New PSR boss seeks to reassure GPs

Associate Professor Antonio Di Dio knows all too well the fear and panic a letter from the Professional Services Review (PSR) can induce.
 
He has received similar letters himself, and says it left him feeling fearful for years.
 
Now, as the new Director of the watchdog, that is something Associate Professor Di Dio hopes to change.
 
‘[For] myself and my colleagues, who went through notifications with agencies in the past, it was very, very stressful,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘We exist in order to do two things: to protect the general public from the potential harms of inappropriate practice, and to protect the Commonwealth from paying for inappropriate healthcare.
 
‘However, the way that we go about doing that, I’m really passionate about making sure that we do it in a way that is as safe and respectful as possible, and as transparent as possible.’
 
Associate Professor Di Dio is a GP of more than 30 years, an educator at the RACGP, and has been Acting Director of the PSR since 2022.
 
And on 11 July, he was officially named Director of the PSR for a three-year term in the top job.
 
The PSR is tasked with safeguarding Australians against inappropriate practice from healthcare professionals providing Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme services.
 
Last financial year, the Review received 91 requests from Medicare, and it completed 15 reports finding inappropriate practice.
 
In the past, it has drawn the ire of doctors, medical staff, and even judges, having been infamously referred to as a ‘star chamber’ in 2021.
 
But that is something Associate Professor Di Dio wants to change.
 
‘We want very much to continue to proactively educate professionals about what we do and what we don’t do, and about the kinds of things that we review,’ he said.
 
‘There’s plenty of people who deliberately set about to do the wrong thing, but there’s plenty of people who don’t, who are actually just good human beings, good doctors, good health practitioners, who have received poor advice.’
 
A recent report found that most non-compliance comes from clinicians struggling to understand a complex system, rather than intentional wrongdoing.
 
If found those who claim Medicare reimbursements in their daily practice had little or no induction or training around medical billing, a lack of knowledge around legal requirements, and little support.
 
Associate Professor Di Dio said, with his GP background, it enables him, and his team, to more fairly evaluate GPs if a problem arises.
 
‘General practice is unbelievably difficult, especially if you really, really care about your patients, and you care about your practice, and you care about your staff,’ he said.
 
‘There are some occasions when people who come to PSR, where there are mitigating circumstances, unusual stories, exceptional things were occurring, or GPs had particularly special interests or a very challenging sub-group of patients.
 
‘Myself and all of the GPs on our consultant panel and on our community panel, they are experienced GPs who understand those pressures.
 
‘It’s nice when you’re able to see things and be able to say, “Yeah, I know exactly what’s happening” or what the circumstances might have been.’
 
The PSR continues to have regular meetings with health bodies, including the RACGP, in a bid to strengthen relationships and better understand the profession in its current form.
 
As Associate Professor Di Dio settles into the role, he described it as the ‘equal best job I’ve ever been involved in in my whole life’, alongside being a GP.
 
‘We don’t want to be some kind of scary, hidden monster – quite the opposite,’ he said.
 
‘The transparency that we seek is limited by the law and our obsession with the privacy and dignity of the doctors that we review and the patients’ records.
 
‘It is really, really important to just get that message out that we are about fairness.’
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

Medicare compliance Professional Services Review PSR