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Table 1 Use of GP services in Norway by patients diagnosed with schizophrenia compared with patients with diabetes and whole population

From: Use of GP services by patients with schizophrenia: a national cross-sectional register-based study

Patient groups

Schizophrenia

Diabetes

Total study population

N

10,112

54,580

2,333,944

Proportion men (%)

61.9

59.0

51.1

Mean age (SD)

43.0 (9.7)

49.3 (8.6)

42.3 (10.1)

Number of years with same regular GP, median (interquartile range)1

5 (2–8)

8 (3–8)

8 (3–8)

Frequencies and content of patient contacts

   

Proportion of patients with ≥1 consultation (%)

83.0

94.1

67.1

Mean number of consultations (SD)

5.0 (6.3)

5.7 (4.8)

2.6 (3.6)

Proportion of consultations lasting ≥20 min (%)2

19.0

37.7

31.1

Proportion of consultations with «talking therapy» (%)2

41.3

3.7

4.3

Proportion of consultations ≥20 min or with «talking therapy» (%)2

60.3

41.4

35.4

Proportion of consultations with any laboratory test taken (%)

74.0

74.4

50.6

Mean number of “short patient contacts”3 per patient (SD)

5.0 (8.7)

4.2 (5.2)

2.1 (3.9)

Mean number of home visits per patient (SD)

0.14 (1.59)

0.02 (0.96)

0.006 (0.26)

Proportion of patients that had taken:

   

- HbA1c (%)

12.0

64.5

4.2

- ECG (%)

6.5

6.4

4.1

- Spirometry (%)

4.0

5.1

2.9

Interdisciplinary activity by GPs

   

Proportion of patients with ≥1 multidisciplinary meeting, %

25.7

3.1

1.6

Mean number of multidisciplinary meetings per patient (SD)

0.65 (1.63)

0.06 (0.42)

0.03 (0.34)

Mean number of short communications3 between the GP and health- or social services per patient (SD)

2.9 (5.4)

0.37 (2.08)

0.13 (1.1)

Total service utilisation

   

Annual fee-for-services per patient (NOK)4, mean(SD)

2807 (3956)

1943 (2439)

648 (1423)

Comorbidity – proportion of patients also diagnosed with:

   

 - Diabetes mellitus (%)

8.5

-

2.4

 - Obstructive lung disease (%)

6.7

8.4

4.7

 - Hypertension (%)

7.5

32.8

8.4

 - Cardiovascular disease (%)

2.0

9.0

1.7

  1. Data from 2009 on 10,112 patients in the age group 25–60 years diagnosed with schizophrenia compared with non-schizophrenia patients with diabetes (N = 54,580) and the total population (N = 2,333,944) registered with a regular GP.
  2. (1)Maximum duration 8 years, since the list patient system was established in 2001. (2)These fees are not allowed in combination, but both are representing long consultations, and therefore also shown combined. (3)Telephone or letters. (4)1€ = NOK 8.73 in 2009. GP, general practitioner; HbA1c. glycosylated haemoglobin; SD, standard deviation.