Table 3

Ease of getting medical help or advice: sociodemographic associations and interactions with trial arm

Mean difference in ease of getting medical help or advice* (95% CI)Global p value
Model C†: N=10 683
Trial arm
 Reference; usual care
  GP triage−0.30 (−2.59 to 1.98)<0.001
  Nurse triage4.81 (2.49 to 7.12)
Patient characteristic
 Age (reference: 25–59 years)
  Under 5 years1.19 (−0.47 to 2.86)<0.001
  5–11 years1.54 (−0.44 to 3.51)
  16–24 years2.59 (0.83 to 4.35)
  60–74 years−3.22 (−4.44 to −1.99)
  75 years and over−3.36 (−4.96 to −1.76)
 Ethnic group (reference; white)
  Other ethnic group5.86 (3.60 to 8.12)<0.001
 Ease of taking time away from work to attend surgery (reference: not relevant‡)
  Can take time away from work easily−0.87 (−2.11 to 0.38)
  Can take time away from work with difficulty3.74 (2.46 to 5.03)<0.001
  Cannot take time away from work7.65 (5.97 to 9.32)
 Presence of long-standing health condition (reference: no long-standing health condition)
  Long-standing health condition present2.01 (1.07 to 2.94)<0.001
Mean difference in overall satisfaction with care* (95% CI)Global p valueMarginal mean value§ (95% CI)
Model D¶: N=10 683
 GP triage interaction with ethnicity
  Other ethnic group−6.29 (−11.78 to −0.79)
 Nurse triage interaction with ethnicity0.079
  Other ethnic group−2.78 (−8.28 to 2.73)
Marginal mean values
 Usual care
  White14.9 (13.3 to 16.5)
  Other ethnic group23.9 (19.7 to 28.0)
 GP triage
  White14.9 (13.3 to 16.5)
  Other ethnic group17.6 (13.6 to 21.6)
 Nurse triage
  White19.9 (18.3 to 21.5)
  Other ethnic group26.0 (22.1 to 30.0)
  • *Positive mean difference indicates increased difficulty in getting medical help or advice in comparator group; scale 0–100.

  • †Adjusted for practice site, size and practice-level deprivation.

  • ‡Patient does not work, for example, a child or non-working adult.

  • §Higher value indicates increased difficulty in getting medical help or advice; scale 0–100.

  • ¶Adjusted as for Model C, with inclusion of interaction between trial arm and ethnic group.

  • GP, general practitioner.