Musculoskeletal

This edition of check focuses on the assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions in general practice.

Almost one in five general practice encounters relate to musculoskeletal problems. Osteoarthritis accounted for 3.9% of general practice consultations and 26.9% of orthopaedic surgeon referrals in 2013–14. Approximately 2.1 million Australians have osteoarthritis; this includes 21% of people over the age of 45 years and 35% of people over the age of 80 years. Osteoporosis affected 3.3% of Australians in 2011–12, and just over half (53.2%) of those patients had visited a GP for their condition in the past 12 months. The prevalence of heel pain is estimated to be 3.6% in the general population. In patients aged 40–60 years, a common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. Approximately 15% of Australian adults live with chronic pain. Of this group, 12% of males and 13.4% of females were prescribed opioid analgesics. Past guidelines have encouraged GPs to assess the risk of addiction when providing opioid analgesics.
References on file.

D1. Communication skills and the patient-doctor relationship

• Effective communication is used in challenging situations

D2. Applied professional knowledge and skills

• Continuity of care promotes quality and safety

D3. Population health and the context of general practice

D4. Professional and ethical role

• Critical incidents and potential critical incidents are identified and managed

D5. Organisational and legal dimensions

• Adult health
• Care of older people
• Addiction medicine
• Musculoskeletal and sports medicine
• Pain management