Patient-centred care approaches, such as encouraging regular contact, developing individualised care plans and involving patients in decisions about their care are particularly effective for improving the health outcomes of patients with chronic conditions. The experiences and interactions that patients with chronic conditions have with their doctors and other members of the care team play an important role in whether they stay in contact with the health system and manage their conditions effectively.

Successful patient-centred care approaches are underpinned by good communication: having respectful, two-way conversations and spending adequate time with patients to address their issues and needs. With around 1 in 2 Australians reporting having a chronic condition, improving their health outcomes will have important flow-on effects for the health system and for the population more broadly. However, improving the health outcomes of people with chronic conditions requires an understanding of their current experiences in the health system and where those experiences could be improved.

To date there has been limited national information in Australia on how patients with chronic health conditions experience health care. This report uses data from the Patient Experience Survey 2017–18 to explore patient experiences of communicating with GPs and other specialists for people reporting one or multiple chronic conditions, and for people specifically reporting a mental health condition.