Quality of Care in UK General Practices and Social Deprivation
Author Information
Author(s): Mark Ashworth, David Armstrong
Primary Institution: King's College London
Hypothesis
Is there a relationship between the quality of primary care, social deprivation, and practice characteristics?
Conclusion
Socially deprived areas experience a lower quality of primary care, as judged by QOF scores.
Supporting Evidence
- The median QOF score was 999.7 out of a possible maximum of 1050 points.
- Three characteristics were independently associated with higher QOF scores: training practices, group practices, and practices in less socially deprived areas.
- Higher list sizes per GP and turnover of registered patients did not contribute to lower QOF scores.
Takeaway
Practices in poorer areas tend to provide lower quality care, while training and group practices offer better care but are less common in these areas.
Methodology
QOF data for each practice in England was linked with census data on social deprivation and practice characteristics.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the use of publicly available data and the assumption that practices serve populations reflective of their geographical area.
Limitations
The deprivation score was based on geographical location, which may not accurately reflect the populations served by practices.
Participant Demographics
Data from 8480 general practices in England.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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