Table 1

Participants’ characteristics by type of survey, number (%) provided unless stated otherwise

Total n=714Survey type
Online n=180Postal n=534
Gender: male410 (57)131 (73)279 (53)
GP type
 GP principal531 (74)171 (95)360 (68)
 Salaried GP151 (21)6 (3)145 (27)
 Locum GP21 (3)2 (1)19 (4)
 Other9 (1)1 (0.6)8 (2)
Duration since qualification as a GP, years
 Mean (SD)18 (12)30 (5)13 (11)
 Median1229.58
 Range1–5521–471–55
Practice location/type
 Inner city (urban)301 (42)83 (46)218 (41)
 Semirural336 (47)84 (47)252 (48)
 Rural73 (10)13 (7)60 (11)
Number of GPs in practice
 Single-handed5 (1)2 (1)3 (1)
 2–4 GPs169 (24)20 (11)149 (28)
 5–10 GPs466 (66)137 (76)329 (62)
 >10 GPs68 (10)21 (12)47 (10)
 GPwSI MSK medicine n (%)47 (6)16 (9)31 (6)
MSK training
 Received training265 (37)72 (40)193 (36)
 Responses to training type*227 (86)
  Online only22 (3)
  Workshop only147 (21)
  Postgraduate only18 (3)
  Online and workshops36 (5)
  Online and postgraduate1 (0.1)
  Workshop and postgraduate1 (0.1)
  Online and workshop and postgraduate2 (0.3)
  • *Type of MSK training not described separately for the two subgroups because of low numbers.

  • GP, general practitioner; GPwSI, GP with special interest; MSK, musculoskeletal.