title: Trainees in the practice - practical issues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  General practices need to consider a number of practical issues when becoming a teaching practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article describes the key aspects of patient and financial management when trainees are present in the practice and suggests solutions to potential issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Managing a practice where trainees are present adds additional organisational workloads and responsibilities. One aspect is the management of patients when trainees are present. This includes ensuring patients understand the requirements of a teaching practice and obtaining informed consent from patients, particularly for more junior training levels. It also requires the appropriate management of appointments to allow for teaching and supervision and a process for managing complaints and follow up. Another aspect for a teaching practice is financial management. Staff have additional roles which can impact on their service roles and a number of factors can impact on the income generated by a trainee. Teaching practices need to be aware of these issues and establish systems to enable them to manage a practice effectively when trainees are present.
authors.affiliation: Adelaide to Outback GP Training Program, Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, South Australia. caroline.laurence@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laurence
authors.forename: Deb
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Docking
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haydon
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheah
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D011216:Practice Management, Medical; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*