Reduced waiting times for the GP: two examples of "advanced access" in Australia.

"Advanced access" is a set of change principles for improved scheduling in office-based health care, widely applied in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Examination of advanced access in two Australian general practices indicates it is feasible in this country and may offer improvements in patient access to care, practice income and workplace conditions. Rigorous evaluations of advanced access are lacking, but in the Australian National Primary Care Collaborative, 300 practices will implement advanced access, providing an opportunity for a rigorous evaluation of these principles.