Integration from the Australian GP's perspective.
OBJECTIVE
To report on what general practitioners' perceptions are about their role in relation to activities that support integration and what they are doing.


METHODS
General practitioner perceived integrative behaviour was measured using a survey containing 114 statements about, 'what constitutes a well integrated GP'. Four hundred and forty-eight GPs were randomly sampled from the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) Medicare billing database in 1996. A response rate of 47% was obtained, yielding 208 surveys for analysis.


RESULTS
General practitioners reported integrative activities such as being accessible to patients and working within a multidisciplinary team as currently occurring optimally. Not occurring optimally were: hospital and community involvement; participation in local projects; student education; and payment for working with others. Rural practitioners reported significantly more hospital and community involvement compared with metropolitan practitioners. Less than one-third of GPs reported that they were linked to other services by computer and used a computer for storage/communication of patient information.


CONCLUSIONS
There are many obstacles preventing integrative activities in daily general practice. Policy and attitudinal changes as well as financial incentives are required to enable GPs to practise in an integrated manner. Infrastructure support to encourage GP education, training and information technology are essential to improve GP integration. Many such initiatives are currently in progress, and will require future evaluation. Findings from this 1996 survey will provide some useful baseline information assisting with future evaluation studies.
Department of General Practice and Public Health, University of Melbourne. d.southern@gpph.unimelb.edu.au
D M
DM
Southern
N J
NJ
Appleby
D
D
Young
D001315:Australia; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010348:Patient Care Team