Table 2.

Description of patients and their regular GPs (RGPs) by duration of RGP–patient relationshipa

Duration of RGP–patient relationship
1 year (n= 609 577)2–3 years (n= 868 490)4–5 years (n= 647 761)6–10 years (n = 955 974)11–15 years (n = 667 154)>15 years (n = 804 022)Total (n = 4 552 978)
Patient variables
Male patients, (n) %(297 150) 48.7(434 958) 50.1(328 433) 50.7(489 029) 51.2(348 618) 52.3(406 857) 50.6(2 305 045) 50.6
Mean age patients, years35.136.638.239.838.956.341.1
Higher education, (n) %b(153 875) 36.2(221 752) 36.0(167 389) 35.4(249 637) 34.6(164 334) 29.3(248 200) 31.1(1 205 187) 33.5
Norwegian born, (n) %(478 151) 78.4(682 010) 78.5(528 164) 81.5(805 794) 84.3(608 008) 91.1(752 918) 93.6(3 855 045) 84.7
Mean Charlson score (0 = min, 14 = max)0.150.160.170.170.150.260.18
Mean centrality (1 = rural, 6 = urban)2.92.92.72.72.72.72.8
Mean number of consultations per year2.62.72.82.72.53.12.7
RGP variables
Male RGP, (n) %(327 046) 53.7(481 071) 55.4(361 730) 55.8(570 307) 59.7(419 509) 62.8(578 438) 71.9(2 738 101) 60.1
Mean age RGP years42.343.445.048.253.559.448.8
GP specialist, (n) %(250 787) 41.1(387 863) 44.6(373 786) 57.7(736 221) 77.2(573 695) 85.9(706 800) 87.9(3 0291 52) 66.4
Mean list size (number of listed persons)1140118012151263130613401244
Mean vacant list capacity (number of places)70.144.926.919.812.38.529.1
Patient outcome variables
Use of OOH services, (n) %(121 372) 19.9(157 056) 18.1(107 172) 16.5(147 236) 15.4(104 611) 15.7(122 126) 15.2(759 573) 16.7
Acute hospital admission, (n) %(39 014) 6.4(52 716) 6.1(38 026) 5.9(56 180) 5.9(37 553) 5.6(65 822) 8.2(2 893 11) 6.4
Death, (n) %(4406) 0.7(6514) 0.8(4860) 0.8(7649) 0.8(4728) 0.7(11 545) 1.4(39 702) 0.9
  • a RGP variables are counted repeatedly, once for each of their patients. Means and percentages will thus be influenced by list size and do not describe individual RGPs.

  • b Missing data for higher education variable amount to 957 515. In addition, 5301 patients had missing data for sex and age, 5303 for country of birth, 20 341 for mean centrality, and 25 690 for all RGP variables. OOH = out-of-hours.