Table 5.
The effect of specific morbidity on annual visits to a GP (Crude rates, rates adjusted for age, sex, concession health care card, remoteness and number of other problems)
| Crude rates | Effect on visit rate (adjusted) | |||
| Health problem(a) (n) | Mean annual visits | No. other problems | Morbidity coefficient(b) (95%CI) | p-value |
| Anxiety (381) | 14.1 | 3.4 | 2.7 (0.9;4.5) | 0.003† |
| Depression (1,100) | 13.1 | 3.2 | 2.2 (1.4;3.1) | <.0001† |
| Back complaint (578) | 12.8 | 2.9 | 2.4 (0.6;4.2) | 0.009† |
| Diabetes (706) | 13.7 | 3.8 | 0.9 (-0.1;1.9) | 0.08 |
| Ischaemic heart disease (585) | 14.3 | 4.3 | 0.6 (-0.7;1.9) | 0.38 |
| Asthma (876) | 10.5 | 2.8 | 0.3 (-0.4;1.0) | 0.40 |
| Oesophageal disease (636) | 12.9 | 4.1 | -0.2 (-1.2;0.8) | 0.65 |
| Osteoarthritis (859) | 13.0 | 4.1 | -0.4 (-1.3;0.5) | 0.39 |
| Hypertension (2,094) | 11.8 | 3.5 | -0.4 (-1.2;0.4) | 0.30 |
(a)Each line represents a separate regression model (adjusted for age, sex, concession health care card holder, remoteness and number of problems).
(b) Interpreted as the mean difference in number of annual visits between patients with the specific problem versus those without after adjusting for age, sex, concession health care card holder, remoteness and overall number of health problems.
† significant p < .01