Characteristics associated with new non-specific symptomatic problem formulation compared with new specific vertigo diagnosis
| Factor group | Variable | Class | Specific diagnosis, n (%) | Non-specific problem formulation, n (%) | P value* |
| Patient factors | Patient age group (years) | 0–14 | 11 (2) | 48 (4) | <0.001 |
| 15–34 | 94 (18) | 313 (27) | |||
| 35–64 | 290 (54) | 460 (40) | |||
| 65–74 | 80 (15) | 166 (14) | |||
| 75+ | 58 (11) | 176 (15) | |||
| Patient gender | Male | 176 (33) | 341 (30) | 0.20 | |
| Female | 351 (67) | 807 (70) | |||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | No | 509 (99) | 1113 (99) | 0.75 | |
| Yes | 4 (0.8) | 9 (0.8) | |||
| Non-English-speaking background | No | 474 (92) | 995 (88) | 0.019 | |
| Yes | 42 (8) | 133 (12) | |||
| Patient/practice status | Existing patient | 161 (30) | 383 (33) | 0.46 | |
| New to registrar | 319 (60) | 681 (59) | |||
| New to practice | 52 (10) | 97 (8) | |||
| Registrar factors | Registrar gender | Male | 229 (42) | 412 (35) | 0.012 |
| Female | 317 (58) | 776 (65) | |||
| Registrar full or part time | Part time | 100 (19) | 269 (23) | 0.11 | |
| Full time | 424 (81) | 886 (77) | |||
| Term | Term 1 | 218 (40) | 466 (39) | 0.31 | |
| Term 2 | 189 (35) | 457 (38) | |||
| Term 3 | 139 (25) | 265 (22) | |||
| Obtained primary medical degree in Australia | No | 118 (22) | 199 (17) | 0.041 | |
| Yes | 422 (78) | 985 (83) | |||
| Practice factors | Practice size† | Small | 178 (34) | 462 (40) | 0.034 |
| Large | 348 (66) | 683 (60) | |||
| Practice routinely bulk bills | No | 399 (74) | 854 (73) | 0.72 | |
| Yes | 140 (26) | 318 (27) | |||
| Rurality | Major city | 294 (55) | 718 (61) | 0.038 | |
| Inner regional | 171 (32) | 298 (25) | |||
| Outer regional remote | 74 (14) | 156 (13) | |||
| Region | Region 1 | 124 (23) | 273 (23) | 0.95 | |
| Region 2 | 37 (7) | 75 (6) | |||
| Region 3 | 57 (10) | 133 (11) | |||
| Region 4 | 203 (37) | 424 (36) | |||
| Region 5 | 13 (2) | 29 (2) | |||
| Region 6 | 74 (14) | 182 (15) | |||
| Region 7 | 38 (7) | 72 (6) | |||
| SEIFA-IRSD index | mean (SD) | 6 (3) | 5 (3) | 0.088 | |
| Consultation factors | Sought help any source | None | 351 (64) | 885 (74) | <0.001 |
| Supervisor | 42 (8) | 178 (15) | |||
| Other sources | 153 (28) | 125 (11) | |||
| Consultation duration | mean (SD) | 22 (8) | 24 (10) | <0.001 | |
| Number of problems | mean (SD) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | <0.001 | |
| Consultation action factors | Medication prescribed | No | 214 (39) | 913 (77) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 332 (61) | 275 (23) | |||
| Procedure performed | No | 486 (89) | 1132 (95) | <0.001 | |
| Yes | 60 (11) | 56 (5) | |||
| Pathology ordered | No | 521 (95) | 777 (65) | <0.001 | |
| Yes | 25 (5) | 411 (35) | |||
| Imaging ordered | No | 527 (97) | 955 (80) | <0.001 | |
| Yes | 19 (3) | 233 (20) | |||
| Learning goals generated | No | 333 (64) | 772 (69) | 0.025 | |
| Yes | 190 (36) | 344 (31) | |||
| Follow-up ordered | None | 270 (49) | 428 (36) | <0.001 | |
| GP appointment or phone | 250 (46) | 690 (58) | |||
| With someone else | 26 (5) | 70 (6) | |||
| Referral ordered | No | 504 (92) | 1081 (91) | 0.33 | |
| Yes | 42 (8) | 107 (9) |
*Frequencies of categorical variables compared between outcome categories using χ2 tests. For continuous variables, means were compared using a t-test.
†Practice size defined as small if <5 full-time equivalent GPs.
GP, general practitioner; SEIFA-IRSD, Socioeconomic Index for Area – Index of Relative Social Disadvantage.