Imaging orders by general practitioners in Australia 1999-00

Reports the imaging ordered by general practitioners in Australia, as represented by a random sample of 1,047 GPs participating in the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program over a one-year period in 1999-00. Information about more than 100,000 GP-patient encounters was available for analysis.The report provides new insight into the relationship between GP characteristics, their ordering behaviour, the patients and the problems under investigation. It demonstrates that while in the majority GPs ordering follows the available guidelines, improvement in GP test selection and in the guidelines themselves would be desirable in some areas.