Family practice
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The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric properties of the General Practice Assessment Survey (GPAS) and its acceptability to patients in the UK. GPAS comprises seven multiple item scales and two single item scales addressing nine key areas of primary care activity (access, technical care, communication, inter-personal care, trust, knowledge of patient, nursing care, receptionists and continuity of care). A further four single items relate to patients' perceptions of the GP's role in referral and co-ordination of care, their willingness to recommend their GP and their overall satisfaction with care received. ⋯ GPAS is a useful instrument for assessing several important dimensions of primary care. It is acceptable, reliable and valid, and has the potential for versatility in mode of administration. It will be a useful instrument for practices, primary care groups and primary care researchers evaluating key areas of primary care activity. Further work is required to evaluate its performance in non-inner-city settings and to evaluate further its validity against external criteria.
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In a GP database, 318 people with intellectual disability (ID) appeared to have 2.5 times more health problems than people without ID. This short report deals with the nature of the health problems. Consequences for health care policy are discussed.
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Comparative Study
Differences in physician utilization between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
In the present study, we examined the factors affecting Aboriginal children's visits to a medical practitioner and compared them with non-Aboriginal children. ⋯ A lower national health insurance coverage rate, and a higher rate of intramuscular injections for Aboriginal children plus difficulties in access to medical resources due to travel time and travel distance are still major problems for the Aborigines.
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Job satisfaction is an important determinant of physician retention and turnover, and may also affect performance. Objective. Our aim was to investigate changes in GP job satisfaction from 1987 to 1998, covering a period of major change in the organization of British general practice. ⋯ The results suggest that GP job satisfaction has improved significantly from the low point reached following the introduction of the 1990/1991 NHS reforms, although reported levels of stress in relation to many aspects of work have continued to increase. The changes are discussed within the context of wider research into the determinants of GP job satisfaction in order to anticipate the likely effects on GPs of future organizational reforms.
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Home visits are an important way of delivering primary health care, but there is a long-term decrease in home visit rates in many countries. ⋯ Home visits remain an important part of GP work in countries in transition, such as Slovenia, especially for more seriously ill patients.