Abstract
A questionnaire was used to assess general practitioners' knowledge of handicaps and service use among disabled patients in a group practice. The disabled patients were identified by a postal screening questionnaire. Sixty-eight were subsequently interviewed to assess the severity of restrictions on their activities and to collect information about informal support and use of community or hospital services. The areas of life in which the disabled were most affected by their medical conditions were sleep and rest, household management, emotion and mood. Relatives assisted the disabled considerably with all daily activities but more help was requested. Most disabled patients had consulted their general practitioner or attended casualty and outpatient clinics, but only a minority had used other community services. Prescription of drugs was considered the most important service the doctor provided. A second questionnaire, which the general practitioners completed with the help of their records, revealed that they knew of only 50 per cent of the difficulties with daily living reported by the disabled and even less of the aids, appliances and services used. A better awareness of these facilities among general practitioners might lead to a more effective distribution of resources among their patients.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bergner M., Bobbitt R. A., Kressel S., Pollard W. E., Gilson B. S., Morris J. R. The sickness impact profile: conceptual formulation and methodology for the development of a health status measure. Int J Health Serv. 1976;6(3):393–415. doi: 10.2190/RHE0-GGH4-410W-LA17. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Green S., Kaufert J., Corkhill R., Creese A., Dunt D. The collection of service utilisation data: a research note on validity. Soc Sci Med. 1979 Mar;13A(2):231–234. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Locker D., Wiggins R., Sittampalam Y., Patrick D. L. Estimating the prevalence of disability in the community: the influence of sample design and response bias. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1981 Sep;35(3):208–212. doi: 10.1136/jech.35.3.208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Patrick D. L., Darby S. C., Green S., Horton G., Locker D., Wiggins R. D. Screening for disability in the inner city. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1981 Mar;35(1):65–70. doi: 10.1136/jech.35.1.65. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Peach H., Green S., Locker D., Darby S., Patrick D. L. Evaluation of a postal screening questionnaire to identify the physically disabled. Int Rehabil Med. 1980;2(4):189–193. doi: 10.3109/09638288009163986. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sanford J. R. Tolerance of debility in elderly dependants by supporters at home: its significance for hospital practice. Br Med J. 1975 Aug 23;3(5981):471–473. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5981.471. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Warren M. D. Interview surveys of handicapped people: the accuracy of statements about the underlying medical conditions. Rheumatol Rehabil. 1976 Nov;15(4):295–302. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/15.4.295. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]