10.17037/DATA.00004835
This replication package provides the data and code to reproduce the results reported in the published paper: "Do doctors contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in health care provision? An audit experiment in Tunisia".
Data were collected through structured questionnaires completed by Standardised Patients (SPs) after visits to primary care providers in public facilities and private clinics in urban Tunisia. The dataset includes 260 SP visits, portraying either a middle-class or a lower socioeconomic (poor) patient profile. The questionnaires captured consultation time and duration, questions asked, physical examinations performed, communication and advice provided, treatment plans (including drugs that were prescribed or given free-of-charge), and visit costs. The study also included a GP survey and clinical vignettes to test the knowledge of GPs.
The ‘sp-ses’ dataset contains details of 260 visits (observations) by Standard Patients with middle-class and poor backgrounds to previously consenting primary health care providers. Each row represents an SP visit. It contains a unique ID (real_ID), Provider Socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge variables measured with GP survey and vignettes, quality of Clinical care, cost of care, and GP communication outcomes (based on SP exit questionnaires), and 4. SP Profile (or scenario) variables and other fieldworkers variables. Processing activities are described in the ‘analysis.do’ Stata DO file.
| Variable Name | Variable Label | Answer Label | Answer Code | Variable Type |
| real_id | Participant ID | Open ended | Numeric | |
| private | Sector in which the GP practices | Numeric | ||
| Public | 0 | |||
| Private | 1 | |||
| female | GP is female | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_age | GP age category | Numeric | ||
| 25 to 40 | 1 | |||
| 41 to 55 | 2 | |||
| Over 55 | 3 | |||
| Not recorded | . | |||
| correct_mgt_cv | Case management of acute bronchitis case on vignette was correct or incorrect | Numeric | ||
| incorrect | 0 | |||
| correct | 1 | |||
| gp_training | GP has had any Continuing Medical Training in the last 5 years | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| correct_mgt_sp | Case management of acute bronchitis SP case is correct or incorrect | Numeric | ||
| incorrect | 0 | |||
| correct | 1 | |||
| unnecessary_prescANDgiven_sp | Any unnecessary drugs were prescribed or given for free by GP to SP | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| numb_drug_pANDg_sp | Number of drugs prescribed and given for Bronchitis SP | from 1 to 27 | Numeric | |
| duration_sp | Time spent with SP during consultation (in minutes) | from 0 to 35 | Numeric | |
| history_index_sp | History taking index for Bronchitis SP | from 0 to 1 | Numeric | |
| exam_index_sp | Physical examinations perfoming index for Bronchitis SP | from 0 to 1 | Numeric | |
| consultation_fee_sp | Fees of the SP consultation (in Tunisian Dinar) | from 1 to 45 Tunisian Dinar | Numeric | |
| cost_drug_presc | Cost of all drugs prescribed for SP Bronchitis (in Tunisian Dinar) | from 1.4 to 141.185 Tunisian Dinar | Numeric | |
| any_drug_given_GP_sp | Drug(s) were given for free by GP to SP | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| unncessary_given_GP_sp | Any unnecessary drugs were given for free by GP to SP | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_diagnosis_told_sp | A diagnosis was told to SP during consultation | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_explain_illness_sp | GP explained anything about your illness | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_explain_whydrug_sp | GP mentioned the reason why they prescribed the drug(s) to SP | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_explain_trt_sp | GP explained your treatment plan | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_advice_comeback_sp | GP asked SP to come/call back | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| sicknote_sp | GP suggested or gave a sicknote on their own | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| commun_index_sp | Effective communication index for Bronchitis SP | from 0 to 1 | Numeric | |
| scenario_sp | Scenario (or profile) of SP | Numeric | ||
| Middle_class | 1 | |||
| Poor | 2 | |||
| middle_class_sp | The SP visit was middle-class profile (scenario) | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| poor_sp | The SP visit was poor profile (scenario) | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw_sp | Number assigned to fieldworker (SP) | from 1 to 13 | Numeric | |
| fw1 | SP visit done by fieldworker 1 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw2 | SP visit done by fieldworker 2 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw3 | SP visit done by fieldworker 3 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw4 | SP visit done by fieldworker 4 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw5 | SP visit done by fieldworker 5 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw6 | SP visit done by fieldworker 6 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw7 | SP visit done by fieldworker 7 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw8 | SP visit done by fieldworker 8 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw9 | SP visit done by fieldworker 9 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw10 | SP visit done by fieldworker 10 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw11 | SP visit done by fieldworker 11 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw12 | SP visit done by fieldworker 12 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| fw13 | SP visit done by fieldworker 13 | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 | |||
| gp_saw_two_sps | The GP (doctor) had only one SP visit (either a middle-class or poor profile visit) | Numeric | ||
| No | 0 | |||
| Yes | 1 |