Abstract
BackgroundDemand for general practice in the UK is higher than supply. Some patients seek appointments with GPs for minor illnesses rather than self-care.AimTo identify the characteristics of people with a tendency to contact GPs rather than self-care.Design & settingA national survey of the British adult population was undertaken in 2018, which included vignettes.MethodTwo vignettes focused on illness in adults: half of responders completed a vignette about cough and sore throat for 3 days, and the other half completed a vignette about diarrhoea and vomiting for 2 days. Logistic regression was undertaken to identify characteristics associated with contacting GPs compared with dealing with the problem themselves, calling NHS 111, or contacting another service, including a pharmacist.ResultsThe response rate was 42%, with 2906 responders. Responders were twice as likely to select ‘contact GP’ for the diarrhoea and vomiting vignette than for the cough and sore throat vignette (44.7% versus 21.8%). Factors associated with tendency for GP contact included being aged >75 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2 to 3.2); from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities (OR 2.1, 95% CI = 1.5 to 3.0); feeling overwhelmed by unexpected health problems (OR 1.4, 95% CI = 0.99 to 2.1); lower health literacy (OR 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0 to 1.4); and believing that general practice is not overused (OR 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1 to 1.7).ConclusionType of symptom, personal characteristics, and population beliefs about general practice utilisation explain the tendency to contact GPs for minor illness amenable to self-care.
Highlights
Clinical workload in primary care in the UK is increasing.[1]
Factors associated with tendency for GP contact included being aged >75 years; from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities; feeling overwhelmed by unexpected health problems; lower health literacy; and believing that general practice is not overused
Author Keywords: general practice, heathcare-seeking behaviour, healthcare utilisation, patients, health surveys. How this fits in Clinical workload in general practice is increasing
Summary
Clinical workload in primary care in the UK is increasing.[1]. The number of GPs per 100 000 population may be decreasing.[2]. Research for minor illnesses that could be dealt with at community pharmacies.[4] These types of contacts with general practice may be labelled ‘inappropriate’.5. This term is best avoided because it does not reflect the moral dilemma faced by patients in their help-s eeking,[6] and the challenges faced by patients as they attempt to take responsibility for their health, while not being judged as wasting the time of a service.[7] Judgments about the necessity of service use are fraught with difficulty because of concerns that some patients do not contact general practice when they have serious symptoms,[8] and the fact that judgments regarding legitimate reasons for service use may vary between individual health professionals.[4,9]. Some patients seek appointments with GPs for minor illnesses rather than self-c are
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