Problems managed by Australian general practice trainees: results from the ReCEnT (Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training) study

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have found that general practitioner (GP) trainees (registrars) see a different spectrum of clinical problems compared to trainers, including less chronic disease and more acute minor illness. Our aim was to describe the case mix of first-term Australian GP trainees. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of trainee consultations. Descriptive analyses were used to report patient demographics and the number and type of problems managed. Results: Two-hundred-and-three trainees provided data on 36 182 consultations and 55 740 pr oblems. Overall, 60.7% of patients seen were female and 56.2% were new to the trainee. Trainees managed a mean of 154.1 problems per 100 encounters. Problems managed most commonly were respiratory (23.9 per 100 encounters), general/unspecified (21.8) and skin (16.4). New problems comprised 51.5% of the total, and 22.4% of problems were chronic diseases.