Table 6

Probability of outpatient specialist services use and hospitalisation for GP usersa according to age, duration of the GP–patient relationship (GP duration)b,c, and frequency of GP visits (GP frequency)c,d

Outpatient specialist servicesHospitalisations
30–49 years, OR (95% CI)50–69 years, OR (95% CI)70–87 years, OR (95% CI)30–49 years, OR (95% CI)50–69 years, OR (95% CI)70–87 years, OR (95% CI)
GP durationn = 2615n = 4298n = 1357n = 2698n = 4460n = 1453
  0–2 years1.001.001.001.001.001.00
  >2 years0.80 (0.66 to 0.98)0.82 (0.69 to 0.99)0.80 (0.55 to 1.15)0.81 (0.61 to 1.08)0.78 (0.61 to 1.00)0.65 (0.44 to 0.97)
GP frequencyn = 2804n = 4573n = 1480n = 2894n = 4751n = 1590
  <3 visits1.001.001.001.001.001.00
  ≥3 visits2.91 (2.47 to 3.43)2.35 (2.07 to 2.67)1.83 (1.47 to 2.29)3.41 (2.61 to 4.46)2.45 (2.02 to 2.97)2.25 (1.69 to 3.00)

  • ↵a ≥1 GP visits the previous year.

  • ↵b Multivariate analysis with GP duration as main independent variable.

  • ↵c Adjusted for sex, marital status, household income, education, and self-rated health.

  • ↵d Multivariate analysis with GP frequency as main independent variable. OR = odds ratio.