A division's worth of data

Throughout the international community there is an increasing focus on the benefits of collecting, pooling and analysing patient data. General practice provides a great opportunity to create a comprehensive database of the Australian population as 90% of Australians visit their general practitioner each year and general practices are increasingly computerised. This article discusses the facilitatory role divisions of general practice can play in harnessing quality data from general practice and the benefits that may follow. It describes experience from 3 years of data pooling by the Melbourne East General Practice Network in Victoria and makes recommendations for other organisations interested in data collection.