Ethnic Differences in Prescription Medication Use
Author Information
Author(s): Ellen Uiters, Liset van Dijk, Walter Devillé, Marleen Foets, Peter Spreeuwenberg, Peter P Groenewegen
Primary Institution: Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL)
Hypothesis
To what extent do ethnic differences between self-reported data and electronic medical records reflect a validity issue or lower compliance among minority groups?
Conclusion
Ethnic differences between self-reported data and EMR data might not be fully perceived as a cross-cultural validity issue, suggesting that compliance with prescribed medication by GPs is not optimal for Moroccans and Turks.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-reported data varied across ethnic groups, with Surinamese reporting the highest receipt of prescriptions.
- Moroccans and Turks reported the least use of prescriptions despite higher EMR prescription rates.
- The level of agreement between self-reported data and EMR data was generally low across all ethnic groups.
Takeaway
Different ethnic groups report using and receiving prescriptions differently, and some groups may not be taking their medications as prescribed.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study using EMR data from 195 GPs and self-reported data collected through face-to-face interviews.
Potential Biases
Potential cultural biases in self-reported data and differences in understanding prescriptions among ethnic groups.
Limitations
The study could not distinguish between prescriptions from GPs and specialists, and EMR registration might be incomplete.
Participant Demographics
Participants included Dutch, Turks, Surinamese, Antilleans, and Moroccans.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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