HPCSA Updates Booklet 20 and Redefines AI Use in Allied Health
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has released the updated Booklet 20 – Ethical Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence, alongside other revised ethical guideline booklets. (HPCSA Link) For allied health practitioners in private practice, this ruling marks a pivotal moment. As AI models and decision-support tools become more integrated into care, […]
The missing socket saga
It starts with a question that every orthotist or prosthetist knows too well. “Which model did we use last time?” You pause, staring at the screen. Somewhere in the depths of a spreadsheet, buried between supplier emails and handwritten notes, lies the answer. You scroll, search, and sigh. The workshop hums behind you, half a […]
Tax credits in flux. What medical-scheme changes mean for health practitioners and billing.
Next year may usher in more uncertainty for South Africa’s private health professionals. The ripple effects of changes to medical tax credits and scheme behaviour aren’t just background noise.You may have been hearing that the medical scheme tax rebate is up for review. You may have thought about what this means to you and you […]
The November Nosedive
November. The practice hums with a kind of tired optimism. The kind that says, “We’ve nearly made it.” The decorations haven’t appeared yet, but everyone’s already pretending not to notice the calendar edging toward December. Even the dentist’s drill is sounding like chimes, far off between the occasional yelp. This is the month of gentle […]
The Great CPD Chase: Surviving the Annual Allied Health Olympics
It always starts the same way. The year is fresh, the diary still smells of optimism, and you tell yourself that this will be the year you get your CPD points done early. You make a list, maybe even highlight a few promising webinars, and feel unreasonably proud of your adulting skills. For a moment, […]
Is South Africa Next in the Johnson & Johnson Talc Scandal?
A fresh wave of legal action is crashing over Johnson & Johnson, the American multinational long known for its wholesome image and baby-soft marketing. Thousands of women in the United Kingdom are now suing the pharmaceutical and consumer-goods giant, claiming its talc-based baby powder contained asbestos and that the company knew it. The new lawsuit, […]
Clinically brilliant, commercially blind. Are South Africa’s medical schools failing graduates?
As a clinical psychologist, entering private practice for the first time, I was left floundering. Navigating the complexity of running a business, billing medical aids and handling client collections was just never something I’d had to contend with. Looking back, the learning curve was steep and expensive! South Africa’s health graduates are among the most […]
Still Using WhatsApp to Manage Patients? Here’s What It’s Costing You
It starts innocently enough. A patient cancels via WhatsApp at 10pm. Another sends a voice note with a new symptom. You scroll through endless chat threads to remember what you discussed last week. Somewhere between casual texts and real consultations, your phone has become the nerve centre of your practice. For many South African private […]
Why most paperless solutions still don’t work for private healthcare practices
It sounds like a dream. Paperless record keeping. Online diary management. Seamless referrals. Digital everything. But for many private health practitioners in South Africa, the reality of digital health systems looks very different. What we’re promised is innovation. What we get is friction. From rigid hospital-based EHRs to clunky imported software, most digital tools in […]
Private Practice in the Crosshairs: What the BHF’s NHI Court Challenge Means for Health Professionals
South Africa’s healthcare future is on trial, literally. South Africa’s plan to overhaul its healthcare system is facing major legal challenges that could delay or change how the National Health Insurance (NHI) is rolled out. Doctors, health funders, and the Western Cape Government are taking the matter to court, arguing that the new law is […]
Waiting for Life: SA’s Organ Donor Crisis and the Role of Health Practitioners
Across South Africa, thousands of patients are holding out hope for a second chance at life through organ transplantation, but sadly, many never receive them. Recent data from the Gauteng Department of Health reveals that over 6 500 South Africans are currently on organ and tissue transplant waiting lists. In Gauteng alone, more than 1 100 individuals […]
NHI Rollout: What South Africa’s Healthcare Professionals Need to Know
As South Africa edges closer to implementing a nationalised healthcare system, many in the medical profession are watching with both hope and concern. The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, signed into law in 2024, represents the country’s most ambitious health reform since democracy. Physiotherapists, speech therapists, dietitians and other healthcare professionals have critical questions about […]