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Table 3 Risk factors

From: Patient safety in primary care: a survey of general practitioners in the Netherlands

 

Theme

Patient safety judged to be much/very much at risk (%GPs)

1. Not keeping one's medical knowledge up-to-date

Knowledge

42.6%

2. Poor doctor-patient relationship

Communication

41.2%

3. Patient age >75 year

Age

41.2%

4. Language barrier between GP and a non-western immigrant

Language barrier

36.8%

5. Patient with more than 5 medicaments

Polypharmacy

33.8%

6. Patient who 'shops' between different GPs in the same practice

Different GPs

23.5%

7. No telephone triage

Triage

22.1%

8. Delayed receipt of information about patients from hospital

Lack of information

17.6%

9. Patient who frequently comes for medically unexplained complaints

Unexplained complaints

13.2%

10. Patient age >70 year

Age

10.3%

11. Patient with a chronic disease

Chronic disease

10.3%

12. Patient who has consulted more than twice during GP's office hours for the same complaint

Repeat visits

7.4%

13. Need to make an emergency visit during regular office hours.

Time pressure

7.4%

14. Deviation from guidelines provided by Dutch College of General Practitioners

Evidence based medicine

2.9%

15. Lack of privacy at reception or in waiting room

Privacy

0%