Administrative encounters in general practice: low value or hidden value care?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of general practice administrative encounters, and to determine whether they represent low value care. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the Bettering Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) dataset. SETTING: 1 568 100 GP-patient encounters in Australia, 2000-01 to 2015-16. PARTICIPANTS: An annual nationally representative random sample of about 1000 GPs, who each recorded the details of 100 consecutive encounters with patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of general practice encounters that were potentially low value care encounters (among the patient's reasons for the encounter was at least one administrative, medication, or referral request) and potentially low value care only encounters (such reasons were the sole reason for the encounter). For 2015-16, we also examined other health care provided by GPs at these encounters. RESULTS: During 2015-16, 18.5% (95% CI, 17.7-19.3%) of 97 398 GP-patient encounters were potentially low value care request encounters; 7.4% (95% CI, 7.0-7.9%) were potentially low value care only encounters. Administrative work was requested at 3.8% (95% CI, 3.5-4.0%) of GP visits, 35.4% of which were for care planning and coordination, 33.5% for certification, and 31.2% for other reasons. Medication requests were made at 13.1% (95% CI, 12.4-13.7%) of encounters; other health care was provided at 57.9% of medication request encounters, counselling, advice or education at 23.4%, and pathology testing was ordered at 16.7%. Referrals were requested at 2.8% (95% CI, 1.7-3.0%) of visits, at 69.4% of which additional health care was provided. The problems managed most frequently at potentially low value care only encounters were chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: Most patients requested certificates, medications and referrals in the context of seeking help for other health needs. Additional health care, particularly for chronic diseases, was provided at most GP administrative encounters. The MBS Review should consider the hidden value of these encounters.

General practice encounters for young patients with autism spectrum disorder in Australia.

This study compared the patient demographics and reasons for encounter in general practice for patients <25 years with and without an autism spectrum disorder identified as a reason for encounter and/or problem managed. The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme collected information about clinical activities in Australian general practice. Each year, the programme recruited a random sample of 1000 general practitioners, each of whom collected data for 100 consecutive consultations (encounters). Encounters with patients <25 years, where at least one autism spectrum disorder was recorded as a reason for encounter and/or a problem managed (n = 579), were compared with all other encounters (n = 281,473) from April 2000 to March 2014 inclusive. Data were age-sex standardised. Patients at autism spectrum disorder encounters (compared to non-autism spectrum disorder encounters) were more likely to be younger and male. There was a dramatic rise in the number of general practitioner consultations at autism spectrum disorder encounters from 2000 to 2013. More reasons for encounter were recorded at autism spectrum disorder encounters than at non-autism spectrum disorder encounters (156.4 (95% confidence interval: 144.0-168.8) and 140.5 (95% confidence interval: 140.0-141.0), respectively). At autism spectrum disorder (vs non-autism spectrum disorder) encounters, there were more psychological, general and unspecified, and social reasons for encounter and fewer preventive and acute health reasons for encounter. People with an autism spectrum disorder have complex health care needs that require a skilled general practice workforce.

Antibiotics for acute respiratory infections in general practice: comparison of prescribing rates with guideline recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the current rate of antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Australian general practice with the recommendations in the most widely consulted therapeutic guidelines in Australia (Therapeutic Guidelines). DESIGN AND SETTING: Comparison of general practice activity data for April 2010 - March 2015 (derived from Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health [BEACH] study) with estimated rates of prescribing recommended by Therapeutic Guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Antibiotic prescribing rates and estimated guideline-recommended rates per 100 encounters and per full-time equivalent (FTE) GP per year for eight ARIs; number of prescriptions nationally per year. RESULTS: An estimated mean 5.97 million (95% CI, 5.69-6.24 million) ARI cases per year were managed in Australian general practice with at least one antibiotic, equivalent to an estimated 230 cases per FTE GP/year (95% CI, 219-240 cases/FTE/year). Antibiotics are not recommended by the guidelines for acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis (current prescribing rate, 85%) or influenza (11%); they are always recommended for community-acquired pneumonia (current prescribing rate, 72%) and pertussis (71%); and they are recommended for 0.5-8% of cases of acute rhinosinusitis (current prescribing rate, 41%), 20-31% of cases of acute otitis media (89%), and 19-40% cases of acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis (94%). Had GPs adhered to the guidelines, they would have prescribed antibiotics for 0.65-1.36 million ARIs per year nationally, or at 11-23% of the current prescribing rate. Antibiotics were prescribed more frequently than recommended for acute rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis, acute otitis media, and acute pharyngitis/tonsillitis. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics are prescribed for ARIs at rates 4-9 times as high as those recommended by Therapeutic Guidelines. Our data provide the basis for setting absolute targets for reducing antibiotic prescribing in Australian general practice.

Time Trends in the Family Physician Management of Insomnia: The Australian Experience (2000-2015).

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes in rates of family physician (FP) management of insomnia in Australia from 2000-2015. METHODS: The Bettering the Evaluation And Care of Health (BEACH) program is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 1,000 newly randomly sampled family physicians' activity in Australia per year, who each record details of 100 consecutive patient encounters. This provided records of approximately 100,000 encounters each year. We identified all encounters with patients older than 15 years where insomnia or difficulty sleeping was managed and assessed trends in these encounters from 2000-2015. RESULTS: There was no change in the management rate of insomnia from 2000-2007 (1.54 per 100 encounters [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-1.58]). This rate was lower from 2008-2015 (1.31 per 100 encounters [95% CI: 1.27-1.35]). There was no change in FP management: pharmacotherapy was used in approximately 90% of encounters; nonpharmacological advice was given at approximately 20%; and onward referral at approximately 1% of encounters. Prescription of temazepam changed from 54.6 [95% CI: 51.4-57.9] per 100 insomnia problems in 2000-2001 to 43.6 [95% CI: 40.1-47.0] in 2014-2015, whereas zolpidem increased steadily from introduction in 2000 to 14.6 [95% CI: 12.2-17.1] per 100 insomnia problems in 2006-2007, and then decreased to 7.3 [95% CI: 5.4-9.2] by 2014-2015. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia management frequency decreased after 2007 in conjunction with ecologically associated Australian media reporting of adverse effects linked to zolpidem use. Australian FPs remain reliant on pharmacotherapy for the management of insomnia.

Who consults chiropractors in Victoria, Australia?: Reasons for attending, general health and lifestyle habits of chiropractic patients.

BACKGROUND: COAST (Chiropractic Observational and Analysis STudy) reported the clinical practices of chiropractors. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe the chiropractic patient demographic and health characteristics; 2) describe patient-stated reasons for visiting a chiropractor; 3) describe chiropractic patient lifestyle characteristics; 4) compare, where possible, chiropractic patient characteristics to the general Australian population. METHODS: Fifty-two chiropractors in Victoria, Australia, provided information for up to 100 consecutive encounters. If patients attended more than once during the 100 encounters, only data from their first encounter were included in this study. Where possible patient characteristics were compared with the general Australian population. RESULTS: Data were collected from December 2010 to September 2012. Data were provided for 4464 encounters, representing 3287 unique individuals. The majority of chiropractic encounters were for musculoskeletal conditions or for wellness/maintenance. The majority of patient comorbidities were musculoskeletal, circulatory or endocrine/metabolic in nature. Eight hundred chiropractic patients (57 %, 95 % CI: 53-61) described their self-reported health as excellent or very good and 138 patients (10 %, 95 % CI: 8-12) as fair or poor. Seventy-one percent of adult male patients (18 years and older), and 53 % of adult female patients, were overweight or obese. Fourteen percent (n = 188, 95 % CI: 12-16) were current smokers and 27 % (n = 359, 95 % CI: 24-31) did not meet Australian alcohol consumption guidelines. Less than half of the chiropractic patients participated in vigorous exercise at least twice per week. Approximately 20 % ate one serving of vegetables or less each day, and approximately 50 % ate one serve of fruit or less each day. Compared to the general Australian population, chiropractic patients were less likely to smoke, less likely to be obese and more likely to describe their health in positive terms. However, many patients were less likely to meet alcohol consumption guidelines, drinking more than is recommended. CONCLUSIONS: In general, chiropractic patients had more positive health and lifestyle characteristics than the Australian population. However, there were a significant proportion of chiropractic patients who did not meet guideline recommendations about lifestyle habits and there is an opportunity for chiropractors to reinforce public health messages with their patients.

Management of Snoring and Sleep Apnea in Australian Primary Care: The BEACH Study (2000-2014).

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To characterize the changes in management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in general practice in Australia. METHODS: The Bettering the Evaluation And Care of Health (BEACH) study is a nationally representative rolling cross-sectional survey of general practice activity in Australia. We analyzed all adult (age 18+ y) encounters for OSA or snoring, annually from 2000 to 2014 (approximately 1,000 general practitioners (GPs) per year recording approximately 100,000 patient encounters per year). RESULTS: The management rate of OSA rose from 94 to 296 per 100,000 encounters, whereas management rate of snoring remained steady at approximately 15 to 25 per 100,000 encounters. The majority of patients managed for OSA were: middle-aged (25-64 y; 71.3% of all patients); overweight (90%); male (62%), although there was a trend for an increase in the proportion being female over the study period (21 to 37 per 100 encounters). Referral rates were high for both OSA (59 per 100 problems managed) and snoring (69 per 100), although medical referrals (to a sleep clinic or respiratory physician) were significantly higher for patients managed for OSA than for snoring (90% vs. 60% of all referrals). Surgical referrals were higher for snoring than for OSA (37% vs. 3% of all referrals). CONCLUSIONS: The management rate for OSA tripled from 2000 to 2014, while the rate for snoring remained steady. GPs significantly relied on the advice of other health professionals to manage OSA; however, their referral patterns aligned with what most specialists would recommend. COMMENTARY: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1081.

Estimating non-billable time in Australian general practice.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the time that general practitioners spend on patient care that is not claimable from Medicare (non-billable) and the monetary value of this work were it claimable, and to identify variables independently associated with non-billable time. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional survey, April 2012 - March 2014. SETTING: Australian general practice; a substudy of the national Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program. PARTICIPANTS: 1935 randomly sampled GPs (77.4% participation rate) from across Australia provided filled questionnaires on 66 458 patient encounters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Non-billable time spent on patient care since patient's previous consultation; duration of and reasons for non-billable time; estimate of its monetary value were it claimable from Medicare; variables associated with non-billable time. RESULTS: 69.5% of GPs reported non-billable care outside patient visits; 8019 patient encounters (12.1%) were associated with an occasion of non-billable time. Mean time spent per occasion was 10.1 min (range, 1-240 min). Reasons for non-billable time included arranging tests and referrals, consulting specialists or allied health professionals, medication renewals, and advice and education, and encompassed all International Classification of Primary Care Version 2 chapters. The notional average annual value per GP of this work was $10 525.95 (level A rebate) to $23 008.05 (level B). Non-billable time was independently associated with female GPs, younger GPs (under 55 years), female patients, patients aged 65 years or more, and one or more chronic problems being managed at the recorded encounter. CONCLUSION: Most GPs spend a significant amount of unpaid time on patient care between consultations, an inherent problem of the fee-for-service system. This work should inform discussions of future funding models.

General practitioners' prescribing of lipid-lowering medications for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, 2001-2013.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prescribing of lipid-lowering medications during general practitioner encounters with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians from 2001 to 2013. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Observational time trend study, using data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) survey, of 9594 primary care encounters with Indigenous patients and 750 079 encounters with non-Indigenous patients aged 30 years or over. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prescription of at least one lipid-lowering medication. RESULTS: The age-sex standardised proportion of encounters that resulted in at least one lipid-lowering medication being prescribed was 5.5% (95% CI, 4.7%-6.3%) for Indigenous patients and 4.6% (95% CI, 4.5%-4.7%) for non-Indigenous patients. The proportion of encounters with Indigenous patients at which a lipid-lowering medication was prescribed increased significantly from 4.1% during 2001-2005 to 6.4% during 2009-2013 (P = 0.013 for trend). For encounters with non-Indigenous patients, the proportion increased significantly from 3.8% during 2001-2005 to 5.2% during 2009-2013 (P < 0.01). For encounters during which GPs managed diabetes, hypertension or ischaemic heart disease, the proportion of Indigenous encounters during which lipid-lowering medication was prescribed was similar to that for non-Indigenous patients. For encounters in which GPs managed a lipid disorder, however, the age-sex standardised proportion was significantly greater for Indigenous (78.4%; 95% CI, 72.6%-84.2%) than for non-Indigenous patients (65.2%; 95% CI, 64.5%-65.8%). CONCLUSION: We detected substantial increases in the prescribing of lipid-lowering medications from 2001 to 2013 for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients seen in Australian general practice. Providers were more likely to prescribe lipid-lowering medications for Indigenous than for non-Indigenous patients, suggesting some measure of success in expanding access to medications and reducing cardiovascular risk among Indigenous people.

The cost of freezing general practice.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the effect on general practitioners' income, and the amount of any copayment required for GPs to recoup lost income, of two policies (individually and combined) proposed by the Australian Government: a continued indexation freeze of Medicare schedule fees; and a $5 rebate reduction (now retracted). DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program, a continuous cross-sectional, national study of GP activity in Australia. We used data for April 2013 to March 2014 on direct encounters between patients and GPs for which at least one Medicare Benefits Schedule or Department of Veterans' Affairs general practice consultation item was claimable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The reduction in GP rebate income due to the policies and the size of any copayment needed to address this loss. RESULTS: The $5 rebate reduction would have reduced GPs' income by $219.53 per 100 consultations. This would have required a $4.81 copayment at all non-concessional patient consultations to recoup lost income. The freeze would cost GPs $384.32 in 2017-18 dollars per 100 consultations, requiring an $8.43 copayment per non-concessional patient consultation. Total estimated loss in rebate income to GPs would have been $603.85 in 2017-18 per 100 encounters, a reduction of 11.2%. The non-concessional consultation copayment required to cover lost income from both policies would have been $7-$8 in 2015-16, and $12-$15 by 2017-18. CONCLUSION: If both policies had gone ahead, GPs would have needed to charge substantially more than the suggested $5 copayment for consultations with non-concessional patients in order to maintain 2014-15 relative gross income. Even though the rebate reduction has been retracted, the freeze will have greater impact with time - nearly double the amount of the rebate reduction by 2017-18. For economic reasons, the freeze may still force GPs who currently bulk bill to charge copayments.

Respiratory tract infections among children younger than 5 years: current management in Australian general practice.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the current management in Australian general practice of common respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children younger than 5 years. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of data from a sample of 4522 general practitioners who participated in the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) cross-sectional survey, April 2007 to March 2012. Consultations with children younger than 5 years were analysed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: GPs' management of four common RTIs (acute upper RTI [URTI], acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis, acute tonsillitis, and pneumonia) in association with six management options: antibiotic medications; prescribed or supplied non-antibiotic medications; medications advised for over-the-counter purchase; referrals; pathology testing; and counselling. RESULTS: Of 31 295 encounters recorded, at least one of the four selected paediatric RTIs was managed at 8157 encounters. URTI was managed 18.6 times per 100 GP patient encounters, bronchitis/bronchiolitis 4.2 times, acute tonsillitis 2.7 times, and pneumonia 0.6 times per 100 encounters. Antibiotics were prescribed most frequently for tonsillitis and least frequently for URTI. Male GPs prescribed antibiotics for URTI significantly more often than female GPs, while older GPs prescribed antibiotics for URTI more often than younger GPs. CONCLUSION: GP management of paediatric RTIs in Australia varied according to the clinical problem and with age and sex of the GP. Further research into parents' and health professionals' attitudes and practices regarding the role of antibiotics, over-the-counter medications, and hygiene will help maintain favourable management practices.

Emergency contraception in Australia: the desired source of information versus the actual source of information.

OBJECTIVE: To determine long-term trends in emergency contraception (EC) management by general practitioners in Australia. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data from April 2000 to March 2012 were drawn from the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, a continuous cross-sectional survey of GP activity. We analysed consultations involving EC management, unwanted pregnancy management and emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) prescribing per 1000 GP encounters with women aged 14-54 years. Summary statistics were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In 2000-2001, GPs managed EC problems at a rate of 5.50 per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 4.37-6.63). From 2004, after the ECP became available over the counter (OTC) in pharmacies, EC management, which includes ECP prescription, progressively declined. By 2011-2012, only 1.43 EC problems were managed per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 0.84-2.02) and only 0.48 ECP prescriptions were provided per 1000 encounters (95% CI, 0.14-0.82). Yet the management rate of unwanted pregnancy problems stayed relatively constant (rate in 2000-2001, 0.95 per 1000 encounters; 95% CI, 0.40-1.50; rate in 2011-2012, 0.88 per 1000 encounters; 95% CI, 0.41-1.36). CONCLUSION: Low rates of EC management by GPs since ECP became available OTC suggest that women may be obtaining information on EC elsewhere. Further investigation is needed to uncover the sources of this information and its acceptability and application by Australian women.

Management rates of sexually transmissible infections by Australian general practitioners, 2000-2012.

UNLABELLED: Background In Australia, general practitioners (GPs) manage the majority of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). Most STIs are diagnosed and treated by GPs as a result of symptom recognition or risk identification. We aimed to determine how frequently six common STIs were managed by GPs, the characteristics of the GPs and patients, and any changes over time. METHODS: Data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program for April 2000-March 2012 were analysed. BEACH is a national study of GP activity. The overall management rates of genital herpes (herpes simplex virus, HSV), genital warts, HIV, chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis), gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and syphilis were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 11784 GPs recorded details of 1178400 patient encounters. These included: 115 cases of genital HSV per 100000 encounters, 92 of genital warts, 67 of HIV, 39 of chlamydia, 6 of gonorrhoea and 7 of syphilis. Higher management rates occurred among patients who were male, 15-24 years old, more socially advantaged, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, resident in a major city or of English-speaking background. GPs who were female and those aged under 60 years had higher STI management rates than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: HSV and warts were the most common STIs managed. Lower management rates for the other STIs may reflect lower incidence or lower testing rates, because these other STIs are frequently asymptomatic. It is important to determine whether existing approaches effectively target the most at-risk communities and what barriers to presentation exist.

Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study (COAST): providing an understanding of current chiropractic practice.

OBJECTIVES: COAST (Chiropractic Observation and Analysis Study) aimed to describe the clinical practices of chiropractors in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) methods for general practice. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 180 chiropractors in active clinical practice in Victoria were randomly selected from the list of 1298 chiropractors registered on Chiropractors Registration Board of Victoria. Twenty-four chiropractors were ineligible, 72 agreed to participate, and 52 completed the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Each participating chiropractor documented encounters with up to 100 consecutive patients. For each chiropractor-patient encounter, information collected included patient health profile, patient reasons for encounter, problems and diagnoses, and chiropractic care. RESULTS: Data were collected on 4464 chiropractor-patient encounters from 52 chiropractors between 11 December 2010 and 28 September 2012. In most (71%) encounters, patients were aged 25-64 years; 1% of encounters were with infants (age < 1 year; 95% CI, 0.3%-3.2%). Musculoskeletal reasons for encounter were described by patients at a rate of 60 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 54-67 encounters) and maintenance and wellness or check-up reasons were described at a rate of 39 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 33-47 encounters). Back problems were managed at a rate of 62 per 100 encounters (95% CI, 55-71 encounters). The most frequent care provided by the chiropractors was spinal manipulative therapy and massage. CONCLUSIONS: A range of conditions are managed by chiropractors in Victoria, Australia, but most commonly these conditions are musculoskeletal-related. These results can be used by stakeholders of the chiropractic profession in workforce development, education and health care policy.

Sevenfold rise in likelihood of pertussis test requests in a stable set of Australian general practice encounters, 2000-2011.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the role that diagnostic test-ordering behaviour of general practitioners has on current pertussis epidemiology in Australia. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of Australian general practice encounter data (from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health [BEACH] program) on 13 "pertussis-related problem" (PRP) codes that were most likely to result in a pertussis laboratory test request and Australian pertussis notifications data (from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System [NNDSS]) for the period April 2000 to March 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The change in the proportion of PRP general practice encounters with a pertussis test request between 2000 and 2011, and the change in national pertussis notifications over the same period. RESULTS: The proportion of PRP encounters resulting in a pertussis test request increased from 0.25% between April 2000 and March 2004 to 1.71% between April 2010 and March 2011 (odds ratio, 7.0; 95% CI, 5.5-8.8). The BEACH data on pertussis testing and NNDSS data on pertussis notifications were highly correlated (r = 0.99), and the notification data mirrored the likelihood of a pertussis test request in general practice. The proportion of NNDSS pertussis notifications with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed diagnosis increased from 16.3% between April 2000 and March 2004 to 65.3% between April 2010 and March 2011. CONCLUSION: An increase in pertussis testing following recognition of early epidemic cases may have led to identification of previously undetected infections, resulting in a further increase in notified disease and awareness among GPs. The changing likelihood of being tested may also be due to expanding availability and use of PCR testing in Australia.

Prevalence, causes, severity, impact, and management of chronic pain in Australian general practice patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of chronic pain, its causes, severity, management, impact on sleep, mood and activity levels, and general practitioner (GP) and patient satisfaction with pain management. DESIGN: A subset of 197 GPs and 5,793 patients from the BEACH program, a continuous, national cross-sectional survey of Australian general practice. RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic pain was 19.2% (95% confidence interval: 17.4-21.0) (N = 1,113). The most commonly reported causal conditions were osteoarthritis (48.1%) and back problems (29.4%). For pain severity (using Von Korff's pain grades), 25.2% were at Grade I (lowest); 37.1% were at Grade II; 28.3% at Grade III; and 9.4% at Grade IV (highest). Medication was used for pain management by 86.1% of patients, and one third also used nonpharmacological managements. One third of patients were taking opioids, most commonly those at the highest pain severity grades. On "Live Better with Pain Log" scale, the impact of pain was similar across activity (mean = 4.0), sleep (mean = 4.8), and mood (mean = 4.8). On a scale of 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest), GPs' satisfaction (mean = 2.5) was highly correlated (r = 0.7) with patients' satisfaction (mean = 2.6) with pain management. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain impairs patient quality of life, and is a public health burden. This study provides a national overview of the prevalence, causes, severity, management and impact of chronic pain in Australian general practice patients, and the parity between GP and patient satisfaction with pain management.

Comparisons of multi-morbidity in family practice--issues and biases.

BACKGROUND: As the population ages, practice and policy need to be guided by accurate estimates of chronic disease burden in primary care. OBJECTIVE: To produce a preliminary set of methodological considerations for cross-sectional and retrospective cohort studies of multi-morbidity in primary care using three studies as examples. Prevalence rate results from the three studies were re-estimated using identical age-sex groups. METHODS: We compared the methods and results of three separate studies in primary care: (i) patients in the Saguenay region of Quebec, Canada (2005); (ii) a substudy of the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) programme in Australia (2008); and (iii) the DELPHI (Deliver Primary Health Care Information) project in South-western Ontario, Canada (2009). Areas where the methods of multi-morbidity studies may differ were identified. The percentage of patients with two or more chronic conditions was compared by age-sex groups. RESULTS: Multi-morbidity prevalence varied by as much as 61%, where reported prevalence was 95% among females aged 45-64 in the Saguenay study, 46% in the BEACH substudy and 34% in the DELPHI study. Several aspects of the methods and study designs were identified as differing among the studies, including the sampling of frequent attenders, sampling period, source of data, and both the definition and count of chronic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the differences among the methods used to produce prevalence data on multi-morbidity in primary care can help explain the varying results. Standardization of methods would allow for more valid inter-study comparisons.

Better Outcomes or Better Access -- which was better for mental health care?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the MBS initiative with the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative, to test contentions that Better Access is used more often by advantaged major city patients and that the role of GPs has been reduced to that of referrers. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health data relating to management of depression from April 1998 to March 2011, with the Better Outcomes period defined as January 2002 to October 2006 and the Better Access period defined as November 2006 to December 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of depression management by GPs, including rates of mental health care item claims, referrals, prescribing and counselling, by patient location and socioeconomic group. RESULTS: During the study period, rates of depression management increased and rates of referrals to psychiatrists halved. Compared with Better Outcomes, Better Access resulted in: increased depression management for advantaged major city and disadvantaged non-major city patients (16.0% and 21.5% increases, respectively); a small decrease in prescribing for advantaged major city patients; decreases in GP counselling; increases in referrals to psychologists for all patient groups (three- to fourfold increases), with advantaged major city patients referred more often than patients in other groups; and increases in mental health care item claims for all patient groups (44-65-fold increases), with more claims for advantaged major city patients than both non-major city patient groups. CONCLUSION: Far from becoming "glorified referrers", GPs remain heavily involved in the management of depression. Better Access brought about an enormous increase in access to primary care management of depression, although advantaged major city patients gained most. Any changes to the system must not compromise the strong improvements in access that have occurred for all groups.

Sex of the GP--20 years on.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research with the Australian Morbidity and Treatment Survey (1990-1991) showed significant differences in general practitioner characteristics and patient mix of male and female GPs. Even after adjusting for these, it was seen that male and female GPs managed different types of medical conditions. The proportion of female GPs increased from 19.6% in 1990-1991 to 37.1% in 2009-2010. This study investigates whether differences remain two decades later. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of 2009-2010 Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data examining GP characteristics, patient encounter characteristics, patient reasons for encounter (RFE), problem types managed and management methods used, by GP sex. Whether GP sex was an independent predictor of problem types being managed, or management methods used, was tested using multiple logistic regressions and Poisson regression. PARTICIPANTS: 988 GPs recorded 98 800 GP-patient encounters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Adjusted differences in clinical activity of male and female GPs. RESULTS: After adjustment, compared with male GPs, females recorded more RFEs about general and unspecified issues and endocrine, female genital, pregnancy and family planning problems; and fewer concerning the musculoskeletal, respiratory, skin and male genital systems. Female GPs managed more general and unspecified, digestive, circulatory, psychological, endocrine, female genital and social problems; recorded nearly 20% more clinical treatments and referrals; recorded nearly 10% more imaging and pathology tests; and 4.3% fewer medications. CONCLUSIONS: After two decades, even with increased numbers of female GPs, the differences in problems managed by male and female GPs remain, and will probably continue. Female GPs use more resources per encounter, but may not use more resources in terms of annual patient care.