Variation and statistical reliability of publicly reported primary care diagnostic activity indicators for cancer: a cross-sectional ecological study of routine data.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Recent public reporting initiatives in England highlight general practice variation in indicators of diagnostic activity related to cancer. We aimed to quantify the size and sources of variation and the reliability of practice-level estimates of such indicators, to better inform how this information is interpreted and used for quality improvement purposes.

Design

Ecological cross-sectional study.

Setting

English primary care.

Participants

All general practices in England with at least 1000 patients.

Main outcome measures

Sixteen diagnostic activity indicators from the Cancer Services Public Health Profiles.

Results

Mixed-effects logistic and Poisson regression showed that substantial proportions of the observed variance in practice scor

SUBMITTER: Abel G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5750427 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature