Tackling letter and reporting backlogs

At Developmental Paediatrics in Bondi Junction, managing documentation for a large team of clinicians was becoming a significant challenge. Grace, the Practice Manager, oversees a team of 38 clinicians, including paediatricians, speech pathologists, psychologists and dietitian's. “With so many specialists, the volume of referral letters, NDIS reports and school documentation is enormous” says Grace.

"We had a huge backlog of reports going out," she explains. "Doctors were seeing so many patients, but struggling to produce reports quickly. It was affecting patient experience because letters and reports were delayed by up to six or eight weeks. That’s when we knew something had to change."

Enter Letters. “Letters is more accurate, reliable, intuitive and cost-effective than other options on the market. We’re loving it.” We found out more about why Grace and the Developmental Paediatrics love Letters and how they’re using it.

A game-changer for doctors

Letters’ core value lies in how it supports doctors. Its AI transcription for doctors allows clinicians to dictate notes, upload documents and convert bullet points into fully formatted letters, all quickly and accurately.

"For our clinicians, the letter-writing function is their favourite feature," says Grace. "They can pull in different sources like teacher questionnaires, referrals and even PDFs and combine them seamlessly into comprehensive reports. Some reports are up to 17 pages long, and Letters handles it effortlessly."

Letters is also able to detect and replicate each doctors’ tone of voice . Users just upload 3 sources and the software will assume that tone of voice and style of writing, grammar and letter set up in going forward. 

Read more about this feature in our discussion with Dr Lunz, another Letters user. 

Before Letters, the practice relied on costly transcription services that only provided basic text output. "The transcription function in our patient software was expensive and limited. It didn’t format letters or offer any editing features. With Letters, we’ve eliminated that cost entirely, and doctors have a more powerful tool to use."

Faster turnarounds, happier patients

The impact on patient care has been significant, too. "We’ve gone from a six-to-eight-week delay on reports to having letters sent out within days," Grace shares. "That’s a huge improvement for families who need documentation for schools, NDIS or other services."

This quicker turnaround has also improved relationships with referring GPs, and they’ve noticed their waitlist growing for new patients. "When referral letters go back to GPs quickly, it likely encourages them to refer more patients to us, knowing their patients are with swift and responsive specialists."

Practice-wide benefits: Grace’s perspective

While Letters has transformed clinical workflows, Grace also uses it in her administrative role.

"I primarily use the transcription feature for documenting patient complaints or lengthy conversations with parents," she explains. "I can dictate notes, run them through Letters to formalise the language and create clear, professional records."

Grace has even discovered unexpected uses: "I’ve used Letters to draft policies, procedures and marketing flyers. It saves me hours of writing time. I just input the key points and it structures everything for me. It’s like having an extra team member."

Adoption of Letters within the team has been easy

Adopting new software can be challenging, but Letters has been different for Developmental Paediatrics. "We didn’t face any real resistance from clinicians," says Grace. "Once they’ve tried it, they’ve enjoyed it. Even doctors who were sceptical at first quickly saw how much time it saved."

Grace also appreciates how intuitive the platform is. "It’s very user-friendly. The functions are well laid out, easy to navigate and don’t require much training. Once you start using it, you don’t want to go back, to be honest."

Secure, reliable and customisable

In healthcare, data security is critical. Letters stores all data exclusively on Australian servers, ensuring compliance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988.

"Knowing patient data is stored securely in Australia was a big factor in getting clinicians on board," Grace notes. "We needed a solution we could trust, and Letters delivers that."

Letters is also highly customisable. "The support team is amazing. If we suggest a new feature or improvement, they’re quick to respond and implement changes. It’s continually evolving to meet our needs."

Cost savings for your practice and better work-life balance

When asked if Letters is worth the investment, Grace doesn’t hesitate: "Absolutely. It’s revolutionised not just my role, but the entire practice."

By reducing admin time, improving documentation accuracy and enhancing patient communication, Letters has delivered measurable benefits. "We’ve eliminated costly transcription services, reduced report backlogs and even improved referral rates because of faster communications."

Why you should try Letters too

For practices considering Letters, Grace has simple advice: "Go for it. Once you start using it, you’ll realise how much it can revolutionise your workflow. It saves time, reduces costs and improves patient care."

Are you a doctor or practice manager looking to reduce admin time and improve your medical documentation software? Experience better, faster letters.