Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that predict whether patients prefer seeing their regular physicians and whether they do see their regular physicians during acute illness. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey. SETTING: Urban areas in southern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 304 people who had regular physicians, insurance coverage, and had last seen a physician for acute illness. Of the 304, 256 (84.2%) preferred seeing their regular physicians during acute illness, and 48 (15.8%) did not. Of those who preferred seeing their regular physicians, 131 (51.2%) did see their regular physicians, 125 (48.8%) did not MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preference for seeing regular physician and seeing regular physician during acute illness. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression found that believing continuity of care was important and traveling further increased, while recent hospitalization and difficulty seeing physicians during or after office hours decreased, the likelihood of actually seeing their regular physicians. CONCLUSION: Almost half the patients who preferred seeing their regular physicians for acute illness did not actually see their regular physicians. Improving access to regular physicians might encourage patients to always try to see them.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (162.5 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Alemagno S. A., Zyzanski S. J., Silko G. J. Urgent care centers: what does "urgent" really mean? Fam Pract Res J. 1986 Fall;6(1):12–21. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Andersen R. M. Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: does it matter? J Health Soc Behav. 1995 Mar;36(1):1–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Andersen R., Newman J. F. Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Milbank Mem Fund Q Health Soc. 1973 Winter;51(1):95–124. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dolan B., Dale J. Characteristics of self referred patients attending minor injury units. J Accid Emerg Med. 1997 Jul;14(4):212–214. doi: 10.1136/emj.14.4.212. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hilditch J. R. Changes in hospital emergency department use associated with increased family physician availability. J Fam Pract. 1980 Jul;11(1):91–96. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hulka B. S., Wheat J. R. Patterns of utilization. The patient perspective. Med Care. 1985 May;23(5):438–460. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198505000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kinney T. J., Gerson L. Utilization of a freestanding emergency center by patients with and without private physicians. Ann Emerg Med. 1983 Dec;12(12):762–764. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0644(83)80253-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kljakovic M., Allan B. C., Reinken J. Why skip the general practitioner and go to the accident and emergency department? N Z Med J. 1981 Jul 22;94(688):49–52. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Laffoy M., O'Herlihy B., Keye G. A profile of attenders to a south Dublin city accident and emergency department. Ir J Med Sci. 1997 Jan-Mar;166(1):35–37. doi: 10.1007/BF02939775. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lees R. E., Steele R., Spasoff R. A. Primary care for nontraumatic illness at the emergency department and the family physician's office. Can Med Assoc J. 1976 Feb 21;114(4):333–337. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Newacheck P. W., Hughes D. C., Stoddard J. J. Children's access to primary care: differences by race, income, and insurance status. Pediatrics. 1996 Jan;97(1):26–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Padgett D. K., Brodsky B. Psychosocial factors influencing non-urgent use of the emergency room: a review of the literature and recommendations for research and improved service delivery. Soc Sci Med. 1992 Nov;35(9):1189–1197. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90231-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosser W. W., Kasperski J. Organizing primary care for an integrated system. Healthc Pap. 1999 Winter;1(1):5–21. doi: 10.12927/hcpap.1999.17444. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rylko-Bauer B. The development and use of freestanding emergency centers: a review of the literature. Med Care Rev. 1988 Spring;45(1):129–163. doi: 10.1177/107755878804500106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schwartz M. P. Office or emergency department: what's the difference? South Med J. 1995 Oct;88(10):1020–1024. doi: 10.1097/00007611-199510000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]