title: First year of practice visits for the Rural Depression Anxiety Research and Treatment General Practice program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the first 12 months activities of a key component of a General Practice Psychiatry program - the GP practice visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire to evaluate effects on participating general practitioners practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural group general practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two general practitioners in the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee region in Victoria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Practice visits involved a combination of each of three key activities: primary consultation, secondary consultation and/or case discussion and formal teaching.
  
  
  RESULTS
  General practitioners reported a variety of changes in their practice as a result of the visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Practice visits appear to be a useful means of influencing GP's practice. Further work is required to determine whether such changes are accompanied by demonstrable benefits in patient outcome.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Several models to assist GPs effectively manage mental health problems have been described. These models require regular contact and so have had limited utility in rural settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that infrequent contact or input, based on well established models, can alter GP's clinical behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rural Mental Health, School of Psychiatry, Psychology & Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne and Bendigo Health Care Group, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. fjudd@bendigohealth.org.au
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cockram
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hodgins
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scopelliti
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D012106:Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology