Setting standards based on patients' views on access and continuity: secondary analysis of data from the general practice assessment survey.
OBJECTIVE
To examine patients' views on access and continuity in general practice to derive quality standards.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of data from general practice research studies and routine quality assessment activities undertaken by practices and primary care trusts.


METHODS
General practice.


METHODS
General practice patients.


RESULTS
Satisfactory standards of access were next day appointments with general practitioners and a 6-10 minute wait for consultations to begin. A satisfactory level of continuity was seeing the same general practitioner "a lot of the time." Standards varied with the analytic method used and by sociodemographic group.


CONCLUSIONS
Standards expected by patients in primary care can be derived from linked report-assessment pairs. Patients may have expectations of access that are in excess of government targets. Patients also have high expectations of continuity of care. It is unclear the degree to which such standards are reliable or valid, how conflicts between access and continuity should be resolved, or how these standards relate to other priorities of patients such as high quality interpersonal care.
Bower
Peter
P
National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL. peter.bower@man.ac.uk
Roland
Martin
M
Campbell
John
J
Mead
Nicola
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006292:Health Priorities; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D013222:State Medicine / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014850:Waiting Lists