Background: More than 10% of the population and nearly 20% of all general practitioners (GPs) in Norway have an immigrant background. There are reasons to believe that immigrant GPs have different demographic characteristic and serve different populations than native GPs. Objectives: To describe the characteristics of the lists and population subscribed to immigrant GPs in Norway and compare them with those of Norwegian-born GPs. Methods: Immigrant GPs were defined as persons born abroad with both parents from abroad. Two national registers were linked with information about all inhabitants and GPs in Norway in 2008: the GPs Database, and the National Population Register. Logistic regression was used to study the influence of the GP's immigrant background on different characteristics. Results: Compared to native GPs, immigrant GPs are younger, more often women, and more frequently work alone and in rural areas. GPs with immigrant background have a higher proportion of immigrant patients (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 2.7-3.8), not only from their own culture, but also from other cultures, and this proportion increases over time. Immigrant GPs have more difficulties recruiting patients compared to their native colleagues (OR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.3-0. 4 for having closed lists), but this difference seems to diminish over time. There are, however, substantial differences between immigrant GPs from different areas of the world. Conclusion: The characteristics of the populations assigned to GPs with or without immigrant background are different. This should be taken into account when studying differences between immigrant and native GPs. © 2014 Informa Healthcare.

Primary care Family practice Immigrant Norway Case-mix

general practice rural area immigrant Registries Norway register human sex difference statistics and numerical data work rural population comparative study professional practice Time Factors general practitioner private practice foreign worker Humans migrant male Emigrants and Immigrants female Foreign Medical Graduates observational study Article adult age Sex Factors Age Factors Professional Practice Location normal human time