Table 1 Selected characteristics of practices, GPs and patients

Practices

N = 22

N = 19

N = 20

N = 61

Patients per quarter^§

 < 500

2 (9)

0 (0)

2 (10)

4 (7)

 500—999

12 (55)

9 (47)

4 (20)

25 (41)

 1.000 – 1.499

5 (23)

4 (21)

9 (45)

18 (30)

 ≥ 1.500

3 (14)

6 (32)

5 (25)

14 (23)

Mean Number ± SD of GPs working in the practice

1.9 ± 0.9

2.0 ± 1.0

2.0 ± 1.1

2.0 ± 1

Locality of practice

 > 50.000 residents

9 (41)

7 (37)

9 (45)

25 (41)

 10.000 – 50.000 residents

5 (23)

5 (26)

5 (25)

15 (25)

 < 10.000 residents (rural)

8 (36)

7 (37)

6 (30)

21 (34)

GPs

N = 25

N = 19

N = 24

N = 68

Female

8 (32)

5 (26)

10 (42)

23 (34)

Mean age [years] ± SD

50 ± 11

54 ± 8

47 ± 7

50 ± 9

Undergraduate medical education activity

16 (64)

12 (63)

16 (67)

44 (65)

Specialized for natural medicine

3 (12)

3 (16)

2 (8)

8 (12)

Patients

N = 189

N = 172

N = 159

N = 520

Female

129 (68)

110 (64)

94 (60)

333 (64)

Mean age [years] ± SD

35 ± 16

32 ± 16

33 ± 13

33 ± 15

Modal value [years]

19

20

19***

20

Number of persons in the household:

N = 167

N = 160

N = 148

N = 475

 - one

24 (14)

22 (14)

26 (18)

72 (15)

 - two

46 (32)

54 (34)

46 (31)

146 (32)

 - three

48 (27)

26 (16)

36 (24)

110 (23)

 - four

34 (19)

41 (26)

27 (18)

102 (21)

 - five and more

15 (9)

17 (11)

13 (9)

45 (9)

Number of persons aged < 18 years in the household:

N = 172

N = 160

N = 145

N = 477

 - zero

96 (56)

89 (56)

82 (57)

267 (56)

 - one

35 (20)

31 (19)

29 (20)

95 (20)

 - two

29 (17)

30 (19)

27 (19)

86 (18)

 - three and more

12 (7)

10 (6)

7 (5)

29 (6)