National Health Performance Authority, Healthy Communities: GP attendances, 2012–13

GP attendances are Medicare benefit-funded patient/doctor encounters, such as visits and consultations, for which the patient has not been referred by another doctor. GP attendances exclude services provided by practice nurses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners on a GP’s behalf.

In terms of “Broad Type of Service’ Groups, GP attendances comprise all items in Broad Type of Service Group ‘A’ – GP/VRGP non-referred attendances, ‘M’ - Enhanced Primary Care and ‘B’ Non-referred other attendances as published in official MBS statistics by the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health.

Rates directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population. In undertaking age standardisation of MBS data, the age of each person was determined from the last MBS service of any type, processed by the Department of Human Services in 2012–13. All MBS services for each individual processed in 2012–13, were attributed to the age in question. For MBS data, Medicare Local and SA3 were determined having regard to the enrolment postcode for each person from the last MBS service of any type, processed by the Department of Human Services in 2012–13. All MBS services for each individual processed in 2012–13, were attributed to the postcode in question. MBS postcode level data were allocated to Medicare Local and SA3 regions using concordance files provided by ABS. Numerator based on Medicare (MBS) data provided by the Department of Health for the financial year of processing, 2012–13.

Denominator data – Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2012 provided by ABS.

Presented per person.

Before MBS data are published by NHPA all confidential data cells are suppressed.

The current definition of confidential data is as follows:

• For number of MBS services:
• if number of services is less than 6 or
• if number of services is equal to or greater than 6 but
• one provider provides more than 85% of services or two providers provide more than 90% of services or
• one patient receives more than 85% of services or two patients receive more than 90% of services
• If data on number of services is confidential, corresponding data on other measures such as MBS benefit paid is also regarded as confidential.