The Future of the GPCG – or finding it a home - Michael Kidd, Teng Liaw, Heather Leslie and Trevor Lord
The text of a letter circulated in June by the elected members of the Management Committee of the General Practice Computing Group, and more information on the GPCG.

GPs and computers: my journey so far – Rob Ferguson
Armed with stories, snapshots and a wish list, Rob Ferguson takes you on a tour of his life in Mordiallac as a computer-literate GP. He is not yet convinced that GPs will ever be able to take full advantage of the potential of IT.

Beyond computerised prescribing: what's next? - Peter Schattner and Catherine Pleteshner
Prescribing is understandably the main task for which GPs are using their desktop computer. Divisions now have to develop new strategies for advancing GPs further along the road towards managing information electronically.

Rural bits'n'bytes – Danny Silver
Rural GP Danny Silver describes how information technology has been incorporated in his daily clinical practice. He reveals some specific ways in which IT is affected by the geographic isolation that characterises life as a rural GP, and provides some advice for his country colleagues who are considering using a computer in their practice.

IMIT, divisions and SBOs: an overview – Jennifer Fleck
Jennifer Fleck discusses divisions' role in developing IMIT in general practice over the past three years. She has found that it may not be simply a matter of making a transition from IT to IM, and that there is a need for GPs to have basic training and support if they are to make best use of the technology for information management.

Primary Care Partnerships – making them work – Jane Cafarella
IMIT will have a big role in making Primary Care Partnerships (PCPs) work. However, if IMIT is to be effective, the partners will have to work out the best ways to share the information about their patients before they go ahead with the boxes and cables for storing and transmitting the information.

Addiction medicine and the busy GP: time for a change – Benny Monheit
In Victoria, GPs provide most medical services for people in methadone programs or attending drug-withdrawal units. Only 6% of GPs have been prescribing methadone for the 7500 patients in the Victorian methadone program. Increasing demands mean new treatment models must be explored and divisions' roles should be considered.

Recognising the GP contribution - John McEncroe
GPs work in countless ways to improve the health of the individuals who make up the population. In this article John McEncroe argues that GPs are not recognised for their contribution and, to a large extent, the problem is due to the failure of researchers to measure what GPs actually do.

Divisions and population health - Paul Geyer
Paul Geyer argues that true population health programs must operate on a large enough scale to enable meaningful evaluation. He describes Central Bayside Division's involvement in the asthma component of a large population health program and considers the strengths of the program as a model for population health activity in divisions.

Care to plan for your diabetes? - Leigh Barnetby and Helen Yaccoub
Whitehorse Divisions of General Practice provides support and encouragement for GPs to take up the news MBS Enhanced Primary Care items and, in particular, to use the Community Care Plan in the care of diabetics. Leigh Barnetby and Helen Yaacoub outline the process and report on the some of GP attitudes to the plans.

Acting on health inequities - John Furler
There is evidence that differences in health status across the social classes are more related to differences in distribution of wealth, education and empowerment than different rates of lifestyle risk factors. John Furler examines the issues that such evidence presents for general practice and considers what GPs and divisions can do in response.

Men's health - Darlene Henning and Carolyn Searle
In recent years a number of studies have confirmed the extent of the burden of illness borne by men of lower socio-economic status. Darlene Henning and Carolyn Searle discuss the evidence and then report on a resource developed by North West Melbourne Divisions to help GPs, practices and divisions meet the need.

Enhancing the GP role - Denise Fry and John Furler
Fry and Furler explore the relationship between general practice, primary health care and population health and then consider practical ways in which GPs can broaden their healthcare role to include consideration of populations as well as individuals. This article summarises material from their chapter called 'General Practice, Primary Health Care and Population Health Interface' in the book General Practice in Australia: 2000, recently published by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. For more detail and references, it is suggested readers refer to the complete chapter.

• Caring for refugees
• Developing partnerships:
  GPs and pharmacists 
  GPs and hospitals
  GPs and primary care
• Corporate governance

• Divisions and GP personal support
• Divisions supporting practices
• Lessons from the GPII
• Practice amalgamation
• Leadership: a key service by divisions