A Decade of Australian General Practice Activity 2006-07 to 2015-16

This report highlights changes in general practice activity over the decade from April 2006 to March 2016 measured by the University of Sydney’s BEACH program, a continuous study of general practice activity in Australia. The BEACH program closed in 2016, after 18 years of continuous data collection.

Over the decade, 9,721 general practitioners (GPs) provided details of 972,100 GP–patient encounters. The report highlights changes in the characteristics of GPs and the patients they see, the problems managed and the treatments provided. Changes in prevalence of measured risk factors (overweight, obesity, smoking and at-risk alcohol use) are described for sub-samples of more than 30,000 adult patients each year. Changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity over the decade are also described for annual sub-samples of more than 2,500 children aged 2–17 years.

This report is a companion to the annual report General Practice Activity in Australia 2015–16.

Allan J. Pollack is a research analyst at the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Carmen Zhang is a research officer at the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Christopher Harrison is a senior research analyst for the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Clare Bayram is a research fellow at the Family Medical Research Centre at the University of Sydney, and project manager of the BEACH program.

Graeme Miller is an associate professor and Medical Director of the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Helena Britt is a professor of primary care research at the University of Sydney.

Janice Charles is a senior research officer at the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Joan Henderson is the Deputy Director of the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Julie Gordon (née O'Halloran) is a research fellow at the Family Medical Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Lisa Valenti is a senior research analyst for the Family Medicine Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Timothy Chambers is the IT Manager for the Family Medical Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Ying Pan is a senior research analyst for the Family Medical Research Centre at the University of Sydney.

Acknowledgments
List of tables
List of figures
Summary

1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. The samples
4. The participating GPs
5. The encounters
6. The patients
7. Problems managed
8. Overview of management
9. Medications
10. Other treatments
11. Referrals and admissions
12. Investigations
13. Patient risk factors

References
Abbreviations
Symbols
Glossary
Appendix 1: example of a 2015–16 recording form
Appendix 2: GP characteristics questionnaire, 2015–16
Appendix 3: patient information card, 2015–16
Appendix 4: code groups from ICPC-2 and ICPC-2 PLUS

Format: paperback
Size: 297 × 210 × 10 mm
170 pages
10 b&w illustrations and 55 b&w tables
Copyright: © 2016
ISBN: 9781743325155
Publication: 30 Aug 2016
Series: General Practice Series