NEAR-PATIENT TESTING FOR SERUM-CHOLESTEROL - ATTITUDES OF GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS AND PATIENTS, APPROPRIATENESS, AND COSTS

Objective: To determine the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) a nd patients to near-patient testing (NPT) for serum cholesterol level, the appropriateness of NPT, and cost compared with testing in a speci alist pathology laboratory. Design: A descriptive survey of registered Category 5 general practices in Victoria, 1994. Matched questionnaire s were completed by GPs providing NPT and patients being tested. Parti cipants: 13 GPs performing NPT and 206 patients having NPT. Results: T hirteen of the 17 Victorian Category 5-accredited practices participat ed in this study (77%), and 203 of the 260 GP questionnaires and 206 o f the 260 patient questionnaires were returned. NPT of serum cholester ol level was found to be appropriately used by GPs, and recommended ma nagement guidelines for lowering cholesterol level were followed. Both GPs and patients strongly supported the role of NPT in general practi ce on the basis of convenience, issues of patient care, quality, effic iency and cost, but GPs felt the registration and quality assurance fe es were unreasonably high. We identified potential cost savings for pa tients and the Health Insurance Commission with NPT of cholesterol lev el by GPs compared with testing at specialist pathology laboratories. Conclusions: NPT appears to be of benefit to both GPs and patients and to provide cost savings. However, the registration charges and qualit y assurance fees for NPT laboratories may be limiting GPs' use of NPT.