Briefly, answers to questions on management of cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, arterial hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, alcohol and tobacco consumption) were collected from ‘mirrored questionnaires’, whereby patients and their GPs were asked the same questions respectively and independently after the consultation, in a sample of volunteer GPs and their patients (Appendix 1). Physicians were not advised to enquire about cardiovascular risk factors.
How this fits in
Little is known about the role played by patient–physician interaction in producing, maintaining, or reducing health disparities in the health services. There is poor agreement between patients and GPs on advice given on diet and exercise; while, in contrast, there is a good level of concordance on advice given on alcohol and cigarette consumption. Comprehension between patients and GPs may be influenced by patients' demographic characteristics, such as age and educational level.
Educational level was used to measure socioeconomic status in three categories: A-level+ (≥12 years' education); up to GCSE (general certificate of secondary education; 6–11 years' education); and no qualification (<6 years' education).
