Patients' Views on GP Care in Ireland
Author Information
Author(s): Carmody Patricia, Whitford David L
Primary Institution: Fairview Family Practice, Dublin, Ireland
Hypothesis
What are the attitudes and reported behaviors of private fee-paying patients towards continuity of GP care and universal registration in Ireland?
Conclusion
Private patients value both personal and longitudinal continuity of care with their GP, and there is strong support for a system of universal patient registration.
Supporting Evidence
- 97% of respondents had seen a GP in the previous 5 years.
- 89% of respondents had a regular GP.
- 96% preferred their personal medical care to be provided within one general practice.
- 81% considered it important to be officially registered with a GP practice of their choice.
Takeaway
Most people want to see the same doctor every time they go to the clinic, and they think it's important to be officially registered with a GP.
Methodology
Cross-sectional telephone survey of 400 randomly chosen fee-paying patients living in County Dublin.
Potential Biases
Response bias may occur as the concept of registration was not clearly defined to participants.
Limitations
The study may have selection bias as it omits those without phones and may not fully capture the views of all demographics.
Participant Demographics
Participants were private fee-paying patients in County Dublin, with a mix of ages and genders.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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