Are low and high utilization related to the way GPs manage their practices? An observational study

BACKGROUND: General practice care plays a key role in keeping healthcare effective and cost-efficient. However, variation in the utilization rates of practices may reveal variation in practice performance. Our research goal is to investigate whether the socio-demographic profile of the patients’ area of residence and practice organization characteristics influence the low or high utilization of general practice care. METHODS: Data on the utilization of general practice care were derived from the electronic health records of 232 general practices participating in the NIVEL Primary Care Database for the year 2013. Census data for the year 2013 were matched with the postal code of the patients. A small area estimation (SAE) technique was used to calculate the estimated utilization rate for general practice care per practice based on the socio-demographic profile of the patients’ area of residence. Subsequently, the actual utilization rates were compared to the estimated rates per practice. Linear regression analysis was used to link the differences between the actual and estimated utilization rates to practice organization characteristics. RESULTS: The socio-demographic profile of the patients’ area of residence accounted for 25.7% of the estimated utilization rates per practice. Practice organization characteristics accounted for 19.3% of the difference between the actual utilization rates and the estimated rates. Practices had higher utilization rates than estimated when a practice was a dual practice, when it employed female GPs, when it employed other healthcare providers and/or when it offered more services related to a disease management programme. CONCLUSION: We found that utilization rates of general practice care can be partially explained by the socio-demographic profile of the patients’ area of residence, but also by practice organization characteristics. Insight into these factors provides both GPs and the other stakeholders involved in the organization of general practice care with information to help reflect on the utilization of care.