Prevalence and benefits of care plans and care planning for people with long-term conditions in England.
OBJECTIVE
Among patients with long-term conditions, to determine the prevalence and benefits of care planning discussions and of care plans.


METHODS
Data from the 2009/10 General Practice Patient Survey, a cross sectional survey of 5.5 million patients in England. Outcomes were patient reports of: care planning discussions; perceived benefit from care planning discussions and resultant care plans. Patient and practice variables were included in multilevel logistic regression to investigate predictors of each outcome.


RESULTS
Half the respondents (49%) reported a long-term condition and were eligible to answer the care planning questions. Of these, 84% reported having a care planning discussion during the last 12 months and most reported some benefit. Only 12% who reported a care planning discussion also reported being told they had a care plan. Patients who reported having a care plan were more likely to report benefits from care planning discussions. Several factors predicted the reporting of care planning and care plans of which the most important was patients' reports of the quality of interpersonal care.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a gap between policy and current practice which might reflect uncertainty as to the benefits of care plans. There is, therefore, a need for rigorous evaluation of care plans.
Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Jenni
J
Burt
Martin
M
Roland
Charlotte
C
Paddison
David
D
Reeves
John
J
Campbell
Gary
G
Abel
Peter
P
Bower
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D055815:Young Adult