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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

The influence of population characteristics on variation in general practice based morbidity estimations

Authors: C van den Dungen, N Hoeymans, HC Boshuizen, M van den Akker, MCJ Biermans, K van Boven, HJ Brouwer, RA Verheij, MWM de Waal, FG Schellevis, GP Westert

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

General practice based registration networks (GPRNs) provide information on morbidity rates in the population. Morbidity rate estimates from different GPRNs, however, reveal considerable, unexplained differences. We studied the range and variation in morbidity estimates, as well as the extent to which the differences in morbidity rates between general practices and networks change if socio-demographic characteristics of the listed patient populations are taken into account.

Methods

The variation in incidence and prevalence rates of thirteen diseases among six Dutch GPRNs and the influence of age, gender, socio economic status (SES), urbanization level, and ethnicity are analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results are expressed in median odds ratios (MOR).

Results

We observed large differences in morbidity rate estimates both on the level of general practices as on the level of networks. The differences in SES, urbanization level and ethnicity distribution among the networks' practice populations are substantial. The variation in morbidity rate estimates among networks did not decrease after adjusting for these socio-demographic characteristics.

Conclusion

Socio-demographic characteristics of populations do not explain the differences in morbidity estimations among GPRNs.
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Metadata
Title
The influence of population characteristics on variation in general practice based morbidity estimations
Authors
C van den Dungen
N Hoeymans
HC Boshuizen
M van den Akker
MCJ Biermans
K van Boven
HJ Brouwer
RA Verheij
MWM de Waal
FG Schellevis
GP Westert
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-887

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