Table 1.
Linear multilevel regression analysis of task shifting in general practice (Ncountries = 34; nGPs = 6,257)
| Empty model | Model 1: GP and practice variables |
Model 2: + country variables (one-by-one) a |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed effects | |||
| Intercept | 2.661 (0.178) | 2.654 (0.125) | 2.655 (0.094) |
| GP/practice level | |||
| Use of EHR applications | 0.081 (0.008)*** | 0.080 (0.008)*** | |
| GPs’ age | 0.006 (0.002)*** | 0.006 (0.002)*** | |
| Hours worked by GPs | −0.003 (0.001)** | −0.003 (0.001)** | |
| Support staff (Y/N) | 0.464 (0.020)*** | 0.461 (0.020)*** | |
| Other professionals (Y/N) | −0.010 (0.013) | −0.010 (0.013) | |
| Practice location (ref. big city) | |||
| - Suburbs | 0.137 (0.048)*** | 0.137 (0.048)*** | |
| - Small towns | 0.198 (0.041)*** | 0.200 (0.041)*** | |
| - Mixed urban–rural | 0.080 (0.045) | 0.081 (0.045) | |
| - Rural | 0.103 (0.046)** | 0.104 (0.046)** | |
| Proportion elderly | −0.019 (0.021) | −0.019 (0.021) | |
| Proportion ethnic minority | −0.027 (0.021) | −0.027 (0.021) | |
| Proportion deprived | 0.092 (0.022)*** | 0.092 (0.022)*** | |
| Country level | |||
| Average working hours GPs | −0.063 (0.029)** | ||
| % No support staff available | −0.045 (0.008)*** | ||
| Increase population ≥65 | 0.058 (0.085) | ||
| GP shortage (1 = no shortage – 3 = nationwide shortage) b | 0.157 (0.123) | ||
| GPs over 60 years | −0.011 (0.015) | ||
| Nurse prescribing (1 = no prescription rights – 3 = prescription rights) | 0.249 (0.150)* | ||
| Professionalisation scale c | 0.068 (0.051) | ||
| Random effects | |||
| GP/practice variance | 1.360 (0.024) | 1.207 (0.022) | 1.207 (0.022) |
| Country variance | 1.065 (0.261) | 0.526 (0.130) | 0.292 (0.073) |
| ICC | 43.9 | 30.3 | 19.5 |
*P < 0.10; **P < 0.05; ***P < 0.01.
a
Coefficients of GP/practice-level variables and random effects taken from model 3 with the percentage of practices without support as independent variable at country level.
b
No information for Ireland, Luxembourg and Canada.
c
No information for Malta.