Recruiting general practitioners for surveys and other research: additional lessons learned.

This letter acknowledges the work of Parkinson et al. 'Recruiting general practitioners for surveys: reflections on the difficulties and some lessons learned' (Australian Journal of Primary Health, 2015, 21(2), 254-258), but contributes additional reflections and lessons learned from a successful practice-based research network.

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection - a study on testing in general practice.

Background: Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection is prevalent in Australia. Although testing rates are increasing, studies suggest that levels of testing of asymptomatic, sexually active people aged 16-29 years remain relatively low. Various barriers to testing in general practice have been identified.

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection - a study of general practice management in northern Queensland.

Background: Most diagnoses of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Queensland are made by general practitioners. This study aimed to describe GP knowledge of recommended guidelines for chlamydia management and ascertain GPs' preferred model for contact tracing.

Methods: A questionnaire completed by 35 GPs in northern Queensland in January 2011.

Recommending vaccination - general practice intervention with new parents.

Background: Parents can be the source of vaccine preventable diseases that their children contract. The vaccination status of parents may not be readily available, and uptake rates are affected by factors such as complexity of vaccination schedules, personal perception of risks, and physician recommendation.

Methods: Parents at eight general practices in North Queensland had immunisation histories recorded and vaccine recommendations made when they brought in their infants for vaccination.

Evaluating the use of Enhanced Primary Care health assessments by general practices in North Queensland.

The Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program funds GPs to provide preventative health assessments through a specific set of Medicare item numbers. The study aimed to show whether patients completing these health assessments had better recorded screening rates than those receiving usual care. A retrospective clinical record audit was undertaken in north Queensland general practices by practice nurses from the North Queensland Practice Based Research Network.

Isolation, flexibility and change in vocational training for general practice: personal and educational problems experienced by general practice registrars in Australia.

Background: GP registrars, in common with other doctors, frequently experience high levels of stress; however, little is known about the nature and outcomes of personal and educational problems experienced during vocational training for general practice.

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to elicit the nature, causes and effects of more severe problems experienced during vocational training for general practice from the registrar's viewpoint and put these into the context of their personal circumstances and background.

Methods: This qualitative study used detailed semi-structured telephone interviews with a selected subgroup of 33 of the 1999 entry cohort of general practice registrars in Australia who had reported serious self-defined problems during an earlier longitudinal questionnaire study.

Stress, personal and educational problems in vocational training. A prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Australian general practitioners suffer from high levels of stress, but the incidence among GP registrars during vocational training is less well described.

Methods: All 400 new Australian GP registrars in 1999 were invited to participate in the study. Consenting registrars completed an annual questionnaire and initial psychometric scales.