What factors explain the differences in morbidity estimations among general practice registration networks in the Netherlands? A first analysis
- 1 January 2008
- journal article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in The European Journal of General Practice
- Vol. 14 (sup1), 53-62
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13814780802436218
Abstract
Information on the incidence and prevalence of diseases is a core indicator for public health. There are several ways to estimate morbidity in a population (e.g., surveys, healthcare registers). In this paper, we focus on one particular source: general practice based registers. Dutch general practice is a potentially valid source because nearly all non-institutionalized inhabitants are registered with a general practitioner (GP), and the GP fulfils the role as "gatekeeper". However, there are some unexplained differences among morbidity estimations calculated from the data of various general practice registration networks (GPRNs). To describe and categorize factors that may explain the differences in morbidity rates from different GPRNs, and to provide an overview of these factors in Dutch GPRNs. Four categories of factors are distinguished: "healthcare system", "methodological characteristics", "general practitioner", and "patient". The overview of 11 Dutch GPRNs reveals considerable differences in factors. Differences in morbidity estimation depend on factors in the four categories. Most attention is dedicated to the factors in the "methodology characteristics" category, mainly because these factors can be directly influenced by the GPRN.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Using registries in general practice to estimate countrywide morbidity in The NetherlandsPublic Health, 2006
- The Importance of Longitudinal Studies in Family Medicine: Experiences of Two Practice-based Research NetworksThe Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 2006
- The use of routinely collected computer data for research in primary care: opportunities and challengesFamily Practice, 2005
- Longitudinal Research and Data Collection in Primary CareAnnals of Family Medicine, 2005
- The prevalence of known diabetes in eight European countries.European Journal of Public Health, 2004
- Disease prevalence estimations based on contact registrations in general practiceStatistics in Medicine, 2002
- Hoe up-to-date is het medisch dossier?Huisarts en wetenschap, 2001
- General Practice Registration Networks in the Netherlands: A Brief ReportJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 1999
- Unlocking patients' records in general practice for research, medical education and quality assurance: the Registration Network Family PracticesInternational Journal of Bio-Medical Computing, 1996
- Validating long term morbidity recording.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1995