Changes in patients' attitudes towards the management of minor ailments.
BACKGROUND
Patients' attitudes towards the management of minor ailments influence help-seeking behaviour. Up-to-date information about patients' attitudes is valuable for understanding changes in help-seeking behaviour.


OBJECTIVE
To describe changes in patients' attitudes between 1987 and 2001, and to explain the relationship between patients' attitudes and attributes of practices, practitioners and patients.


METHODS
Two cross-sectional, Dutch National Surveys of General Practice (1987 and 2001; n = 9579 and n = 8405 patients, respectively).


METHODS
General practice in the Netherlands.


METHODS
Patients' attitudes were evaluated in health interviews. Data were analysed using multilevel regression analysis.


RESULTS
In 2001, patients' attitudes showed a shift away from consulting their GP for minor ailments. Attitudes are uniform across different types of practice, and mainly differ between patients. In 1987 as well as in 2001 the factors associated with firm beliefs about the benefits of GP's care in case of minor ailments were male, older age, lower educational level, a non-Western cultural background, and a visit to the GP in the past 2 months. Furthermore, the association between health status and beliefs about GPs dealing with minor ailments is more marked in 2001. Compared to 1987, the influences of GPs and the practice are more intertwined in 2001.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients' attitudes towards the management of minor ailments have changed over the years, which implies that strategic action by the profession and the government has affected the way the public uses primary care. However, a marginal group of patients (elderly, less-educated, non-Western) is lagging behind this trend, and continuing to consult GPs for minor ailments.
Cardol
Mieke
M
NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.cardol@nivel.nl
Schellevis
François G
FG
Spreeuwenberg
Peter
P
van de Lisdonk
Eloy H
EH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires