The nature content and interpractice variation of general practice: a regional study in Italy.
Eur J Epidemiol 1990;
6:313-8. [PMID:
2123800 DOI:
10.1007/bf00150439]
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Abstract
The activity of 34 general practitioners (GP) working in solo practices in six Local Health Units were assessed, as a preliminary step of a main study, to evaluate and possibly improve the quality of GP professional performance using peer review and feed-back information. A wide interpractice variation was observed in patient visit and patient visiting rates, drug and test prescribing, in- and out-patient referrals, as well as in the composition of the practice case-mix. The extent of interpractice variation for relevant actions in the process of care was unchanged after adjusting for case-mix, suggesting that case-mix differences have little effect in explaining differences among physicians' overall pattern of care and health care resource consumptions.
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