Do older patients feel able to cope with illness following telephone consultations? A multi-practice survey in the UK.
BACKGROUND
Worldwide, patients are offered a telephone consultation as a first point of access to a health care professional. Whilst older patients form a significant proportion of callers, this group has expressed reservation about consultations that preclude a physical examination.


OBJECTIVE
This study compares how two groups of patients (< 70 years, > or = 70 years) perceive their ability to cope with illness following a telephone consultation.


METHODS
Nine hundred and fifty-six patients from deprived inner city areas receiving telephone consultations with a General Practitioner (GP)/Family doctor or nurse at five practices in South Yorkshire, UK were surveyed within 24 h of the consultation. A 49% response rate was achieved; the mean age of respondents in the respective groups was 78.5 years and 48 years. The questionnaire included the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI), a self-reported measure of patients' ability to cope with illness measure of patients' ability to cope with illness and supplementary questions on access to GPs in the practice.


RESULTS
There was a low response rate from younger patients and males in particular. Ethnic minority groups were hardly represented among the respondents. How ever, scores on the PEI following telephone consultations were no different between older and younger respondents (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.56). Regression analysis with PEI scores as the dependent variable and fitting age and differences in responses to the questionnaire as explanatory variables yielded an R(2) of 0.02 suggesting that 'age' per se was a poor predictor of 'enablement'.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support an inclusive policy in the provision of telephone access to health care professionals in primary care. We conclude that older patients are not disadvantaged by consulting a primary care professional by telephone.
Jiwa
Moyez
M
Institute of Primary Care and General Practice, University of Sheffield, UK. mjiwa@sheffield.ac.uk
Freeman
Jenny
J
Coleman
Martyn
M
Joesbury
Helen
H
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013689:Telephone; D006113:United Kingdom