Table 3. Consultation characteristics by breathlessness status at the encounter of people presenting with breathlessness as one of the reasons for encounter to general practice in Australia 2000-2009.
| Consultation characteristics n (Col %) |
All adult consultationsn= 753, 662 |
p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Breathlessness is one reason for encounter n=7,255 | All other consultations n=746,407 | ||
| At least one imaging ordered at encounter | Yes | 1,602 (22.1) | 61,176 (8.2) | <0.001 |
| No | 5,653 (77.9) | 685,231 (91.8) | ||
| At least one pathology ordered at encounter | Yes | 1,520 (21.0) | 140,365 (18.8) | <0.001 |
| No | 5,735 (79.0) | 606,042 (81.2) | ||
| Type of Consultation | Level A or B MBS/DVA itemsd | 4,633 (69.8) | 529,851 (77.1) | <0.001 |
| Level C or D MBS/DVA itemsd | 1,722 (25.9) | 90,558 (13.2) | ||
| Other a | 283 (4.3) | 66,510 (9.7) | ||
| Place of consultation | Surgery | 5,724 (86.2) | 597,723 (87.0) | <0.001 |
| Home or RACF | 512 (7.7) | 18,722 (2.7) | ||
| Not definablec | 402 (6.1) | 70,474 (10.3) | ||
| Missing b | 617 (8.5) | 59,488 (8.0) | ||
Missing data removed from analysis.
RACF − residential aged care facility; MBS − Medicare Benefits Schedule; DVA − Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
(a) MBS/DVA items other than level A, B, C, D items, and workers compensation claim, or other paid (hospital, state etc), and no charge.
(b) No MBS/DVA items or type of consultation (workers compensation claim, other paid, or no charge) recorded.
(c) MBS/DVA items and other types of encounter (workers compensation claim, or other paid [hospital, state etc], or no charge) that do not designate the place of consultation.
(d) Level A <5 minutes (uncomplicated consultation e.g. immunisation); Level B <20 minutes with limited physical examination; Level C long consultations (20-40 minutes); and Level D >40 minutes.