Purpose: To evaluate the potential of a general practice research database derived directly from de-identified electronic medical records to provide national prescribing data in Australia. To observe the utilisation of a computer-based patient management system over time. To evaluate the impact of the research network participation on data quality in participants' electronic records.
Method: A random sample of 297 general practitioners (GPs) from 128 practices provided longitudinal patient data from electronic medical records (using Medical Director software) retrospectively from 1 January 1999 to April 2002. The General Practice Research Network (GPRN) database contains approximately 600,000 patients, representing over 4 million prescriptions from 4 million encounters. The quality and representativeness of data for prescribing, morbidity and software usage were evaluated by comparison with National data.
Results: Older GPs (> 55) were under-represented, perhaps due to lower computer usage rates, but patient visits were similar to the national distribution. Over time, there were increases in: the quality of prescribing data (with reason for visit/prescription being compulsorily recorded); recording of non-prescribing visits; and the use of other features of the electronic patient management software.
Conclusions: Data derived from electronic general practice records is of sufficient quality to be used to provide national prescribing estimates and has potential value for pharmacoepidemiology and population health monitoring. Such longitudinal data has previously been unavailable in Australia. Monitoring of software usage demonstrates the evolution of the Australian GP user and will be increasingly useful in assessing and improving the quality of electronic medical records.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pds.834 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Blood pressure targets, medication considerations and special concerns in elderly hypertension III: Focus on stroke and neurodegenerative disorders.
J Formos Med Assoc
January 2025
Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:
Controlling hypertension has become an important issue in the elderly population in whom neurological comorbidities are highly prevalent. Most of the large-scale trials focusing on hypertension management in older populations have excluded patients with comorbid neurological disorders. However, this population requires special considerations, as the benefits of antihypertensive agents are mostly uncertain and there is a higher risk of adverse events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCollaboration between dyspnea clinic and primary care physicians to identify heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the community: Results from the Maebashi City HF project.
J Cardiol
January 2025
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan. Electronic address:
Background: Despite increasing awareness in general practice, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains under-diagnosed in the community due to diagnostic difficulties. Dedicated dyspnea clinics are responsible for diagnosing HFpEF and efficient referral from primary care physicians is the key to enhance its role.
Methods: This retrospective analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of a one-year collaborative project between our dyspnea clinic and the Maebashi Medical Association.
Chapter 15: RECURRENT OR PERSISTENT PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM, PARATHYROMATOSIS.
Ann Endocrinol (Paris)
January 2025
Department of Endocrinology Diabetes Nutrition, Hôpital Robert-Debré, CHU de Reims, F-51100 Reims, France. Electronic address:
Persistent primary hyperparathyroidism is defined as the persistence or recurrence of hypercalcemia within 6 months of parathyroid surgery. Recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism is defined as the recurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism more than 6 months after an initially curative parathyroidectomy. In these situations, it is essential to rule out differential diagnoses, and in particular secondary hyperparathyroidism and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChapter 14: POST-SURGICAL FOLLOW-UP.
Ann Endocrinol (Paris)
January 2025
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Angers University Hospital, Reference Center for Rare Thyroid and Hormone Receptor Diseases, 49933 Angers cedex 09, France; Univ Angers, Inserm, CNRS, MITOVASC, Equipe CarMe, SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France. Electronic address:
Primary hyperparathyroidism is treated surgically. Postoperatively, close monitoring of blood calcium levels is necessary to detect any hypocalcemia. Postoperative PTH assays can be performed within 24 hours to identify patients who will not develop permanent hypoparathyroidism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChapter 6: SYNDROMIC PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM.
Ann Endocrinol (Paris)
January 2025
Endocrinology Department, Huriez Hospital, Lille University Hospital, France. Electronic address:
Syndromic primary hyperparathyroidism has several features in common: younger age at diagnosis when compared with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism, often synchronous or metachronous multi-glandular involvement, higher possibility of recurrence, association with other endocrine or extra-endocrine disorders, and suggestive family background with autosomal dominant inheritance. Hyperparathyroidism in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is the most common syndromic hyperparathyroidism. It is often asymptomatic in adolescents and young adults, but may be responsible for recurrent lithiasis and/or bone loss.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!