MEDIA RELEASE
UNDER EMBARGO—strictly not for publication before
1.00am Wednesday 2 December 2009
GPs managing more problems at patient visits
General practitioners are managing increasing numbers of newly diagnosed problems and
chronic conditions, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare (AIHW) and the University of Sydney.
The report, General practice activity in Australia 2008-09, describes general practitioner’s
activities based on over 100,000 patient encounters with 1,000 randomly selected GPs.
The full report is accompanied by a summary report, General practice activity in Australia
1999–00 to 2008–09: 10 year data tables, which highlights major changes over time, the
characteristics of GPs, the patients they see, the problems they manage and the treatments
they provide.
‘It shows that GPs managed an average of 1.54 problems per encounter in 2008-09, and
estimates that there were 25 million more problems managed at GP visits in Australia in
2008-09 than in 1999-00,’ said Professor Helena Britt of the AIHW’s Australian General
Practice Statistics and Classification Centre at the University of Sydney.
‘There were about 5 million more occasions where two problems were managed, 3 million
more occasions where three problems were managed, and 910,000 more occasions where
four problems were managed by GPs.
‘This seemed to be partly driven by an increase in the number of reasons patients gave for
seeing the GP,’ she said.
General Practitioners are generally the first port of call in the Australian health care system,
with an average five visits per person in 2008-09.
The most common reasons for visiting the GP were requests for check-ups, prescriptions, test
results, and immunisations. Other common reasons included coughs, throat and back
complaints, or a rash
In 2008-09 patients saw a GP more often about their diabetes, hypertension and depression.
Medications were the most common treatment choice (69 per 100 problems managed). Most
of these medications were prescribed (rather than supplied or advised), at a rate of 56 per 100
problems managed.
Over the 10 years from 1999-00, GPs referred their patients more often, particularly to
specialists, with a smaller increase in referrals to allied health services.
For every 100 patient encounters, GPs ordered 46 pathology tests and 10 imaging tests.
Canberra, 30 November 2009
Further information: Professor Helena Britt tel. 02 9845 8150 or mob. 0411 197 938
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer 02 6244 1032
UNDER EMBARGO
—strictly not for publication before 1.00am Wednesday 2 December 2009
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