High Users Of Primary Care Are Over-Serviced But Underserved

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 27 Jul 2005 - 5:00 PDT

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Many persistently high users of primary care appear to be over-serviced but underserved, with underlying problems that can be better addressed by a non-medical approach.

Analyzing outpatient visits of approximately 58,000 people to primary care physicians in a Midwestern city, the study finds that a small proportion of patients (2 percent) consume a large proportion of primary care visits (18 percent).

Among these persistently high-use patients were a substantial number of patients with unstable chronic medical conditions who are candidates for disease management efforts.

There also were a number of patients with illnesses involving both the mind and body who could benefit from psychosocial support.

Nonmedical approaches, the authors assert, might better address these patients' underlying needs than our current medical system, which focuses on alleviating physical symptoms.

Predicting Persistently High Primary Care Use
By James M. Naessens, M.P.H., et al

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care discipline. Launched in May 2003, the journal is sponsored by six family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors and the North American Primary Care Research Group. Annals is published six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials. A board of directors with representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations oversees Annals. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups for each published article can be accessed free of charge on the journal's Web site, http://www.aafp.org.

Kristin Robinson
kristinr@aafp.org
913-906-6000
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org
Taken from the July/August 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet

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