Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The purpose of this study was: to collect data describing the main features of general practice - family, personal, domiciliary and front-line care; to obtain information about the role of the general practitioner as seen by both patients and doctors. There are ten datasets making up this study: <i>Main Patients</i> SN:394 <i>General Practitioners</i> SN:704 <i>Depression</i> SN:705 <i>G.P. Consultation</i> SN:706 <i>Out-Patients</i> SN:707 <i>Children</i> SN:708 <i>Mothers</i> SN:709 <i>Old People</i> SN:710 <i>Failure Schedules</i> SN:835 <i>No National Health Service Docotr</i> SN:836
Main Topics:
Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Description of doctor's type of practice, time/distance to surgery and to general hospital, whether doctor would recognise respondent on street. Number of consultations, home visits, advisory telephone calls and visits to outpatients during last 12 months. Other consultations with other doctors or at work, reasons for attending private practice (where appropriate), number of requests to doctor for certificate of sick leave and/or prescriptions. Number of full examination discussions about diet or smoking. Opinion on important qualities of a GP, perceived advantages and disadvantages of a doctor working on his own, attitude to seeing another doctor in the practice. Whether women respondents preferred a female GP. Opinions on and preferences for appointment systems, hours of surgery and availability at other times. Preference for GP or specialist treatment, knowledge of times doctor was on call. Particular health problems or worries, type of discussion respondent would like to have with doctor and/or other professional advisers. Respondents were asked to say whether they would visit their GP or the out-patients for a variety of complaints. Respondent's assessment of relative prestige of GPs (change over last 10 years). Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, occupation, school-leaving age, further education, length of residence in area, telephone ownership.
Random for patients, total doctors of patients' sample
Face-to-face interview
Postal survey
Face-to-face interviews were conducted with patients, and doctors received a postal questionnaire.
