DOCTOR CONSULTATION

Definition

This topic refers to information collected about respondents' consultations with a doctor for the respondent's own health. Excluded are:

• consultations during a visit to a casualty/emergency ward or outpatient section at a hospital or during a stay in hospital, or during a visit to a day clinic
• visits to a doctor only to deliver a sample or collect a prescription, without seeing the doctor.

As defined for this survey, ‘doctor’ includes general practitioners and specialists such as surgeons, pathologists, gynaecologists, radiologists, psychiatrists, etc. This item includes all consultations with a doctor in the reference period, regardless of the type of treatment/service provided.

Population

Information was obtained for all persons in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS).

Methodology

Information collected on doctor consultations varied between the non-remote and remote areas. There were several additional questions for the non-remote respondents and some modified wording on other questions for the remote respondents. The modified wording was used for clarity, and conceptually consistent responses were categorised together for output purposes.

Information about the medical condition or other reason for consultation was not recorded.

Non-remote respondents were first asked whether they had consulted a general practitioner (GP) for their health in the last 2 weeks. If yes, the respondent was asked how many times in the last 2 weeks they consulted a GP. The non-remote respondents were then asked whether they had consulted a specialist in the last 2 weeks and if so, how many times.

Remote respondents were first asked whether they had been to a nurse, sister, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health worker for their health in the last 2 weeks. If yes, the respondent was asked to specify which ones, more than one response was allowed. The remote respondents were then asked whether they had been to a doctor in the last 2 weeks and if so, how many times.

For output purposes, the category 'Consulted a doctor' combined non-remote responses to whether they consulted a GP or specialist with remote responses to whether they had been to a doctor as these are considered conceptually consistent. This also applied to the number of times the respondent had consulted these professionals in the last 2 weeks which was combined for the 'Last 2 weeks' category of the 'Time since last consulted a doctor' data item.

All respondents who had not consulted a GP, specialist or doctor in the last 2 weeks were asked when was the last time they had consulted (if non-remote, or 'been to' if remote) a doctor from the following responses:

• Less than 3 months ago
• 3 months to less than 6 months ago
• 6 months up to 12 months ago
• More than 12 months ago
• Never consulted a doctor
• Don't know

Non-remote respondents were then asked a selection of questions to determine whether any of the GP/specialist visits were for urgent medical care in the last 12 months and if so, how long did they have to wait to be seen by a doctor. This was followed by whether they saw a doctor outside normal business hours in the last 12 months.

Non-remote respondent aged 15 years and over who were present for the interview and had seen a doctor in the last 12 months were then asked questions about their experience with a doctor. They were asked, in the last 12 months, how often did the doctor listen to them, how often did their doctor explain things in a way they could understand, how often did their doctor show respect for what they had to say and how often did their doctor spend enough time with them. Respondents could choose from the following responses for these questions:

• Always
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Never

Lastly, these respondents were asked, overall, how good was the health care they received in the last 12 months, from the following responses:

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

All respondents aged 15 years and over who had consulted a doctor (this includes a GP or specialist) in the last 12 months were asked if they had discussed any of the following lifestyle issues with their doctor in the last 12 months prior to interview:

• reducing or quitting smoking
• drinking alcohol in moderation
• reaching a healthy weight
• increasing physical activity
• eating healthy food or improving their diet
• family planning
• safe sexual practices.

If yes, the respondents were asked which lifestyle issues they had discussed. More than one response was allowed. Remote respondents whether they had discussed these issues with a doctor, nurse, sister, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health worker. More than one response was allowed.

Non-remote respondents who had consulted a GP in the last 2 weeks were asked whether they paid any money for seeing a GP at their last visit.

Non-remote respondents who had consulted a specialist in the last 2 weeks were asked whether they paid any money for seeing a specialist at their last visit.

All respondents were then asked whether they needed to go to a doctor in the previous 12 months but didn't. If yes, this was followed by a
question regarding the reason they didn't go, from the below responses:

• Cost
• Discrimination
• Service not culturally appropriate
• Language problems
• Transport/distance
• Does not trust the doctor
• Waiting time too long or not available at time required
• Not available in area
• Too busy (including work, personal, family responsibilities)
• Dislikes service/professional, afraid, embarrassed
• Felt it would be inadequate
• Decided not to seek care
• Other

More than one response was allowed. This was the end of the module for remote respondents.

Non-remote respondents were then asked whether they needed to get a prescription filled in the previous 12 months but didn't. If yes, this was followed by a
question regarding the reason they didn't go, from the below responses:

• Cost
• Transport issues
• Lost the prescription
• Decided didn't need it
• Didn't want to
• Too busy
• Other

More than one response was allowed.

Data items

Data items and related output categories for this topic will be available in Excel spreadsheet format from the Downloads page of this product.

Interpretation

Points to be considered when interpreting data for this topic include the following:

• Consultation information is essentially ‘as reported’ by respondents. In some cases respondents may have reported consultations with health practitioners other than doctors because they consider them to be doctors. Conversely, some consultations reported as being with other health professionals should have been reported in this item where the practitioner consulted was a qualified medical practitioner (regardless of the type of treatment/service provided at the consultation). The questionnaire was designed such that most of these cases would be identified through subsequent questions, and information amended as required. However, some cases of misreporting may remain in the final survey output.
• Similarly, for non-remote respondents, the reporting of a consultation as being with a general practitioner or with a specialist was largely at the respondent's discretion, and some misreporting could have occurred.
• While the wording and ordering of the questions was aimed at minimising respondents' reporting of consultations with doctors during a visit to, or stay in, hospital or visit to a day clinic, some cases of misreporting or multiple-reporting may have occurred.
• Responses to the question about reasons a respondent didn't go to the health professional require interpretation by respondents on a perceived 'need' to go to the service or health professional. Some respondents may have interpreted this as being a medical emergency, while others may have interpreted it to include routine check-ups.
• Respondents may have needed to go to the service or health professional. However, due to being unable to access the particular service or health professional, may have sought care elsewhere. Respondents may then have seen the need as not being relevant as they received attention and therefore respond in the negative to the question.

Comparability with 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)

Data for common items are considered directly comparable between the 2004-05 NATSIHS and 2012-13 NATSIHS. The different collection methods between the non-remote and remote survey are consistent with the approach taken in 2004-05. It should be note that in 2012-13 there was an additional category of 'Trust in the doctor' added to the reasons a respondent didn't go to a doctor when they should have.

Comparability with 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS)

These data are not collected in the 2008 NATSISS.

Comparability with 2011-12 National Health Survey (NHS)

Data for common items are considered directly comparable between the 2011-12 NHS and 2012-13 NATSIHS. It should be noted, the NHS question asks about GP and specialist consults in one multi response question along with other actions a respondent may have undertaken for their own health in the last 2 weeks. Although their concepts should be the same the slight difference in the collection method may cause some bias to result in the responses. Furthermore, as the NATSIHS remote interview does not collect GP and specialist consultations separately, these data will only be comparable with NHS respondents if a data item is used that group these categories together into one comparable category.

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