Case descriptions
Referral to a Committee
Dr Poh Boon Eric Choo
General practitioner
Doncaster Victoria
Dr Choo was referred to PSR due to Medicare Australia’s concerns over his services per patient, home visits, nursing home consultations, and MBS item 50124 services.
During the review period Dr Choo rendered 11,622 services to 1680 patients – an average of 6.92 services per patient – that was above the 98th percentile when compared with all active general practitioners in Australia.
Dr Choo rendered MBS item 50124 services on 1816 occasions to 634 patients; 1349 level B home visits to 111 patients, an average of 12.1 visits to each patient; and 1596 level B nursing home visits to 77 patients, an average of 20.7 services for each patient.
The Director considered, after examining Dr Choo’s medical records, that he rendered frequent attendances to his patients with no apparent need for that frequency.
Dr Choo’s conduct was referred to a Committee for further investigation. The Committee found that 62 per cent of MBS item 2450 services and 78 per cent of item 50124 services would be unacceptable to the general body of general practitioners. The Committee’s summarised views were as follows:
- Many services to elderly patients were made by the calendar, once a week or more, when there was no medical necessity for such frequent visits.
- On many occasions when Dr Choo was called out to a home visit he did not provide sufficient clinical input concerning the patient’s presenting complaint.
- Dr Choo in some instances used injection of steroids to treat what he diagnosed as vasomotor rhinitis when the symptoms were indicative of respiratory tract infections.
- Dr Choo kept inadequate medical records.
The Determining Authority made a determination that Dr Choo be reprimanded and counselled by the Director, repay $56,543.65 in Medicare benefits, be disqualified from Group A1 services for four months and be disqualified from MBS item 50124 services for 12 months.
Dr Choo applied for an order of review in the Federal Court on 29 November 2006; the Federal Court dismissed the proceeding on 23 August 2007.
- 50 MBS item 24 is a level B standard home visit