The Center for Sociological Research (CIS) has released the data from the latest wave of the health barometer, where, among other issues, emphasis is placed on primary care. One of the points addressed focuses on the Do you wait to have a medical appointment with the family doctor? in the last year and, according to the data collected, among the 69.6% of those who had to wait more than a day to be seen by their doctor, the 23.3% of those surveyed had to wait 11 days or more. This is a very similar percentage to that registered in the previous wave (between June 17 and 30 of this year), since, on that occasion, the percentage of respondents who stated that they had waited 11 days or more to be received by his doctor was 22.5%.
In general, those surveyed consider that the National Health System (SNS) “works well, although some changes are necessary”. This is what 39.4% of those polled believewhile 31.9% affirm that the system “needs fundamental changes, although some things work”.
This third wave of the health barometer has been carried out among residents over 18 years of age in any of the 17 autonomous communities between November 14 and 18. The sample was planned for 2,600 respondents and, finally, it has concluded with 2,512. Of these, 48.5% are men and 51.1% women.
22% of those surveyed gave a 7 in terms of their satisfaction with the functioning of the SNS on a scale from 1 to 10, the latter being the “very satisfied” scale, which receives 4.6% of the responses.
Mostly, 68.6% would choose a public center to receive care, while 27.7% opted for private assistance. Both primary care consultations and hospital care receive a 7 in terms of satisfaction with the care received (17.4% and 16.5%, respectively).). Hospital emergencies such as primary care have also been satisfactory for 15% and 16.7% of those surveyed. The note goes from 7 to 8 if what is asked is about the attention of 061 and 112. 16.3% of those polled give that rating.
primary care
Over the past 12 months, 60.2% state that they have had a consultation with their family doctor from public health7% in private and 15.1% have attended both at some point during the year.
Of those who in this time have had an appointment with their doctor, 75% have done so in person at the doctor’s office and only 23.5% have done so by telephone.
Regarding the main reason for that consultation, 62.9% have done so for “a new health problem not related to Covid-19”while 23.2% of the cases have been due to “a health problem under treatment prior to Covid”.
The patients surveyed who have received assistance in these 12 months in a primary center feel “very satisfied” with the care received. Ace, 26.9% give a 10 (totally satisfactory) to the confidence and security transmitted by medical personnel; 24.9% give the same rating to the nursing staff. For 16.8%, the time dedicated by the doctor to each patient was “totally satisfactory” and the information received for their health problem was also very satisfactory for 21.4%.
In general, for 47.9%, the care received at family doctor offices in the public system was good, while for 32% it was very good.
Of those who have been treated in the primary of the SNS during the last 12 months, 67.4% have had a telephone consultation with their GP. 37.2% believe that it is a more comfortable environment for the patient, while 46.6% consider that it is so for the doctor. However, this type of consultation medium is very satisfactory only for 14% of those who have used it, while 30% say they are “somewhat satisfied”.
Among those who have needed to see their doctor, 47.5% assure that they gave them an appointment many days later and they no longer needed it. In addition, 62.6% consider that some inquiries can be made through this medium and others should be in person. 35% believe that all should be under the face-to-face formula.
In the event that the health center offered care by videoconference, the percentage among those who say they would use it and those who want to would not is very similar: 44.5% and 43%, respectively.
Appointment with the specialist and wait
The CIS survey also asked how long it took from the primary doctor’s consultation to the appointment with the specialist. This data worsens compared to last June: 37.9% of those surveyed claim to have waited more than three months (36.7% in June), 36.8% between one and three (32.9% in June) and only 23.8% less one month (27.1% in June).
In addition, the majority consider that during the last 12 months the problem of waiting lists has worsened. This is what 44% believe, compared to 40.4% who said so in June. Only 8.3% believe that it has improved, while 36.5% think that it remains the same.
The survey has also addressed how much time elapsed from when the specialist told the patient that he should enter until he actually entered. The most common is less than a month, with 37.4 percent of the occasions, somewhat more than in June (36%).
In any case, 81.3% of the patients who have attended specialized care positively value the assistance received a figure similar to that registered in June.
Finally, 34.1% claim to have attended a public health emergency service in the last 12 months, compared to 30.4% in the previous wave of the study.
The devices primary emergencies have absorbed 42.9% of the demand for care in this period (42% in June and 44.9% in the first wave), while hospital emergency services have received 51.7% and 3.9% have gone to an emergency service type 061 or 112.
45.4% now wait an average of one to four hours when they go to the ER to be discharged or admitted, a figure similar to that of June (45.8%). 27.2% are there for less than an hour (27.3% in June) and 21.4% between four and 12 hours (20.9% in June).
The set of emergency services of the SNS is valued positively by 78.4% of the people who used them, which represents an increase compared to June (74.8).
According to the criteria of