Frequent Users of Rural Primary Care: Comparisons With Randomly Selected Users

Abstract

Background: Frequent users of primary care have not been adequately characterized. The unique characteristics of this population was sought-why they come so often, what their care costs, and whether psychosocial factors playa role in their high utilization of health care.

Drug prescription for adult frequent attenders in Danish general practice: a population‐based study

“…Our results are in line with studies investigating the prevalence of chronic diseases and reasons for encounters among FAs. 1,14,15,18,21,[35][36][37][38][39] Among FAs, the most prevalent drugs were not drugs for dermatologic diseases or diseases of the respiratory system, which conflicts with some studies 21,35-37 even if it is in line with others. 1,14,15,18,38,39 Differences between men and women's usage of drugs from the most prevalent categories were small.…”

Health Care Utilization of Chronic Inebriates

“…Frequent users of emergency services often suffer from chronic alcoholism, other substance abuse, and/or other psychiatric conditions. 1,6,7 Alcohol withdrawal, dependence, and intoxication are high-risk characteristics for frequent ED use. 1 In our ED, almost 6% of yearly visits are related to acute or chronic alcohol use and its complications.…”

Patient attitudes to being treated by junior residents in the community

“…Frequent visitors to the clinic are more likely to be patients with co-morbidity, and may include those with more psycho-social problems [20][21][22][23]. The tendency of certain patients to avoid being treated by the resident, and of other patients to prefer to consult on certain matters only with the regular doctor, may create a situation where the resident is not exposed to the full range of illness and problems, particularly of complex patients.…”