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Background: During the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1, the main burden of managing patients fell on primary care physicians (PCP). This provided an excellent opportunity to investigate the implications of pandemic policies for the PCP role., Aim: To examine policies affecting the role of PCP in the pandemic response in Australia (in the state of Victoria), Israel and England., Methods: Content analysis of the documents published by the health authorities in Australia, Israel and England during the pandemic 2009/A/H1N1., Results: The involvement of PCP in the pandemic response differed among the countries in timing and allocated responsibilities. The Israeli approach during the containment phase was to maximise the protection of PCP at the expense of putting pressure on hospitals where the suspected cases were tested and treated. In Australia and England, PCP managed the suspected patients from the beginning of the pandemic. The work of PCP in England was supported by the introduction of the National Pandemic Flu Service during the mitigation phase, whereas Australian PCP had no additional support structures and their role was constant and intensive throughout the pandemic period., Conclusion: Health authorities need to engage with representatives of PCP to evaluate policies for pandemic planning and management. Adequate support and protection for PCP during different stages of pandemic management should be provided. What is known about the topic? During the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1, the main burden of diagnosing and managing the patients fell on PCP. The prominent role of PCP in the 2009/A/H1N1 pandemic presents an excellent opportunity to investigate implications of pandemic policies for primary care and to tackle the possible problems that these policies may impose on the ability of PCP to effectively participate in the public health response. What does this paper add? This paper examines policies that affected the roles of PCP in managing the influenza pandemic 2009/A/H1N1 in three countries: Australia, Israel and England. Although general evaluations of the pandemic response in different countries have previously been reported, this is the first study that focuses on policies for pandemic management at the primary care level. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners (PCP and primary care workers in general) would benefit if pandemic preparedness plans were constructed to provide an adequate system of support and protection to primary care workers during different stages of pandemic management. For policy makers, this analysis may help to overhaul the strategies for primary care engagement in the pandemic response.

Objective: Although bone density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the standard measure for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, as a screening tool, it has significant cost and availability of DXA is not universal. Prospective Screening for Osteoporosis; Australian Primary Care Evaluation of Clinical Tests (PROSPECT) was a national study undertaken to establish an effective prescreening protocol to be used in primary care facilitating targeted radiological investigation for osteoporosis in older women., Methods: Two hundred sixty-seven primary care physicians recruited 2,466 women 70 years and older who had no previous diagnosis of osteoporosis in a community-based cross-sectional study. The main outcome measures used were lumbar spine and femoral neck T-scores on DXA and presence of a vertebral fracture on thoracolumbar x-ray. Participant characteristics, gap-on-wall occiput test, and rib-to-pelvis distance measurements were provided by each primary care physician., Results: Of the study population, 21.8% (95% CI, 19.9%-23.8%) had osteoporosis of the femoral neck and/or lumbar spine based on DXA, and 24.7% (95% CI, 22.5%-26.9%) had at least one vertebral fracture. Only 7.3% (95% CI, 6.2%-8.3%) had both osteoporosis and radiological vertebral fracture. Univariate and multivariate regression modeling of the demographic and clinical data collected resulted in a three-factor predictive tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and/or vertebral fracture that included the following variables: rib-pelvis distance greater than 2 fingerbreadths (yes/no), ever use of estrogen for more than 6 months (yes/no), and body mass index (<25, 25-30, >30 kg/m²). Only screening women classified as moderate to high risk by the tool DXA plus plain x-ray would then result in 14% of women 70 years or older who were not being screened, with 93% of cases being detected., Conclusions: The Prospective Screening for Osteoporosis; Australian Primary Care Evaluation of Clinical Tests tool will contribute to the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis by facilitating targeted screening and hence reducing the need for unnecessary radiology tests at the primary care level.

Background: Following recent reforms to Australia's health system, nurses now comprise a significant and growing sector of the Australian primary care workforce, but there is little data describing the services they provide., Objectives: This study aimed to describe the patient consultations of nurses in Australian general practice, including patient characteristics, reasons for the consultation, treatments provided and other actions taken., Design: The study was a national cross-sectional survey, with each participating nurse collecting information about 50 nurse-patient encounters., Setting: General practice settings in all regions of Australia., Participants: 108 nurses volunteered in response to advertisements and 104 returned completed study materials. Participants included Registered (Division 1) and Enrolled (Division 2) nurses working in a general practice setting., Methods: Data were collected between May 2007 and May 2008 using a profile questionnaire and a series of encounter forms. Information was gathered on reasons for encounter, patient characteristics, and actions taken. Data were classified using the International Classification of Primary Care., Results: The final data set included 5,253 nurse-patient encounters. 37.2% of patients (95% CI 33.3-41.2) were aged 65 and over, and 57.1% were female (95% CI 54.9-59.5). The majority of encounters (90.7%) were with existing patients of the practice (95% CI 89.1-92.7). The most common reasons for encounter were general and unspecified problems (35.4 per 100 encounters; 95% CI 31.8-39.1), followed by skin-related problems (20.0; 95% CI 17.3-22.8), and cardiovascular problems (11.0; 95% CI 8.7-13.3). Common management actions included medical examinations (20.7 per 100 encounters), immunisations (22.5), diagnostic tests (10.6), and dressings (15.8). Approximately 30% of encounters involved advice-giving., Conclusions: The findings confirm the generalist nature of the General Practice Nurse role, with a wide range of patient types and clinical conditions. There is a clear influence of current funding and organisational arrangements on work patterns, with tasks that have specific funding (including immunisations and wound care) featuring prominently in nurses' work. Whilst nurses' rates for presenting conditions were similar to doctors at a general level, specific actions taken and problems managed differed. New policy reforms in Australia are supporting greater flexibility in the General Practice Nurse role, maximising efficient use of nurses' skills in the primary health care context., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Primary health care is the foundation of effective, sustainable population health and is associated with higher patient satisfaction and reduced aggregate health spending. Although improving patient care requires a sound evidence base, rigorously designed studies remain under-represented in primary care research. The pace of research activity in general practice and the rate and quality of publications do not match the pace of structural change or the level of funding provided. Recruitment difficulties are a major impediment, fuelled by general practitioners' time constraints, lack of remuneration, non-recognition, and workforce shortages. Radical reform is required to redress imbalances in funding allocation, including: funding of GP Research Network infrastructure costs; formalising relationships between primary care researchers and academic departments of general practice and rural health; and mandating that research funding bodies consider only proposals that include in the budget nominal payments for GP participation and salaries for dedicated research nurses.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and practices of Australian general practitioners (GPs) regarding infant gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) diagnosis and management.Methods: A national cross-sectional survey, involving a random sample of currently practising Australian GPs (n = 2319) was undertaken between July and September 2011. GPs attitudes and management of infant GORD were surveyed via an online and paper-based 41-item questionnaire.Results: In total, 400 responses were analysed (17.24% response rate). The majority of GPs employed empirical trials of acid-suppression medication and/or lifestyle modifications to diagnose infant GORD. GPs frequently recommended dietary modification despite the belief that they were only moderately effective at best. In addition, GPs frequently prescribed acid-suppression medication, despite concerns regarding their safety in the infant population. Other GP concerns included the lack of clinical guidelines and education for GPs about infant GORD, as well as the level of evidence available for the safety and efficacy of diagnostic tests and treatments.Conclusion: Despite the important role Australian GPs play in the diagnosis and management of infant GORD, high-level evidence-based guidelines for GPs are lacking. Consequently, GPs engage in diagnostic and management practices despite their concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article outlines the method developed for the Transgenerational Learning Coordination Project at Monash University. Topics covered include the use of a Delphi technique in re-examining the teaching curriculum of ophthalmology and dermatology, the analysis of the learning objectives using Bloom's taxonomy and the possible utilization of a transgenerational approach to curriculum planning.