Generally, patients reported positive experiences with GPs for quality of care provided. For example, over 9 in 10 (93%) patients felt that test results were explained in a way that they could understand.
Better experiences of care were indicated by patients who were in better health, were better educated, spoke English, and lived in cities.
Better experiences of care were indicated by patients aged 75 and over.
Patients in Eastern Melbourne, Western Victoria, Brisbane North and the Gold Coast (Queensland) were most likely to feel that they received excellent or very good care from their usual GP or others in their usual place of care in the preceding year (87%).
Patient-centred care is well accepted as an ideal model for health care provision across health systems worldwide, with a central focus on patients and with care that supports patients taking an active role in decisions that pertain to their own health (Department of Health 2009; WHO 2008). Provision of patient-centred and well-coordinated care is central in enhancing patients' understanding, control and self-management of their health (Bywood et al. 2011; Jeon et al. 2010).
explained their test results in a way that they could understand.
The survey also asked how comfortable patients felt in talking with their usual GP or others in their usual place of care about personal problems related to their health.
Examining how patient experiences of care vary by sociodemographic variables and across population groups demonstrates where patient care experiences could be improved. This may assist in better understanding pathways through the health system and the role of continuity in primary care. In general, patients who were healthier, wealthier and better educated were more likely to feel that they received excellent or very good care from their usual GP or others in their usual place of care, and that they had better experiences of patient-centred care.
'comfortable talking about personal problems related to their health': proportion of patients aged 45 and over who felt completely or very comfortable talking with their usual GP or others in their usual place of care about personal problems related to their health in the preceding 12 months.
Experiences of care reported in this chapter exclude patients who did not visit a usual GP or usual place of care in the 12 months before completing the survey (4.7% of patients who completed the survey). See Appendix C for detailed results for measures in this chapter.
around 8 in 10 (82%) patients reported that their usual GP or others in their usual place of care asked them about things in their work or life that affect their health.
feel comfortable discussing personal problems related to their health (86% compared with 76%).
As these data are from a cross-sectional (rather than longitudinal) survey, relationships between self-assessed health status and patient-reported care experiences can be assessed only as correlations, rather than causal associations. See Strengths and limitations for more information.
A slightly higher proportion of men (83%) than women (80%) felt comfortable discussing personal problems related to their health with their usual GP or others in their usual place of care. Men were also slightly more likely than women to feel that they were asked about things in work or life that affect their health (83% compared with 81%). All other experience measures of patient-centred care were similar for men and women.
to feel comfortable discussing personal problems related to their health (88% compared with 76% of those aged 45–54).
Conversely, patients aged 75 and over were least likely to feel that they were asked about things in work or life that affect their health (79% compared with 82% of patients aged 65–74 and 83% of patients aged 45–64).
feel comfortable discussing personal problems related to their health with their usual GP or others in their usual place of care (82% compared with 72%).
felt that they were involved in decisions about their care (92% compared with 84%).
were comfortable talking to their usual GP or others in their usual place of care about personal problems related to their health (82% compared with 76%).
their usual GP or others in their usual place of care involved them in decisions about their care (93% compared with 72%).
Patients who completed up to Year 12 or equivalent were more likely to feel that test results were explained in a way that they could understand (94% compared with 84%).
A higher proportion of patients who were covered by private health insurance felt they received excellent or very good care from their usual GP or others in their usual place of care in the preceding year (86% compared with 81%). Patients covered by private health insurance were also more likely to perceive that they were involved in decisions related to their care (91% compared with 86%) and that their usual GP or others in their usual place of care asked about things in their work or life that affect their health (83% compared with 80%). This may be related to a patient's socioeconomic group.
In 2016, patient-reported experiences of care varied across states and territories in Australia. These variations reflect a complex interaction of many factors, such as demographic (including the number of people residing in the jurisdiction, age structure of the population, proportion of people living in regional and remote areas, and the proportion of the population that is Indigenous), socioeconomic and environmental factors. Such factors should be considered when interpreting report findings.
Patients in the Northern Territory were the least likely to report positive experiences of care. Patients in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia were most likely to perceive that they received excellent or very good care from their usual GP or others in their usual place of care (85%). Patients in the Australian Capital Territory were most likely to be involved in decisions about their care (92%).
Patients in Queensland were most likely to feel that test results were explained in a way that they could understand (94%) while patients in Victoria and South Australia were most likely to feel comfortable talking to their usual GP or others in their usual place of care about personal problems related to their health (82%).
Patient experiences of care also varied across PHN areas in 2016. Patients in Eastern Melbourne, Western Victoria, Brisbane North and the Gold Coast (Queensland) were most likely to feel that they received excellent or very good care from their usual GP or others in their usual place of care in the preceding year (87%). In comparison, 70% of patients living in Western Queensland rated their care as excellent or very good (Figure 3.2).
Patients in South Eastern New South Wales were most likely to feel that their usual GP or others in their usual place of care involved them in decisions about their care (92%), while 81% of patients in South Western Sydney felt involved in decisions about their care (Figure 3.3).
Across PHN areas, the proportion of patients who felt that their usual GP or others in their usual place of care asked about things in their work or life that affect their health ranged from 85% in Brisbane South to 77% in Western Queensland and the Northern Territory (Figure 3.4).
The proportion of patients who felt that test results were explained in a way that they could understand was relatively high across all PHNs in 2016—ranging from 95% in Central and Eastern Sydney, Brisbane North, Brisbane South and the Gold Coast to 85% in Western Queensland (Figure 3.5).
Patients in Hunter New England and Central Coast (New South Wales) were most likely to feel comfortable discussing personal problems related to their health with their usual GP or others in their usual place of care (85%), while patients in the Northern Territory were least likely to feel comfortable doing so (72%) (Figure 3.6).