Validity of the attendance pressure indicator in a primary care area
Rodríguez Ortiz de Salazar, B.; Escortell Mayor, E.; Sánchez Casado, J.
Atencion Primaria 19(2): 84-88
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0212-6567 PMID: 9147575 Document Number: 473946
To measure the validity of the attendance pressure indicator in the Primary Care clinics at a Health Centre. An observational, crossover study. Primary Care Area 3, Madrid. Stratified sampling by professional group and systematic sampling out of a total of 296 Primary Care team professionals in the area were performed. The size of the sample was 100: 40 general practitioners, 15 paediatricians and 45 nurses. Information on the attendance pressure indicator was gathered directly from the Health Centres and compared with that sent to Area 3's Information System (3-IS) by the professionals themselves. The attendance pressure indicator showed the following ICC for Area 3: 0.86 (LL > or = 0.79) in general medicine, 0.79 (LL > or = 0.69) in paediatrics and 0.95 (LL > or = 0.93) in nursing. The over-notification found was: 1.35 users per day (p < 0.05) in general medicine, 1.47 (p < 0.05) in paediatrics and 0.47 in nursing. The measurement method of the attendance pressure indicator in Madrid's Primary Care Area 3 is valid for general medicine, paediatrics and nursing. A light, but statistically significant, over-notification to 3-IS was observed in general medicine and paediatrics, but this does not affect the validity of the indicator.