Biomedical subjects

I R McCormick

Publications and source records attributed to I R McCormick.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Problem drinking profiles of patients presenting to general practitioners: analysis of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores for the Auckland area.

AIM: To quantify the prevalence and demography of at-risk and problematic drinkers in the population attending a random selection of general practices and to compare this with similar studies. METHOD: A study examining the uptake and utilisation of the "DRINKLESS" package to 369 New Zealand general practitioners was conducted during 1995/6. The "DRINKLESS" package was developed with the World Health Organisation collaborative study for brief intervention for at-risk alcohol consumption. The package uses the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). There were 15,670 completed AUDIT questionnaires collected during the study. These were analysed to ascertain the prevalence and demography of at-risk and problematic drinkers attending general practitioners. RESULTS: There were 16% of patients identified as having either "risky drinking" or "problematic or dependent drinking". This pattern varied according to the occupation, age and gender of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The data confirm that large numbers of patients presenting to general practitioners experience alcohol problems of varying degrees. This study also suggests that the AUDIT will have satisfactory detection rates in a primary care setting.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Primary and secondary care integration.

Integration of primary and secondary health care is a goal of the 1993 New Zealand health reforms. Focus groups were selected to raise options and stimulate improved integration between primary and secondary care in the Auckland metropolitan and rural areas. Cooperation, communication, coordination, were considered relevant. Several detailed recommendations were produced. They fell into six groups; (1) liaison committees or meetings, (2) communication, (3) referral admission discharge, (4) joint ventures, (5) horizontal integration and (6) general. A key recommendation was that regional health authorities should fund liaison committees or functions to promote inter provider integration. The findings of the focus groups are placed in context of the wider requirements for integration. These are integrated funding, integrated information systems, integrated purchasing and utilisation management.

Communication↗

PubMed1989

What future for solo general practice?

Marketing theory predicts that solo general practitioners are disadvantaged financially when compared to doctors practising in groups. This is supported by a 1985 random survey of Auckland general practitioners. This shows solo practitioners to have had a significantly lower net and gross income than did group practitioners in the time period 1981-82 to 1984-85. The difference is due to the combined effect of solo practitioners charging marginally lower fees, and seeing less patients weekly than did group practitioners. These results are discussed from a marketing perspective.

Family Practice↗