Field testing a complaints register proposal as a requirement of Australian general practice.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility, achievement and acceptance of indicators of quality general practice in the RACGP Standards for general practices (third edition), using complaints registers as a case study. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample of convenience of 200 general practices (stratified according to location and size) participated in a field test of quality and safety proposals during an accreditation survey visit between October 2004 and February 2005. Included was a test of the proposal for a complaints register (a document where complaints made to the practice are recorded). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Achievement of the complaints register proposal, assessed by accreditation surveyors; questionnaire rating of the feasibility and acceptance of the proposal. RESULTS: Few practices used a formal complaints register (79/200; 39.5%), with large practices more likely (12/20; 60.0%) and very remote practices less likely (1/11; 9.1%) to use one. The proposal for complaints registers was rated feasible by 123 general practices (61.5%) and rated acceptable by 121 general practices (60.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The proposal for complaints registers in general practice, while popular with policymakers, gained limited support when tested in Australian general practice. This shows the need for a balance between the expectations of policymakers, the need to increase performance by setting standards, and the practicalities of every-day general practice.