering new spectacles, what screen should you bring up in sunix?

Answer 32

Bring up the spectacles record for the patient (make sure you have single clicked on the patient beforehand)

NB: this is the same logic for CLs ordering. Click on CL record. Or something like that

Question 33

Do we typically measure PD on a patient looking for frames?

Answer 33

No, normally we just look up PD information in sunix. Do it if PD information unavailable.

(also a reminder, in clinic, remember to actually record the PD and not just measure it)

Question 34

Where will you find the different item codes for different lenses?

Answer 34

Eyetalk magazine (found on the top shelf above the printer, in the new berkley st clinic)

Question 35

How long should a patient expect to wait for new glasses?

Answer 35

tell them “up to 2 weeks” (it’ll probably be earlier, but this gives us a buffer in case we need to reorder)

Question 36

What part of sunix relates to when a patient’s order of specs is expected?

Answer 36

“Lab due”

Question 37

When glasses have been received, what should you click in sunix?

Answer 37

click “job ready”

Question 38

When a patient is here to collect specs, what should you click in sunix?

Answer 38

click “create bill”

Question 39

Are there discounts for university of melbourne students for consultations?

Answer 39

Not really, no. (I actually can’t read my handwritten notes here but it looks like it says no, at least for several different consultation fees)

Question 40

What can you say to a patient who has constantly cancelled appointments on short notice?

Answer 40

“We can reschedule but please next time let us know a day prior if you need to cancel or reschedule”

Question 41

When a patient has cancelled an appointment on short notice, with what type of language should you record this in sunix (on patient’s file)?

Answer 41

Use neutral language (don’t say person was rude). Can say patient apologised, or can say patient “declined” rebooking.

(use the word “declined” rather than “refused”)

(NB: Notes in general should be brief and clear)

Question 42

When do you contact a patient who is running late for their consult?

Answer 42

Once 10 minutes late: call the patient and ask if patient is on their way.

Let them know if necessary 20 minutes is the cut off and if they are any later they will need to rebook (unless day is not busy, then we can be a little more lenient)

Question 43

When a patient has been cancelled, how does it appear on the appointments screen in sunix?

Answer 43

Will appear with grey text with a “CA”.

To change patient status to this, click on the name and put CA (double click box). It will say “overlap” but that’s fine, just say ok.

Question 44

What should you say if a patient asks about 3 year bulk billing?

Answer 44

say “medicare will be able to cover your consult” (say this during official semester times in MEC, I don’t know specifically what to say during semester breaks)

We don’t use the term “bulk billing”. It’s only during semester break where we actually have to check bulk billing.

If green medicare card, then consult is covered.

Question 45

If a patient only wants to see a non-student optometrist, when can this be done?

Answer 45

Can only be done during the semester break. In these cases, we will have to consider bulk billing.

Question 46

Do imaging fees apply if the patient is an RMH patient?

Answer 46

No

Question 47

Should you ever offer a patient a copy of their script?

Answer 47

No. Never do this. Only provide a script if the patient asks first themselves.

(Otherwise Shane will be very angry, because the patient could then just buy their frames elsewhere with the script)