A geographic approach to general practice workloads: The example of rural Tasmania

Abstract

Against a background of a potential oversupply of medical practitioners, this study develops a method of quantifying the hinterland and population served by each practice centre. Allowance is made for varying age and sex demands for medical service and demonstrates a seven-fold variation in workload per doctor in rural Tasmania. The need for means to correct the inertia inherent in this geographic maldistribution is emphasised.