General practice activity in Australia 1999-00 to 2008-09: 10 year data tables

INTERNET ONLY

Phone, fax or email orders:

Internet Only

View other publications in the same series: General practice series.

View other publications by the same authors: Britt H, Miller GC, Charles J, Henderson J, Bayram C, Valenti L, Pan Y, Harrison C, Fahridin S & O'Halloran J.

View other publications in the same subject area: General practice.

General practice series no. 26

This report presents results from the most recent 10 years (April 1999 to March 2008) of the BEACH program, a national cross-sectional study of general practice activity. During this time 9,901 GPs provided details of almost 1 million GP-patient encounters. Readers can review changes that have occurred over the decade in the characteristics of general practitioners and the patients they see; the problems managed and the treatments provided. Changes in patients' body mass index, smoking status and alcohol use are described for a subsample of adult patients.

Authored by Britt H, Miller GC, Charles J, Henderson J, Bayram C, Valenti L, Pan Y, Harrison C, Fahridin S & O'Halloran J.

Published 2 December 2009; ISSN 1442-3022; ISBN-13 978 1 74024 973 7; AIHW cat. no. GEP 26; 176pp.; INTERNET ONLY

Download free

Help with downloads

Full publication

Publication table of contents

Preliminary material (237KB PDF)
- Title and verso pages
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Symbols
- Executive summary (HTML)
Body section
1. Introduction (137KB PDF)
  - 1.1 Background—general practice in Australia
2. Methods (212KB PDF)
  - 2.1 Sampling methods
  - 2.2 Recruitment methods
  - 2.3 Data elements
  - 2.4 The BEACH relational database
  - 2.5 Supplementary Analysis of Nominated Data
  - 2.6 Statistical methods
  - 2.7 Changes over time
  - 2.8 Extrapolated national estimates
  - 2.9 Changes to data elements and reporting methods
  - 2.10 Classification of data
  - 2.11 Quality assurance
  - 2.12 Validity and reliability
3. The sample (113KB PDF)
4. The participating GPs (181KB PDF)¹
5. The encounters (188KB PDF)
  - 5.1 Content of the encounters
6. The patients (196KB PDF) ²
  - 6.1 Age–sex distribution of patients at encounter
  - 6.2 Other patient characteristics
  - 6.3 Patient reasons for encounter
7. Problems managed (201KB PDF)
  - 7.1 Number of problems managed
  - 7.2 Distribution of problems managed by ICPC-2 component
  - 7.3 Problems managed by ICPC-2 chapter and individual problems managed
  - 7.4 Most common new problems
  - 7.5 Most frequently managed chronic problems
8. Overview of management (187KB PDF)
9. Medications (210KB PDF)
  - 9.1 Prescribed medications
  - 9.2 Medications supplied by GPs
  - 9.3 Medications advised for over-the-counter purchase
10. Other treatments (199KB PDF)
  - 10.1 Clinical treatments
  - 10.2 Procedures
11. Referrals and admissions (181KB PDF)¹
12. Investigations (197KB PDF)
  - 12.1 Number of encounters where pathology or imaging was ordered
  - 12.2 Pathology test orders by MBS groups
  - 12.3 Imaging test orders by MBS group
13. Practice nurse activity (189KB PDF)
  - 13.1 Overview of practice nurse activity
  - 13.2 Distribution of practice nurse item numbers claimed at encounters
  - 13.3 Treatments provided by practice nurses
  - 13.4 Problems managed with practice nurse involvement
14. Patient risk factors (181KB PDF)
  - 14.1 Body mass index
  - 14.2 Smoking
  - 14.3 Alcohol consumption
End matter
- References (173KB PDF)
- Glossary
- Appendices
- List of tables
- List of figures

Notes and corrections

The current version of the publication is presented above.

Previous versions of files that have been updated or corrected are presented below.

Data for the allied health professionals for the current year 2008–09 in Table 11.1 on page 86 has been updated. Figure 4.1 on page 21 updated. (8 December 2009)
- Full publication (1.4MB PDF)
Data for the ‘other’ patient characteristics (i.e. new patient to practice, Commonwealth concession card, Repatriation health card and Non- English–speaking background) for the current year 2008–09 have been corrected on page 36. (18 March 2010)
- Full publication (1.4MB PDF)

Additional material

Related reports

General practice activity in Australia 2008-09