ArticleAtencion primaria2004
[Patients over-using a primary care centre: their social, demographic and clinical characteristics, and their use of health service facilities].
Article in Atencion primaria, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Profile of European frequent attenders in primary health care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Family practice · 2025Pooled it
- Use of primary and hospital care health services by chronic patients according to risk level by adjusted morbidity groups.BMC health services research · 2021Observational
- Management of unexplained: poly-consultation and hyperfrequency on Primary Health Chilean Attention. A qualitative and exploratory study.International journal of mental health systems · 2021Article
- [Health services utilization in Primary Care in patients with chronic conditions according to risk levels].Revista espanola de salud publica · 2019Article
- [Health-care utilization in elderly (Spain 2006-2012): Influence of health status and social class].Atencion primaria · 2016Article
- [Organizational procedures and health care management. A point of view from primary care centres].Atencion primaria · 2011Article
- [Identification of pharmacy cost outliers in primary care].Atencion primaria · 2009Article
- [Use of resources and costs profile in patients with fibromyalgia or generalized anxiety disorder in primary care settings].Atencion primaria · 2009Article
- [Influence of morbidity, metabolic control, and use of resources in subjects with cardiovascular risk in the primary care setting].Atencion primaria · 2008Article
- [Frequency of attendance and degree of control of type-2 diabetic patients].Atencion primaria · 2008Article
- [Motives that condition use of the health services by over-users: study with focus groups].Atencion primaria · 2007Article
- [Frequency of attendance at primary care clinics. A new conceptual framework].Atencion primaria · 2005Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo find the social and clinical characteristics of patients over-using (OUP) our centre. To find how much these patients use the health services.
designObservational, descriptive study.
settingUrban primary care centre (36 408 inhabitants).
participantsPatients over 15 seen at the centre during the year 2000, who exceeded in their number of attendances the mean plus two standard deviations for their age group. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The records of OUPS were reviewed to analyse their social and demographic characteristics, kinds of attendance, reasons for consultation, further tests, medication, referrals, and time off work this year.
resultsThe sample was of 954 OUPs, 50.9% of whom were male with an average age of 50.54 (SD, 19.68). 86.3% had some risk factor recorded (34% hypertension, 32.4% mental health, 27.7% obesity, 25.7% tobacco dependency, 17.7% diabetes mellitus). They generated a mean of 9.6 visits to the doctor per year, with 95% CI (8.09-11.19), with the most common reason for attendance the monitoring of acute pathology (19.29%), followed by monitoring of chronic pathology (14.32%). There was an average of 1 analysis per OUP per year, and 0.68 image tests per OUP per year (48.38% were simple x-rays). 46.8% of the medication prescribed were analgesics. Average time off work was 0.5 periods off per OUP per year, with a mean period of 49.4 days off (SD, 113.69). They engendered an average of 4.15 nursing visits per OUP per year, 95% CI (2.60-5.70), with monitoring of chronic pathology the most common reason for consultation. 30.3% of OUP had a visit to hospital casualty recorded, with osteo-muscular pathology the most common reason for consultation (34.29%). Mean referrals were 0.88 OUP per year, with traumatology being the department to which most referrals were made (13.92%).
conclusionsOUP are middle-aged, have associated chronic pathology and use programmed appointments a lot. The additional tests conducted matched the centre's procedures for monitoring chronic pathologies. The most common reason for attendance at casualty was traumatology, as was the specialist clinic to which most referrals were made.
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