Improving general practitioner involvement in urban hospitals. Departments or divisions of general practice.

OBJECTIVE

To discover what measures have been taken in urban Australian hospitals to involve general practitioners (GPs) in public hospital services.

DESIGN

A descriptive study. Data were collected by postal survey.

SETTING

Hospitals in urban areas.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Appointment of GP affiliates or associates, existence of departments or divisions of general practice, appointed GP liaison positions and formal arrangements for GP shared care and discharge planning.

RESULTS

Ninety-five of 102 hospitals (93%) responded to a postal survey. Sixty-five per cent of respondent hospitals had appointed GP affiliates or associates, 32% had a division or department of general practice and 41% had a designated GP liaison position. Forty per cent had formal GP shared care programs and 14% had formal GP involvement in discharge planning.

CONCLUSION

There was a high level of adoption of measures to involve GPs in urban hospitals. However, only a minority of hospitals had comprehensive measures in place and sufficient support for this to occur.