• P Gulbrandsen, P Fugelli, and P Hjortdahl.
• Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
• Scand J Prim Health Care. 1998 Dec 1; 16 (4): 204210204-10.

ObjectiveTo explore general practitioners' knowledge of their patients' socioeconomic data and their ability to identify vulnerable groups.DesignA multipractice survey of consecutive adult patients consulting general practitioners during one regular workday. Doctors and patients independently completed mirrored questionnaires.SettingA geographically defined population of patients and doctors in Buskerud county, Norway.Subjects1401 patients attending 89 general practitioners during the last two weeks of March 1995.Main Outcome MeasuresThe doctors' ability to state the patients' socioeconomic situation correctly using sensitivity and specificity. Results for patients scarcely and well known to the doctors are compared.ResultsSensitivity ranged from 0.93 for work as main income source to 0.04 for not having WC/bathroom inside the dwelling. Specificity ranged from 1.00 for several factors to 0.73 for low educational level. Information on household composition and income source was correct for more than half of patients scarcely known to the doctors.ConclusionsGeneral practitioners' knowledge of various socioeconomic data of their patients differs substantially and are collected at different stages in the relationship. Among socioeconomic data defining vulnerable groups, the patients' self-perceived work disability is the variable general practitioners are best at evaluating.

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