Mark December 1st, 2017 in your calendar. From this date, pap smears will be replaced with a new cervical screening test known as “Human Papillomavirus” or HPV. This will occur in five-yearly increments rather than the existing two-yearly schedule for pap smears. The first HPV test should be done two years after your last pap smear, then to follow the normal five-yearly schedule after this.

For more information of the changes please click here.

So what does this mean for your medical business?

This means as of 1st December 2017 any pap smears conducted mistakenly and sent to pathology will now be chargable (a private invoice will be sent to the patient) as Medicare no longer covers the gap. The HPV test will be covered.

Medical Director is pleased to provide you with the software changes required that have been outlined below, commencing December 1st 2017.

In the Cervical Cytology Request window, the following additional test names have been added:

• Cervical Screening Test
• Self-collection HPV
• Co-test (HPV & LBC)
• HPV test
• LBC only

In the supplied list the following test have been added:

• Cervical cytology
• Cervical Screening test
• CST – Cervical Screening test
• Cervical Smear
• Cervical SMR

The Letter Writer template field has been renamed to “Cervical Screening” (previously named “Pap Smears”).

To assist in the two-year to five-year change in the screening cycle, Medical Director have created:

• Created a new ‘PAP/CERVICAL TEST’ recall protocol for the 5-year interval.
• Retained the ‘PAP TEST’ recall protocol for the 2-year interval, should you wish to use it.

The “Pap Test Search” has been renamed to “Cervical Screening Result” which will now include an option called “Last smear > 5 years ago” to review previous results. “New Result” options have also been added to the “Record Cervical Screening Result” window for the purpose of adding manual results to a patients record.

Need the Medica Director Update? Contact us and we can help with the transition to the new update.

Want to inform your patients of the changes to prevent out-of-pocket expenses for pap smears taken on mistake?

HotDoc is offering to cover the cost of sending targeted SMS messages (up to 1000 credits) to prevent incidental pap-smears after December 1st. This will notify your patients of the changes (females only aged 18-24 or 70-74) using HotDoc Inform. This offer is available to practices not using HotDoc Inform already, upto 1000 credits, only until the 7th December 2017. Please click here for more information on how to get access to this service!