Publications by authors named "Salma Fahridin"

Background/aims: The demand for simplified data collection within trials to increase efficiency and reduce costs has led to broader interest in repurposing routinely collected administrative data for use in clinical trials research. The aim of this scoping review is to describe how and why administrative data have been used in Australian randomised controlled trial conduct and analyses, specifically the advantages and limitations of their use as well as barriers and enablers to accessing administrative data for use alongside randomised controlled trials.

Methods: Databases were searched to November 2022.

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Objective: To determine whether rates of pathology test ordering by general practitioners in general practices co-located with pathology collection centres (PCCs) are higher than those of GPs in practices located apart from PCCs.

Design, Setting And Participants: We identified all practices in the Melbourne and Sydney metropolitan areas that were co-located with PCCs (same or immediately adjacent suite) and the date co-location was established. This information was merged with the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health database to identify samples of GP-patient encounters in co-located practices (n = 31,700) and practices located apart from the nearest PCC (n = 289,700) over the period 2000-2009.

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Between January 2008 and December 2009 in the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, perianal problems were managed in general practice at a rate of 0.7 per 100 encounters, about 800 000 times per year nationally. Here we present an overview of perianal problems and discuss haemorrhoids in particular.

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Croup.

Aust Fam Physician

May 2010

In this analysis we used BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) encounters with children aged 0-14 years from January 2008 to December 2009. Croup was managed 276 times during that period (at 1.2% of 23 016 encounters with children in this age group).

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General practitioner consultations with patients of non-English speaking background (NESB) account for one in 10 encounters recorded in the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program (NESB is defined as patients who reported that their primary language spoken at home is not English). We present a descriptive comparison of consultations with NESB and English speaking patients recorded between April 2007 and March 2009. Indigenous persons were excluded from the analysis to give a clearer picture of NESB patients of non- Australian origin.

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In 2007-2009, BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) recorded 979 encounters at which a possible sports related injury was managed in a patient aged 5-24 years. Although there is no way of determining the cause of an injury through BEACH data, we selected musculoskeletal injuries which could be caused by a sporting activity, excluding problems that were said to be work related, and limited the sample by the age of patient.

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COPD.

Aust Fam Physician

March 2010

The BEACH data confirmed that patients managed for COPD were significantly more likely than average to be male. Male patients were managed for COPD at a rate of 10 per 1000 encounters, significantly higher than the rate for females (7 per 1000). They were also more likely to be older than the average general practice patient; three-quarters of COPD patients were aged 65 years or more.

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Background: Acute low back pain (LBP) is primarily managed in general practice. We aimed to describe the usual care provided by general practitioners (GPs) and to compare this with recommendations of best practice in international evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute LBP.

Methods: Care provided in 3533 patient visits to GPs for a new episode of LBP was mapped to key recommendations in treatment guidelines.

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Of the 426 bite or sting problems managed, 312 (73%) were caused by insects. There were 114 other types of bites recorded, the most common being dog and spider bites. There were five cases of toxicity from aquatic animal stings or adverse reactions to bee stings (Table 1).

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Glaucoma.

Aust Fam Physician

October 2009

Between April 2007 and March 2009, glaucoma was managed by general practitioners at a rate of 1.8 contacts per 1000 encounters in the BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, extrapolating to about 200 000 times per year nationally. This was marginally higher than in April 2000 to March 2002 (1.

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Between April 2000 and March 2009, carpal tunnel syndrome was managed 1700 times among 885,400 encounters in the BEACH program (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) at a rate of two contacts per 1000 encounters. This extrapolates to about 195,000 contacts annually across Australia.

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Male patients accounted for 96.4% of all encounters where HIV/AIDS was managed. Patients in the 25-44 years age group and 45-64 years age group had the highest management rates of HIV/AIDS (54.

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The gender distribution of patients presenting with rash were similar to all BEACH encounters. However, younger patients were more likely to present with rash, with one-quarter (24.5%) of patients being under the age of 15 years compared with 11.

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Cancer screening promoted through government policies includes screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, bowel cancer, and skin cancer. These cancers, plus prostate cancer, are investigated in terms of general practitioner procedural work and pathology test ordering rates that aim to detect cancer.

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Psychological problems were managed at a rate of 11.1 per 100 encounters with male patients in 2006-2008, compared with 12.6 per 100 female encounters.

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In the BEACH program (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) between 2000 and 2008, Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders accounted for approximately 1.1% of total BEACH encounters. We compare these encounters with all BEACH encounters.

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Somatisation.

Aust Fam Physician

November 2008

Somatisation is when physical symptoms develop through stress or emotional problems. Each year in the BEACH program (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health), somatisation disorder is managed about 30 times in 100,000 encounters. Although it is rare for general practitioners to identify the problem managed as somatisation, over the 10 years of BEACH we now have 298 encounters where this occurred, and details of these encounters are shown below.

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Female patients were significantly more likely to present (8 per 1000 encounters) at upper abdominal encounters than were males (6 per 1000). Female patients were over represented (64.5%) compared with total BEACH (56.

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There were 900 encounters at which patients were referred to A&E over the 5 year period. There was no difference between male and female referral rates (0.2 per 100 encounters).

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The 652 occurrences of vertiginous syndrome recorded over the 2 year period can be divided into benign positional vertigo (38.7%), labyrinthitis (31.9%), Meniere disease (17.

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Allergic rhinitis.

Aust Fam Physician

April 2008

The BEACH program (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) shows that allergic rhinitis was managed six times per 1000 encounters between October 2002 to September 2007. This suggests that general practitioners manage allergic rhinitis about 619 000 times nationally each year.

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Over a 7 year period from April 2000 to March 2007 urinary incontinence was managed 802 times for patients aged 45 years and over. Women made up 85% of these encounters. Women had a significantly higher rate of incontinence management than males in all age groups.

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The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations involving the management of malignant skin neoplasms across the geographic classes of Australia. This provides a backdrop against which articles in this issue of Australian Family Physician can be further considered.

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Between April 2002 and March 2007, there were 1171 consultations where stroke was managed, occurring at over 2 per 1000 encounters. This suggests that general practitioners manage stroke on about 237 000 occasions nationally each year.

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