GP information (2)

GP information (2)

Documentation first General Practitioner data collection (1992-1993)
Documentation second General Practitioner data collection (2000-2001)†
Documentation third General Practitioner data collection (2005-2006)
Documentation fourth General Practitioner data collection (2010)
Documentation fifth General Practitioner data collection (2016)

†: the dates mentioned refer to the investigation period in which the corresponding GP data were collected, not to the respondent cycles involved.
LASA file name: LASACg01

Contact: Laura Schaap

Background
This is the second time that data were collected at the general practitioners (GP’s). The first time was done in 1992/93 by D. Kriegsman and B. Penninx (LASABg01.sav and LASABg01_docu 2008.doc)

Measurement instruments in LASA
All GP’s of the LASA respondents who joined the main interview in 1995/96 (c-cycle) and who had informed consent were approached. This left 2445 respondents, of which nine respondents were not included in the data collection because no GP was known.
In total, 562 GP’s were contacted, providing information on 2436 respondents.

Data collection
The data collection started in April 2000. The procedures are shown in figure 1.
The GP’s were asked to fill in a questionnaire (including an explanation page). All GP’s with less than 20 respondents were sent an introduction letter with as many questionnaires as they had respondents. GP’s with more than 20 respondents were sent an introduction letter together with an example of the questionnaire and they were called one week later. They were asked if they wanted to fill in the questionnaires themselves or if they wanted a researcher to fill in the questionnaires at their practice.
If the questionnaire was not returned after four weeks the GP’s were reminded by a phone call, and were asked if they had received the questionnaire(s). If so, they were asked if they still wanted to fill in questionnaires. The second reminder was another four weeks later and the third reminder two weeks later. The same questions were asked as in the first reminder, added by an option if they wanted the researcher to fill in the questionnaires. After receiving the completed questionnaires, the GP was thanked for working with the LASA study and was given a voucher of ten Dutch Guilders for each completed questionnaire.
In total 1775 questionnaires were completed: 167 by the researcher and 1608 by the GP. The response rate was 72.9 percent. The results of the GP data collection can be found here , or in:
LASACg01_nonresponsbestand (SPSS data document)
LASACg01_nonresponslabels (Word-document)

Information about data collection
Main Topics: the GP questionnaire can be found in (in Dutch, Word-document):
LASACg01_codeboek (only the questions)
LASACg01_codeboek_numbers (also results with numbers, equal to the LASA coding)

Arrhythmia: some GP’s had marked more than one type of arrhythmia (only one was asked to do). If so, both types of arrhythmia of the heart were then filled in together in option 8, which is ‘other arrhythmia of the heart’. This list can be found in variable cgarrtto (in the coding list, 1 through 18 were other arrhythmia’s of the heart, number 15 through 18 and 21 are defined as two or more options of ‘types of arrhythmia of the heart’. For example (coding list 14 through 24. in Dutch):

Sinusritme met freq ventriculaire es, compl LBTB,
Atriumfibrilleren en boezemfibrilleren,
Boezemfibrilleren en andere tachycardieën en extrasystole,
Boezemfibrilleren en extrasystole,
Sinustachycardieën en andere tachycardieën ,
Enkele extra ventriculair met ST depressie 2, 3 avf v5+6 met lichte ap klachten, toch geen aanwijzing voor coronair doorbloedingsstoornis en extrasystole,
Geen duidelijke diagnose gesteld en andere tachycardieën ,
Andere tachycardieën en extrasystole,
Tetralogie van Fallot en extrasystole.

When using the variable ‘type of arrhythmia’ or ‘other arrhythmia of the heart’ it is legitimate to exclude the ‘extrasystole’, since it is not a real arrhythmia of the heart.

Other chronic diseases
Several GP have filled in one or more chronic disease(s) in question 19: ‘other chronic diseases?’ (Cgothsi, cgothsi 1 through cgothsi6). In total, we have a list of 280 chronic diseases. From the LASA b-, c- and d- and e-cycle oral interview D. Kriegsman made an ‘other diseases’ list (Appendix 1, part II, in Dutch). This list contains 50 categories, of which category 47 is empty. The 280 diseases are categorized according to this list and some categories have been added which resulted in 56 categories (cgcatsi 1 through cgcatsi6). These categories can be found in LASACg01_vrg19_56cat_conform-dkriegsman.

Date
The GP’s were asked to fill in the date. Several GP’s did not fill in the date, i.e. date is 11-11-2001 or missing. A new date-variable was created (cgdate2), where the missing value or 11-11-2001 was replaced by the date of registration, which is the returning date of the questionnaires at the VU.
Content of the GP questionnaire
The GP questionnaire of 2000/01 covers the presence, year of diagnosis and who diagnosed the disease (GP or medical specialist) of the following diseases: peripheral artery disease, congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia (incl. type and pacemaker implantation), transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, diabetes mellitus (incl. medication use), asthma or COPD, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, malignancies (incl. location), depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, memory problems, fractures. In addition, up to six other chronic diseases and the corresponding year of diagnosis could be filled in (these other diseases were categorized). The questionnaire also includes a question on how these health problems affect daily living and some questions on end-of-life decisions.

Questionnaires
huisarts_vrl_C (not available)

Variable information
LASACg01 (pdf)

Availability of information per wave 1

BCDE
2B*		F*GH

3B*		MB*I*J*K*
GP-information

XX-XXUC-XX-

1 More information about the LASA data collection waves is available here.

* 2B=baseline second cohort;
3B=baseline third cohort;
MB=migrants: baseline first cohort;
F=under construction;
I, J, K=to be developed

Previous use in LASA
Kriegsman et al. (1996) state that patients’ self-reports on selected chronic diseases are fairly accurate, with the exceptions of atherosclerosis and arthritis. Overreporting and underreporting of specific diseases was associated with several personal characteristics. The results suggested that the tendency to overreport or underreport may be explained by denial by the patient, the tendency of patients to label symptoms or inaccuracy of GP records.

Galenkamp et al. (2014) compared self-reports with GP reported diseases in 2009 and examined how the prevalence of overreporting and underreporting had changed since 1992. Results showed that overreporting of chronic diseases became significantly more common over time, whereas under-reporting became less common.

Studies that used the GP data were amongst others:


References

  1. Galenkamp H, Huisman M, Braam AW, Schellevis FG, Deeg DJH. Disease prevalence based on older people’s self-reports increased, but patient-general practitioner agreement remained stable, 1992-2009.  Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2014, 67 (7): 773-780.
  2. Kriegsman, DM, Penninx BW, van Eijk JT, Boeke AJ, Deeg DJ. Self-reports and general practitioner information on the presence of chronic diseases in community-dwelling elderly. A study on the accuracy of patients’ self-reports and on determinants of inaccuracy. J Clin Epidemiol. 1996 Dec; 49 (12):1407-17.


Date of last update: February 16, 2021 (LvZ)