Projects per year
Abstract / Description of output
Background: The new Scottish GP contract commenced in April 2018 with a stated aim of mitigating health inequalities. Aim: To determine the health characteristics and experiences of patients consulting GPs in deprived-urban (DU), affluent-urban (AU) and remote/rural (RR) areas of Scotland. Design and Setting: Postal survey of a random sample of adult patients from 12 practices who had consulted a GP within the previous 30 days. Methods: Patient characteristics and consultation experiences in the three areas, using validated measures including the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure and Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI). Results: In DU areas, multimorbidity was more common (7888 plt;0.01); complex presentations were more likely (1601 plt;0.01); and more consultations were conducted by telephone (4211 plt;0.01). Patients in DU areas reported lower satisfaction (8206 plt;0.01); lower perceived GP empathy (mean CARE score 38.9 vs 42.1 AU vs 40.1 RR, plt;0.05); lower enablement (mean PEI score 2.6 vs 3.2 AU vs 2.8 RR, plt;0.01) and less symptom improvement (plt;0.01) than those in AU or RR areas. Face-to-face consultations were associated with significantly higher satisfaction, enablement and perceived GP empathy than telephone consultations in RR areas (all plt;0.05). Conclusion: Five years after the start of the new GP contract in Scotland, patients’ experiences on consultations with GPs suggest that the inverse care law persist in deprived areas.
Original language | English |
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Journal | British Journal of General Practice |
Early online date | 22 Nov 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 22 Nov 2023 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- general practice
- Scottish GP contract
- deprivation
- remote and rural
- inverse care law
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Dive into the research topics of 'Patients’ experiences of GP consultations following the introduction of the new GP contract in Scotland: cross-sectional survey'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Transforming Primary Care in Scotland and China to meet the needs of an ageing population - are health inequalities being tackled?
Mercer, S., Guthrie, B., Pickersgill, M. & Stewart, E.
12/08/20 → 11/08/23
Project: Research