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[Responsibility to the population in general practice. Three years experiences with a patient-list systems in Norway]
1Ranheim legesenter.
Insights
A trial list patient system for general practitioners (GPs) in Norway reduced waiting times and improved phone access, despite some initial workload increases. Patients and two-thirds of GPs found the system satisfactory and beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Primary Care Medicine
- Health Services Research
Context:
- A list patient system was piloted among general practitioners (GPs) across four Norwegian municipalities over three years.
- This system aimed to manage patient lists and improve primary care accessibility.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the feasibility and impact of a list patient system in Norwegian primary care settings.
- To identify challenges and benefits associated with implementing such a system for GPs and patients.
Summary:
- The introduction of the list patient system led to an increased workload for some GPs due to capacity mismatches.
- However, the implementation process yielded valuable insights for national rollout, highlighting potential pitfalls and solutions.
- Key improvements included reduced consultation waiting times and enhanced telephone accessibility for patients.
- The system also decreased the demand for emergency on-call services due to improved daytime doctor availability.
Impact:
- Patient satisfaction with the system was high, with a desire for its continuation.
- A significant majority (two-thirds) of participating GPs supported the permanent adoption of the list patient system.
- The study provides evidence for the potential benefits of list patient systems in enhancing primary care delivery and patient access.
Abstract:
A list patient system has been tried out among general practitioners in four Norwegian municipalities for a period of three years. For some of the doctors involved the introduction of such a system led to increased work load due to mismatch between the doctor's work capacity and the number of patients on his/her list. However, the experience from the process of establishing the list provided useful knowledge and showed ways of avoiding similar problems if the system is introduced on a national basis. Waiting time for consultation has been reduced, and access to the doctor by telephone has improved. The demand for emergency on call services has been reduced because the doctors are easier to reach during the day. Patients are satisfied with the system and would like to see it become permanent. Two thirds of the GPs involved in the experiment share this standpoint.