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Table 1 Characteristics of GPs, primary care practices, and countries included in the study (N = 7183)

From: Communication between general practitioners and medical specialists in the referral process: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries

Characteristics of primary care practices and GPs

 

Median and interquartile range

Number of missing observations

Gender (percentage of females)

52.5

 

28

Age (mean ± SDa)

50.3 ± 9.7

52 (43–58)

74

Practice location (percentages)

  

150

 Big (inner)city

31.4

  

 Suburbs or small town

35.1

  

 Urban-rural or rural

33.5

  

Employment status (percentages)

  

246

 Salaried

35.0

  

 Self-employed

64.0

  

 Mixed

1

  

Number of face-to face visits in a normal working day (mean ± SDa)

31.0 ± 16.0

28 (20–40)

49

Number of telephone calls in a normal working day (mean ± SDa)

8.2 ± 7.6

5 (3–10)

49

Job satisfaction (mean ± SDa)

2.5 ± 0.3

2,5 (2.2–2.8)

52

Availability of supporting staff (percentages):

  

137

 Absence of secretary and nurse

7.4

  

 presence of a secretary or a nurse

43.1

  

 presence of both a secretary and a nurse

49.5

  

Use of pc to send referral letters (percentage of ‘yes’)

71.0

 

292

Interactions between GPs and specialists (mean ± SDa)

1.7 ± 0.5

1.67 (1.2–2.0)

172

Country characteristics

 Gatekeeping system in place (percentage of ‘yes’)

55.9

 

0

  1. aSD Standard Deviation