Objective: To compare the demographic, socioeconomic, and medical characteristics of patients who had a General Practitioner Management Plan (GPMP) with those for patients without GPMP.
Methods: Cohort study of patients with chronic diseases during the time period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2008 using the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) claims database.
Results: Of the 88 128 veterans with chronic diseases included in the study, 23 015 (26%) veterans had a GPMP and 11 089 (13%) had a Team Care Arrangement (TCA). Those with a GPMP had a higher number of comorbidities (P<0.001), and a higher use of services such as health assessment and medicine review (P<0.001) than did those without GPMP. Diabetes was associated with a significantly increased use of GPMP compared with all other chronic diseases except heart failure.
Conclusions: GPMPs are used in a minority of patients with chronic diseases. Use is highest in people with diabetes.