OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics and reasons for consultation of the patient who over-uses on-demand general medical services. DESIGN: A case-control study of a sample of over-user patients and a control group of normal users. SETTING: The Chantrea Health Centre in Pamplona during 1991. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: An age and gender-stratified sample of 411 over user patients and a control group of normal users were selected. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Over-users corresponded to 5% to those attending. We found no significant differences for gender, but we did for age (p < 0.001), regarding the control group; 84% of over-users had a chronic associated pathology. Comparatively, over-users made more bureaucratic and prescription visits (35%) and attended less scheduled appointments. CONCLUSIONS: The over-users is associated to being older and especially to having a chronic pathology and not attending scheduled appointments.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics and reasons for consultation of the patient who over-uses on-demand general medical services. DESIGN: A case-control study of a sample of over-user patients and a control group of normal users. SETTING: The Chantrea Health Centre in Pamplona during 1991. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: An age and gender-stratified sample of 411 over user patients and a control group of normal users were selected. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Over-users corresponded to 5% to those attending. We found no significant differences for gender, but we did for age (p < 0.001), regarding the control group; 84% of over-users had a chronic associated pathology. Comparatively, over-users made more bureaucratic and prescription visits (35%) and attended less scheduled appointments. CONCLUSIONS: The over-users is associated to being older and especially to having a chronic pathology and not attending scheduled appointments.