Preventive activities during consultations in general practice: influences on performance.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between the performance of opportunistic preventive activities in general practice consultations and characteristics of patients, general practitioners, consultations and preventive opportunities is poorly understood.


METHODS
We recorded the performance of 11 preventive care activities by 10 GPs in one practice and examined the associations of performance of the preventive activities and the characteristics of the patients, GPs, consultations and preventive opportunities.


RESULTS
Every patient, GP, consultation and preventive opportunity characteristic studied was independently significantly associated with the performance of at least two of the preventive activities.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest ways of designing more effective reminders, particularly for patients least likely to receive prevention counselling.
Frank
Oliver
O
Department of General Practice, University of Adelaide, South Australia. oliver.frank@adelaide.edu.au
Litt
John
J
Beilby
Justin
J
D000328:Adult; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017010:Reminder Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013021:South Australia; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis