title: General practice visits by people with traumatic spinal cord injury: a Queensland longitudinal study.
abstract: People with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), although proportionally fewer in number, are known to be high users of primary health care services; however, details of their visits to GPs are unclear. This study presents information about GP utilisation patterns of 193 people with SCI over a 5-year period. Results demonstrate substantially greater GP service utilisation, particularly for young men with SCI, compared with their counterparts in the general population. Interestingly, people with paraplegia were proportionally higher users of GP services than those with tetraplegia. Results indicate the need for specialist support for GPs to meet the SCI-specific needs of this patient group. Specialist SCI outreach teams may be a useful resource to primary health care practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Outreach Team, Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, PO Box 6053, Buranda, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Delena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amsters
authors.affiliation: Spinal Outreach Team, Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, PO Box 6053, Buranda, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schuurs
authors.affiliation: Transitional Rehabilitation Program, Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, PO Box 6053, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Spinal Outreach Team, Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service, PO Box 6053, Buranda, Qld 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Kiley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pershouse
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Hospital and Health Service and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Qld 4131, Australia.
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuipers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D008875:Middle Aged; D010243:Paralysis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult