Patient satisfaction with availability of general practice: an international comparison.
OBJECTIVE
To identify associations between the characteristics of general practitioners and practices, and patients' evaluations of the availability of general practice.


METHODS
Written surveys completed by patients.


METHODS
General practice care in nine European countries: Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, UK, Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Switzerland, Slovenia and Spain.


METHODS
15996 adult patients consecutively visiting the general practitioner (response rates per country varied between 47 and 89%).


METHODS
The Europep instrument to assess patients' evaluations of five aspects of the availability of general practice care: (1) getting an appointment, (2) getting through on the phone, (3) being able to speak to the practitioner on the telephone, (4) waiting time in the waiting room, and (5) providing quick services for urgent health problems. Each general practitioner recorded age, sex, number of years in the practice, number of practitioners and other care providers in the practice, and urbanization level of the practice.


RESULTS
Patients' more positive evaluations were associated with fewer general practitioners in the practice, except for quick services for urgent health problems (range of conditional overall odds ratios, 1.69-2.02). In addition, a number of significant unconditional overall odds ratios were found, particularly those related to the number of general practitioners' working hours and the number of care providers in the practice. None of the associations was found consistently in all countries.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients favour small practices and full-time general practitioners, which contradicts developments in general practice in many countries. Policy makers should consider how the tensions between patients' views and organizational developments can be solved.
Wensing
Michel
M
Centre for Quality of Care Research, University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. M.Wensing@hsv.kun.nl
Vedsted
Peter
P
Kersnik
Janko
J
Peersman
Wim
W
Klingenberg
Anja
A
Hearnshaw
Hilary
H
Hjortdahl
Per
P
Paulus
Dominique
D
Künzi
Beat
B
Mendive
Juan
J
Grol
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D005060:Europe; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires