Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data

A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data

Published on: December 9, 2015

Sociodemographic and clinical determinants of general practice consultation frequency among regular patients in

Carla Bernardo¹, Nigel Stocks¹, Rafael Perera-Salazar²

¹School of Medicine, Adelaide University, Adelaide, Australia.

|May 14, 2026

Abstract

Background:

In Australia, general practitioners (GPs) act as gatekeepers of the healthcare system, so consultation data are essential for policy and resource allocation. However, recent national evidence linking consultation frequency with sociodemographic factors, morbidity and medication use is limited.

Aim:

To quantify GP consultation frequencyamong 'regular' patients' attending Australian general practices, and explore associated sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Design & Setting:

Cross-sectional study with adult 'regular' patients (18+years; 3+visits in two consecutive years) who attended an Australian general practice in 2021 (MedicineInsight database).

Method:

We performed multilevel zero-truncated negative binominal models to explore the association between the number of consultations with patient's sociodemographic characteristics, morbidity and medications.

Results:

In 2021, 1 302 932 (76%) people were 'regular' attenders to their practice, contributing 10 806 418 consultations. The median number of consultations was 6 (IQR:3,11), with variations by sex, age group and the presence of health conditions. The model showed that being female, older, living in more disadvantaged areas, having chronic, recurrent, or acute conditions, and being prescribed medications were all associated with higher consultation rates, after adjusting for other covariates. The highest relative consultation rates were observed among people aged 75+years (IRR 2.54, 95% CI 2.48;2.61) and those with a diagnosis of chronic pain (IRR 1.82, 95% CI 1.79;1.85) or depression/anxiety (IRR 1.67, 95% CI 1.65;1.69).

Conclusion:

GP consultation frequency was strongly influenced by age, sex, disadvantage and morbidity, with comparatively lower attendance among younger men despite recorded health conditions. These findings highlight potential missed opportunities for monitoring, prevention and early management.

Keywords:

Comorbidity Family medicine Large database research

Related Concept Videos

Factors Affecting Illness

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...

Observational Studies

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...

Data Collection by Observations

Data Collection by Observations

Data collection refers to a systematic way of obtaining, observing, measuring, and analyzing accurate information. Observational studies are one of the most widely used methods of data collection. It involves collecting data by observing the behavior and physical characteristics of a sample without making any modifications to the sample.
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...

Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data

Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data

Analysis of population pharmacokinetic data involves studying the behavior of drugs within diverse populations to understand their pharmacokinetic parameters. Traditional pharmacokinetic methods typically involve collecting samples from a few individuals and estimating these parameters. While these methods are commonly used, they have limitations in capturing the variability in drug response among individuals or heterogeneous populations. Population pharmacokinetics is employed to address these...

Longitudinal Research

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...

Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern

Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern

Assessing the gastrointestinal (GI) system is a complex process that begins with collecting subjective data. This data, collected through patient interviews, provides crucial insights into the patient's health history, perception patterns, and lifestyle habits, all contributing significantly to GI health.
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Multidimensional Aging Trajectories Preceding Cardiovascular Events.

JAMA cardiology·2026

Blood test trend versus single threshold abnormality to discriminate cancer from non-cancer in patients with unexpected weight loss: A retrospective cohort study.

PLoS medicine·2026

Using electronic clinical decision support in primary care to enhance identification of primary aldosteronism: a protocol for the CONSEP cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Journal of human hypertension·2026

Risk of venous thromboembolism after knee, hip, or shoulder arthroplasty : a retrospective cohort study of 476,620 procedures using linked hospital and primary care data.

The bone & joint journal·2026

Associations between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and physical and mental health-related quality of life in older adults.

GeroScience·2026

Iron deficiency testing among people with incident heart failure in primary care.

BJGP open·2026

See all related articles