Impact of GP Opening Hours on Stroke Care Seeking
Author Information
Author(s): Lasserson Daniel S, Chandratheva Arvind, Giles Matthew F, Mant David, Rothwell Peter M
Primary Institution: University of Oxford
Hypothesis
Do general practice opening hours affect the delay in seeking medical attention after a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke?
Conclusion
General practitioners’ opening hours significantly influence patients’ healthcare seeking behaviour after TIA and minor stroke, with current hours leading to increased delays in assessment.
Supporting Evidence
- 68% of patients with events during surgery hours called within 24 hours of onset.
- Median time to call a GP after out of hours events was significantly longer than during surgery hours.
- A primary care center open 8 am-8 pm could reduce median delay from 50.1 hours to 4.0 hours.
Takeaway
When people have a mini-stroke, they often wait to see their doctor until the office is open, which can make them wait a long time for help.
Methodology
Population based prospective study analyzing the time to call healthcare services after TIA and minor stroke events.
Potential Biases
Potential under-reporting of strokes due to patients' inability to recall events.
Limitations
Some patients had uncertain timing of events due to cognitive impairment, and there may have been under-reporting of TIAs and minor strokes.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 74.5 years; 38% were aged ≥80; 53% were women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
0.05 to 0.21
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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