Are Australian Kids Seeing the Doctor Less? Unpacking the Trends in GP Visits
"A new study reveals shifts in general practice visits among Australian children, sparking questions about access to care and potential health implications."
For years, there's been a nagging question in Australian healthcare: are our kids seeing the doctor as often as they should? Concerns have risen about potential declines in general practitioner (GP) visits for children, but solid research has been lacking to truly understand these trends over the past decade.
Now, a new study has shed light on this critical issue. Researchers delved into the trends in GP visits using data from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) database, linked with information from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). This comprehensive approach allowed them to track GP visit patterns in two distinct groups of children: infants (aged 0-1 years in 2004) and children (aged 4-5 years in 2004), providing a valuable picture of how healthcare usage has evolved.
The study analyzed GP visits claimed under specific MBS item numbers (1-51, 597, 599, 601, 602, 5000-5067, and 715) between March 1, 2002, and February 28, 2011. By examining these records, researchers were able to identify significant shifts in how often Australian children are visiting their GPs, raising important questions about access to primary care and its potential impact on child health.
Evaluating Well-Child Care Visits
A 2018 case study examined real-life visits involving parents, children, and health professionals to improve understanding of factors affecting well-child care. Researchers used participant observations from a cross-sectional sample of 71 visits across three general practices and analysed them with a mixed-methods approach. Practice recruitment used a purposive approach, while analysis considered both the practice and individual GP visit as units of study.
Milestones in Child Health
The review "Milestones in the development of paediatrics and child health" explains that many major advances in child health originated from discoveries and innovations initially directed toward adult disease. It highlights selected developments and innovations relevant to children before the Archives of Disease in Childhood was inaugurated a century ago. Developmental milestones are also central to modern child-health practice, with CDC resources helping parents recognise typical development and helping healthcare providers discuss milestones during frequent well-child visits.
The Numbers Don't Lie: Declining GP Visits in Australian Children
The study revealed a concerning trend: a decrease in the average number of GP visits among young children. In the infant cohort, the mean number of visits plummeted from 7.6 in 2004-2005 to just 2.7 in 2010-2011. Interestingly, there was a brief increase in GP visits between 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, but the overall trajectory points downward.
- A growing number of children are skipping annual GP visits.
- The percentage of infants without any GP visits during the year increased from 19.8% to 25.9% between 2003-2004 and 2010-2011.
- The increase was even more pronounced in the child cohort, where the percentage of children with no annual GP visits jumped from 11.4% to a staggering 32.7%.
Emerging Models of Child Healthcare
A 2025 paper introduced a framework for systems of paediatric well-care visits. The authors suggest that such systems may improve attendance rates, increase service utilisation, and reduce healthcare expenditure. A 2024 cohort study separately compared prescribing, ordering, and downstream healthcare utilisation associated with paediatric primary-care telemedicine visits and in-person visits.
Why Visits May Be Missed
An Australian study explored GP-visit trends using linked Medicare Benefits Schedule data and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. It followed two cohorts: an infant cohort aged 0–1 years in 2004 and a child cohort aged 4–5 years in 2004, using the 2004–2010 biannual surveys. GP visits were extracted for specified MBS item numbers between 1 March 2002 and 28 February 2011, while other reports describe missed well-child visits and access problems as obstacles to preventive screening.
Virtual and In-Person Care
Research comparing virtual and in-person SafeCare delivery examined how home-visiting services changed during the pandemic. Nationally, 88% of home-visiting programs paused in-person visits, and approximately 2.3 million sessions were conducted virtually instead of face-to-face home visits. Well-child visits differ from general office visits because they are preventive appointments that may include screenings, immunisations, and other preventive measures.
Why the Decline? Potential Implications and Future Considerations
This study highlights a concerning trend: fewer Australian children are visiting their GPs. While the reasons behind this decline require further investigation, it raises important questions about access to primary care, potential underutilization of healthcare services among vulnerable populations, and the long-term implications for child health. Further research and policy considerations are needed to ensure that all Australian children have access to the healthcare they need to thrive.