More than 1,500 independent practitioner profiles have joined Healthcode’s online Private Practice Register (The PPR) in its first eight months of operation. The PPR has also received an early vote of confidence from leading Private Medical Insurers (PMI), including AXA PPP healthcare and Aviva, who recognise its potential to streamline their provider recognition processes.
As experts in IT solutions for the private health sector, Healthcode launched The PPR in July 2016 to be the definitive source of information about private practitioners. As well as being free for independent practitioners to join, The PPR helps them build their practice. For example, rather than applying separately, specialists can complete an online form which covers all the necessary information and supporting documents they need to apply for PMI recognition. They can select the PMIs with whom they want to register, including some smaller providers they may not have previously considered, potentially helping them to attract new patients.
By registering with The PPR, practitioners can ensure that all the essential information about their practice is accessible in one place, rather than in a number of different directories. PPR Profiles include contact details; their specialty and clinical interests; qualifications; regulatory body; Disclosure and Barring Service evidence; indemnity and NHS employer details where applicable. Practitioners control their own profile and can upload further information which highlights their clinical expertise, such as published papers.
In addition, practitioners with a PPR profile have free access to Healthcode’s secure messaging service which enables them to send encrypted confidential and sensitive information, such as financial and patient data to contacts within PMIs and hospitals, in accordance with data protection law. As with all Healthcode data, The PPR is stored in secure UK data centres and the system is encrypted comparative to online banking standards.
Healthcode’s Managing Director, Peter Connor said: “I’m delighted that The PPR already has the profiles of 1,500 practitioners. It shows there is a real appetite for a service which banishes some of the red tape within the private healthcare sector, starting with the insurer recognition process.
“Healthcode’s long-term ambition is to connect independent practitioners, PMIs and hospital providers through our secure online services so that all can work more effectively together. The PPR is a critical element in this project: it showcases practitioners to other stakeholders; establishes secure lines of communication; and it’s fully integrated with our ePractice solution so practitioners can easily manage their profile and practice in one location.”