Sonographer accreditation for Medicare 012-42020110

• access Sonographer spreadsheets through current workflow arrangements
• open ASAR Status Changes spreadsheets on one screen and open the PDS on the other screen (if possible)

On the left hand side:

• select the Provider tab
• select View
• select Detailed Search
• perform a wild card search by entering the first 3 letters of surname and first name, followed by %
• if a result is found that matches the information on the spreadsheet (e.g. Member ID/Profile number), see Table 2

Note: there can be differences in the appearance of some ASAR spreadsheets. Contact Local Peer Support (LPS) if help is needed.

On the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet, see the columns titled Reason and Change Made.

If the Membership Status changed is keyed in the Reason column, check the Change Made column. If [--] to [Active] has been keyed in this column, a new Sonographer stem will need to be created in PDS. Make sure that a wildcard search is still performed (see Step 2) to make sure that a duplicate record is not created:

• select Create in PDS

Enter details on Personal tab:

• surname/first name
• title (if not on spreadsheet, leave blank)
• birth date - (if no DOB enter 01011940)
• gender (if not known, choose unspecified)

Enter details on Qualifications tab:

• qualifications: look at the Speciality column on the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet and then see Table 3 to help key the correct corresponding category and specialty codes
• to obtain the Category code, check the column Accredited Status for the sonographer
• key in the qualifications and Category code in the below format:
• C - Category Code - Specialty Code. For example, if the sonographer has an Accredited Status - Accredited Student Sonographer (ASS) 2A and their specialty is General, the category is 2, and their specialty code is 700. The code to key on PDS is C2700

Note: if the sonographer has multiple qualifications and categories, the format would be C1700/C2701/C3702. Do not delete any existing qualifications on PDS.

• place of qualifications: select the appropriate state using the dropdown menu. This information will be in the Home State column on the spreadsheet
• enter year of qualifications: enter year in the column Member Since
• select Yes in the sonographer field. Sonographers are not eligible for a prescriber number
• select Contact tab and enter mailing address details from the spreadsheet

Note: if Sonographer has an overseas address, use the ASAR address PO Box 331, Goodwood SA 5034.

In the Registration tab, enter the sonographers registration details from the spreadsheet:

• select Registration tab
• select Add new registration
• select Area from the dropdown menu and enter the state which is reflected in the Home State column on the spreadsheet (state based registration only, do not select AUS for national registration)
• enter registration number – this information can be found in Member ID column on the Status Changes spreadsheet
• for Status information select current from the dropdown menu
• enter Start date from the Join Date column on the spreadsheet
• if there is no date, use the date the spreadsheet received
• select Add new
• select Save

In the Specialty tab, see Table 3 to enter sonographers specialty information:

• select Specialty tab
• select Add speciality code and enter the below information from the spreadsheet:
• specialty code: information reflected in the Speciality column of the spreadsheet, e.g. General, enter 700
• start date: information reflected in the Member Since column of the spreadsheet
• select Add new
• select Save

Note: check the Membership Status column on the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet to confirm current registration status is Active. If the status is Inactive, CPD Default, Deactivated, Deceased, Fee Default, Rejected, De-registered, Retired or Removed, key date of processing as end date of the specialty code.

A stem number will now be generated.

• select Provider stem number (top of screen in orange), then Providers location options
• enter the mailing address information from the Active Register spreadsheet onto PDS Note: if Sonographer has an overseas address, use the ASAR address, PO Box 331, Goodwood SA 5034
• select Contact to add the location start date
• select Save

No confirmation letter is required to be sent to the practitioner.

Continue to assess/process the other entries on the Status Changes spreadsheet. Once all entries have been completed, go to the next step.

• save changes and close the file
• file the spread sheet as processed in line with current workflow procedures

• access Sonographer spreadsheets through current workflow arrangements
• have the ASAR spreadsheet on one screen and PDS on the other screen (if possible)

On the left hand side:

• select the Provider tab
• select View
• select Detailed Search
• perform a wild card search by entering the first 3 letters of surname and first name, followed by %

Note: make sure that it is the correct sonographer by cross-referencing data on the spreadsheet and PDS.

• select View on matching sonographers details
• if no results are returned, the sonographer will be new. See Table 1 to continue

On the ASAR Status changes spreadsheet, see the column titled Membership Status, Reason and Change Made columns to decide the updates needed:

• address
• last name
• first name
• title
• date of birth
• gender
• specialty

Once the action to be taken has been decided, continue steps below.

Note: there may be more than one reason for the update.

If the spreadsheet has a Reason status of Membership Status changed, e.g. [--] to [Active] has been keyed in the Change Made column, or no existing stem in PDS, see Table 1.

Address change:

• on the stem page, select Edit
• select Contact tab
• update mailing address
• select Save
• select Provider stem (top of screen in orange)

Note: make sure that the preferred mailing address is the same as their location address.

If mailing and location address are not the same:

• on the location select Amend and update details as per the mailing address on the spreadsheet
• select Save

Note: if the new address is in a different state, a new registration line must be added to the provider registration tab.

Do not end date previous registration line.

On stem page, select Edit and then select Registration tab:

• key the below information:
• area: select state where new mailing address is located
• registration number: key same number as previous registration line
• status: select Current
• start date: same date as previous registration lines (end date to be left blank)
• select Save

Note: if Sonographer has an overseas address, use the ASAR address: PO Box 331, Goodwood SA 5034.

On the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet, check the details that need to be updated on PDS:

• select Edit
• on the Personal tab, update the family name, given names and title fields to reflect the details on the spreadsheet
• select Save

Use the information contained in the Membership Status, Specialty and Change Made columns on the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet to decide what action needs to be taken on PDS.

Note: there may be more than one action that will need to be performed. Check the Membership Status column. Inactive, CPD Default, Deactivated, Deceased, Fee Default, Rejected, Retired and Removed are all indicating registrant to be removed.

• if the information indicates a Membership status change from ‘Active to Removed’ or ’Removed to Active’, go to Step 7
• if the information indicates an Accredited Status change go to Step 8
• if the information indicates a Specialty change, go to Step 9

If the data on the spreadsheet does not differ from the information already recorded on PDS, no action is needed.

If the Membership Status column indicates that the sonographer is Inactive, CPD Default, Deactivated, Fee Default, Rejected, De-registered, Retired or Removed, do the below actions on PDS:

• select Edit
• select Speciality tab
• select Amend and enter the date of processing as the end date
• select Update and save

Note: leave registration lines open. Go to Step 8.

If the Membership Status column indicates the sonographer is Deceased, the registration lines, specialty codes and practice location need to be updated as below:

• select Edit
• in the Registration tab, key the date of processing as the end date on each registration line
• in the Specialty tab, key the date of processing as the end date on the specialty code

Save changes to the stem page, then select the orange stem number at the top of the page to display the practice location:

• select Amend
• on the Contact tab, key the date of processing as the end date

If the Membership Status column indicates that the sonographer is Active, do the below actions on PDS:

In the Specialty tab, see Table 3 to enter sonographers specialty information:

• select Specialty tab
• do not amend end date from existing specialty code, if any
• select Add speciality code and enter the below information from the spreadsheet:
• specialty code: information reflected in the Speciality column of the spreadsheet, for example, General, enter 700
• start date: key date of processing as start date
• select Add new
• select Save

Check the Reason column of the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet. Do the notes indicate that the sonographer has changed membership type?

• Yes, continue processing with the information contained in this step
• No, go to Step 9

Check the Change Made and Accredited Status columns on the ASAR Status Changes spreadsheet. If the notes indicate a category change is needed, for example [Accredited Student Sonographer (ASS) 2A] to [Accredited Medical Sonographer (AMS) 1A], then see Table 3 to determine the category and specialty codes.

Key in the Qualifications and Category codes in the below format:

• C - Category Code - Specialty Code. For example, if the sonographer has an Accredited Status - Accredited Student Sonographer (ASS) 2A and their specialty is General, the category is 2, and their specialty code is 700. The code to key on PDS is C2700

Note: if the sonographer has multiple qualifications and categories, the format would be C1700/C2701/C3702. Do not delete any existing qualifications on PDS.

• select Edit
• select Qualifications tab
• add the information from the spreadsheet into the Qualifications field
• select Save

Check the information in the Specialty tab to decide if the specialty codes on PDS need to be updated. See Table 3 to determine the specialty codes to key.

For example, if the Specialty tab on the ASAR spreadsheet indicates that the sonographer now has a specialty of Cardiac, where previously on PDS the specialty code was General, key a new specialty code of 701 on PDS.

• select Edit
• select Provider Speciality tab
• select Add Specialty code. Key in the relevant specialty code
• select Save

Do not remove any existing specialty codes.

A confirmation letter to the Practitioner is not needed.

Filing spreadsheet:

• save changes and close the file
• file the spread sheet as processed in line with current workflow procedures

The ASAR assesses eligibility and advises Services Australia Medicare Provider Services.

See the Resources page for a link to the website.

• 1: Accredited Qualifications
• 2: Student
• 3: 5 Years or greater clinical experience
• 4: Competency based assessment

• 700: General
• 701: Cardiac
• 702: Vascular
• 703: Obstetric
• 704: Breast