The Australian Defence Force Post­discharge GP Health Assessment.

BACKGROUND: All former serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) can receive a comprehensive health assessment from their general practitioners (GPs). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to describe the ADF Post-discharge GP Health Assessment and introduce a tool that assists GPs in performing the assessment. DISCUSSION: The ADF Post-discharge GP Health Assessment is intended to promote the early detection and intervention of potential mental or physical health concerns in the veteran population and facilitate the establishment of ongoing care with a GP.

e-Mental health in South Australia: impact of age, gender and region of residence.

Respondents to the 2008 South Australian Health Omnibus survey (n=2996) indicated whether, in the previous 12 months, they had searched for information on the Internet relating to emotional issues such as depression, anxiety or relationship problems. Logistic regression was used to examine the penetration of e-mental health in rural and metropolitan areas (region of residence), and determine if other demographic variables (age group, gender) also impacted on the likelihood of an individual reporting that they had used the Internet to obtain such information. Overall, 9% of respondents reported that they had used the Internet for this purpose. The multivariate model was significant, F(11, 2985)=4.82, P<0.0001, with middle-aged rural females most likely to report doing so (18.1%), whereas older rural males were least likely to report doing so (2.2.%). These findings have important implications for the design of e-mental health promotional programs that provide information and interventions to improve mental health.

Equity of access in the spatial distribution of GPs within an Australian metropolitan city.

Equitable access to primary health care is a key objective for health policy makers. In Australia, poor access to primary care providers has been well documented for many rural areas, yet the distribution of general practitioners (GPs) in metropolitan regions remains relatively unknown. Traditional methods of determining geographic access to GPs are limited as they rely on simple population to provider ratios within artificial administrative borders and, among other things, fail to take into account patients that utilise close-by facilities outside of these borders. This study utilised specialised geographic information systems to examine the equity of access to GPs in an Australia capital city (Adelaide). Results showed that by Australian standards, residents of metropolitan Adelaide have low GP ratios. However, an inequitable spatial distribution of GPs within metropolitan Adelaide was found, with ~16% of residents considered to be living in areas of GP workforce shortage. Residents in the outer suburbs and those with lower social economic status appeared to be the most disadvantaged. It is recommended that future studies employ specialised GIS techniques as they provide a more accurate measurement of variations in spatial accessibility to primary care within metropolitan cities.

Access to general practitioners in South Australia: a population survey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the timeliness of access to general practitioner appointments in South Australia. DESIGN AND SETTING: Face-to-face interviews with a random and representative sample of South Australians living in metropolitan Adelaide and country towns with a population of 1000 or more in 2007. PARTICIPANTS: 2507 people aged 15 years and over who had seen a GP in the previous 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Waiting times for obtaining an appointment with a GP, patients' perceptions about appointment waiting times, and waiting times at the GP's surgery. RESULTS: Most respondents reported that for their last visit with a GP, they were able to be seen on the same day (39%) or within 1 or 2 working days (33%); 20% waited more than 2 working days for their appointment. Nine per cent of respondents (159/1764) reported waiting more than 2 working days because an earlier appointment was not available. Respondents reporting lower levels of household income were more likely to report longer waits for GP appointments. Most respondents (78%) felt that they were able to make a GP appointment as soon as they thought necessary. At the surgery, 46% of respondents were seen within 15 minutes, but 13% waited 45 minutes or longer. CONCLUSIONS: In general, access to GPs is timely, and most South Australians reported that for their last GP visit they were able to make an appointment as soon as they thought was necessary.