EVaS-Study: Survey Instruments

The EVaS-Survey is a national representative sample survey (Schach S et al in this volume) of the contents of care among physicians in ambulatory medical practice. The survey was carried out by the Central Research Institute of the Health Insurance Physicians in the Federal Republic of Germany (Zentralinstitut fur die kassenarztliche Versorgung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland [ZI]) in conjunction with several university scientists. The survey included general practitioners and almost all specialists practising ambulatory care in office-based practices. The unit of observation was the patient-contact with the physician’s office and the contents of the report related to patient characteristics and physician actions during specificly chosen contacts (Schach S et al in this volume) with the office. The collected data provide insight into a) patient characteristics of different physician groups in ambulatory care and b) the diagnostic and therapeutic behavior of the major ambulatory medical care physician groups on a representative basis for the Federal Republic of Germany for the first time.