Report Findings On GP Visit Frequencies

By Sophie Blackshaw
Monday, 23 March, 2015

More than one-third of Australians (35.3%) went to a GP six or more times in 2012–13, the latest report from the National Health Performance Authority has found.

Those who went most often tended to be older and less wealthy, were more likely to have several long-term health conditions and were more likely to see several different GPs.
The findings provide the most detailed picture yet available about Australia’s most frequent users of GP services.
The report, Healthy Communities: Frequent GP attenders and their use of health services in 2012–13, showed that one in eight Australians (12.5%) saw a GP at least 12 times in 2012–13, accounting for 41% of the $16 billion Medicare paid in out-of-hospital benefits.
About one-third of this group saw five different GPs or more in that year, although some of these GPs may have been the same doctor practising in a different location.
Australians visit a GP 5.6 times per year on average, but until now there has been little publicly available information about the patients who see GPs much more often than this. Today’s report release is a significant step in expanding our knowledge about this little-understood group.
The report divides the Australian population in to six groups based on the number of times people visited a GP in 2012–13. The Performance Authority has focused on the two highest groups: people who visited a GP between 12 and 19 times in the year (called ‘frequent GP attenders’), and those who went 20 or more times (‘very high attenders’).
The findings show that in 2012–13:

Among very high GP attenders (20+ visits), three-quarters (75%) were aged 45 or above, and 57% were aged 60 or above. In contrast, 45% of frequent GP attenders (12-19 visits) and 18% of occasional attenders (4-5 visits) were aged 60 or above. Very high GP attenders were almost twice as likely as low attenders (1-3 visits) to have lived in areas of low socioeconomic status (29% compared to 16%)

Among very high attenders (20+ visits), more than one-third (36%) reported having three or more long-term health conditions, compared to 29% of frequent attenders (12-19 visits). The figure for all Australians was just 7%

Very high and frequent GP attenders (12+ visits) accounted for about 60% of the people who reported being admitted to hospital four or more times in that year. Just over 40% of very high attenders (20+ visits) and 30% of frequent attenders (12-19 visits) reported visiting an emergency department, compared to 10% of low attenders (1-3 visits).

Some local areas have markedly higher concentrations of very high and frequent users than other areas. Across higher-income inner-city areas, the Australian Capital Territory had the lowest population rate of people in these two groups (7.1%), compared to 14.5% in Inner West Sydney. Similarly, across lower-income regional areas, the range was from 8.3% (New England, NSW and South West WA) to 15.3% (Wide Bay, Qld).
The amount of money Medicare paid out on average for very high ($3,202) and frequent ($1,850) GP attenders varied widely from local area to local area.
National Health Performance Authority CEO Dr Diane Watson said the findings provided unprecedented insights into the characteristics of people who visit GPs most often.
“Patients who see GPs much more than the average are of interest to health and hospital managers, doctors and nurses because they have the most need for effective, well-coordinated health care,” Dr Watson said.
“There will be different factors at play in each local area that may explain its mix of frequent and less frequent GP attenders. The report will give vital information to health providers in each community that may help them to better understand their unique patient populations.”
The report does not suggest any number of GP visits is either too many or too few. Nor does it assess the extent to which patient needs are being met in any of the attender groups.