Table 3.
Response numbers and demographic details of the participants.
| Response | Sex | Age | ||||
| n | % | % male | Mean | (SD) | ||
| Patients | Varicose veins | 82 | 64.6 | 29.3 | 54.0 | (10.8) |
| Inguinal hernia | 86 | 65.6 | 94.0 | 64.4 | (12.2) | |
| Gallstones | 89 | 68.5 | 33.7 | 56.1 | (13.1) | |
| Surgeons (30.3% trainee) | 100 | 50.0 | 91.0 | 43.5 | (9.8) | |
| OPs* | 93 | 46.7 | 79.8 | 47.9 | (6.8) | |
| GPs** | 63 | 31.5 | 64.6 | 46.5 | (7.7) | |
Note: Eight patients of the original sample were left out when calculating the response rates as their questionnaires were returned undeliverable (moved house or deceased).
* National statistics for all OPs [29]: Age: 47.4 years (est. mean); Sex: 72.5% Male
** National statistics for all GPs [28]: Age: 47.8 years (est. mean); Sex: 70% Male