The influence of population characteristics on variation in general practice based morbidity estimations

BMC Public Health

Research Article

GP Westert¹  HJ Brouwer²  M van den Akker³  MCJ Biermans⁴  K van Boven⁵  MWM de Waal⁶  HC Boshuizen⁷  N Hoeymans⁷  C van den Dungen⁸  RA Verheij⁹  FG Schellevis^1,10 

[1] Department Tranzo, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands;Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare (IQ healthcare), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;Department of General Practice, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;Department of General Practice, School for Public Health and Primary Care (Caphri), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands;Department of General Practice, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium;Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands;General Practitioner, Franeker, The Netherlands;Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands;National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, 3720, Bilthoven, BA, The Netherlands;National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, 3720, Bilthoven, BA, The Netherlands;Department Tranzo, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands;Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands;Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands;Department of General Practice/EMGO Institute for health and care research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

关键词: Family practice;    Incidence;    Medical records;    Population characteristics;    Public health;    Prevalence;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-11-887

 received in 2011-05-04, accepted in 2011-11-24,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGeneral practice based registration networks (GPRNs) provide information on morbidity rates in the population. Morbidity rate estimates from different GPRNs, however, reveal considerable, unexplained differences. We studied the range and variation in morbidity estimates, as well as the extent to which the differences in morbidity rates between general practices and networks change if socio-demographic characteristics of the listed patient populations are taken into account.MethodsThe variation in incidence and prevalence rates of thirteen diseases among six Dutch GPRNs and the influence of age, gender, socio economic status (SES), urbanization level, and ethnicity are analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results are expressed in median odds ratios (MOR).ResultsWe observed large differences in morbidity rate estimates both on the level of general practices as on the level of networks. The differences in SES, urbanization level and ethnicity distribution among the networks' practice populations are substantial. The variation in morbidity rate estimates among networks did not decrease after adjusting for these socio-demographic characteristics.ConclusionSocio-demographic characteristics of populations do not explain the differences in morbidity estimations among GPRNs.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© van den Dungen et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011