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released: 19 Nov 2003 author: Britt H, Knox S & Miller GC media release

This report is a secondary analysis of data from the first three years of the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, April 1998-March 2001. This report is based on 98,400 encounter records from 984 GPs in 1998-1999, 104,700 from 1,047 GPs in 1999-00, and 99,900 from 999 GPs in 2000-01. It describes changes in the rates and patterns of pathology test ordering by GPs and investigates the extent to which these changes are related to changes in the characteristics of the GP population, the morbidity under management, other management behaviour and the length of consultation.

ISSN 1442 3022; ISBN 978 1 74024 310 0; Cat. no. GEP 13; 90pp.; OUT OF PRINT

Full publication

Publication table of contents

  • Preliminary material (173K PDF)
    • Title page and verso
    • Contents
    • Foreword
    • List of tables
    • List of figures
    • Acknowledgements
    • Summary
  • Sections (351K PDF)
    1. Introduction
      • Background
      • Aims
    2. Methods
      • BEACH methods
      • Statistical methods
      • The final data sets
    3. Changes over time in GP pathology ordering rates
      • Changes in total pathology ordering rates over time
      • Changes in pathology ordering rates over time excluding Pap smears
    4. Changes over time in the characteristics of GPs
      • Changes in the characteristics of BEACH participants over time
      • Changes in the characteristics of GPs in the national sample frame over time
    5. GP characteristics and pathology ordering rates
      • Pathology test rates over all encounters and all problems
      • Pathology test ordering rates after the decision to order pathology
      • Summary of findings
      • Do any changes in GP age and sex over time explain the increase in pathology test orders over the same period?
    6. The purpose for which pathology tests are ordered
      • Distribution and rates of pathology tests by class
      • The proportion of problems tested in each class
      • Discussion
    7. Pathology ordering and problems managed
      • Pathology test ordering rates for selected problems over time
      • Problems most likely to generate 4 or 5 test orders, over time
    8. The relationship between pathology ordering and other management
      • The relationship between pathology ordering and prescribing
      • The relationship between imaging and pathology ordering
      • The relationship between therapeutic procedures and pathology orders over time
      • The relationship between provision of clinical treatments and pathology ordering
      • Conclusion
    9. The relationship between length of consultation and pathology ordering
      • Pathology ordering and Medicare item number recorded
      • Length of consultation (in minutes) and pathology ordering rates
    10. Analysis of variance in pathology ordering rates
      • Univariate analysis
      • Multiple regression modelling
    11. Discussion
    12. Conclusion
  • End matter (286K PDF)
    • References
    • Glossary
    • Abbreviations
    • Appendices
      • Appendix 1: Example of a recording form (1998-99)
      • Appendix 2: GP characteristics questionnaire (1998-99)
      • Appendix 3: Code groups from ICPC-2 and ICPC-2 PLUS used in this report

Recommended citation

Britt H, Knox S & Miller GC 2003. Changes in pathology ordering by GPs in Australia 1998 to 2001. General Practice Series 13. Cat. no. GEP 13. Canberra: AIHW.