Modelling access to GPs relative to need in Australia: Geographic variation among First Nations and non-Indigenous populations

This paper describes the development of 3 area-based indexes relating to local primary health care access across Australia. The first 2 indexes model the underlying need for primary health care and the spatial accessibility of general practitioners. The third index combines access and need to reflect the likely relative impact on health outcomes. Generally, access to General Practitioners (GP) worsens with increasing remoteness, particularly affecting First Nations Australians with relatively high needs.