2. Survey on patterns of access to medico-technical platforms in the ile-de-france (region containing greater paris)

SURVEY ON PATTERNS OF ACCESS TO MEDICO-TECHNICAL PLATFORMS IN THE ILE-DE-FRANCE (Region containing Greater Paris)

ORGANIZATIONS IN CHARGE OF THE SURVEY

  • Irdes
  • Survey financed by the Regional Union of Private-Practice Physicians in the Ile-de-France (Union régionale des médecins libéraux d'Ile-de-France, URML-IDF).

SURVEY'S FOCUS

  • Analysis of the paths taken through the health care system by patients who underwent certain procedures in the Ile-de-France (the region which contains Greater Paris) with respect to their socio-economic characteristics, place of residence, and the nature of the establishment in which the procedure was performed.
  • Individuals or factors which influenced the choice of a type of diagnostic or therapeutic procedure, and influenced the choice of the facility where the procedure was performed.
  • Influence of the severity of the disease on the care pattern.
  • The procedure's execution.
  • Distance between the patient's residence and the place where the procedure was performed.
  • Time elapsed between the decision to undertake the procedure and the actual undertaking.

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS 

Date of the Survey

Fourth quarter of 1999

Scope of the survey

  • All patients who underwent a specified type of procedure within a predefined context in the Ile-de-France.
  • Three procedures were selected for surveillance: Endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Magnetic resonance imagery of the knee after a trauma, Cholecystectomy for a non-complicated gallstone.

Sampling frame

  • All private and public establishments which perform these procedures.

Method

Information on all stages of patients' treatments was collected from a variety of sources: the patient, the physician who performs the procedure, the facility where the procedure was undertaken, and lastly, the physician who recommended the facility (the prescriber). Selected sites were first sent a letter explaining the survey. The site's participation was then solicited by phone. For each procedure performed, a questionnaire was addressed to the patient and to the physician who performed the treatment and telephone interview was then conducted with the prescribing physician.