This article has been updated to acknowledge the role of Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in the OECD study.

Patients with chronic diseases have ranked Australia third out of 19 countries for healthcare co-ordination in a landmark report, despite doctors’ growing concerns about primary care fragmentation.

The OECD’s first Patient-Reported Indicator Survey, dubbed the PaRIS report, has placed Australia in the top five for quality care, patient-centred care and healthcare co-ordination, as well as self-reported physical health outcomes.

The survey involved 107,000 patients aged 45 or older who had seen a GP in the preceding six months and had a chronic condition — most commonly hypertension, arthritis, joint pain or back pain.