Patient social and economic circumstances: GP perceptions and their influence on management

Abstract

BACKGROUND Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of health. There is little research on if or how general practitioners assess this in individual patients and use it in their clinical practice. METHODS An exploratory pilot study was conducted using qualitative methodology. Telephone interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 11 GPs. RESULTS The participating GPs commonly assessed SES through observation of patient behaviour and presentation, contextualised with knowledge of the patient's background and the community, rather than direct enquiry. The GPs understood the link between low SES and poor health primarily in terms of a higher prevalence of behavioural risk facto..