Table 2.
Categories and codes for reasons for encounter (as reported by physicians) according to the International Classification of Primary Care, version 2 (ICPC-2)
| Patients without appointment (n = 251) |
Patients with appointment (n = 250) |
P values for group differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICPC-2 categories | |||
| Respiratory (R) | 68 (27%) | 41 (16%) | 0.005 |
| Musculoskeletal (L) | 62 (25%) | 45 (18%) | 0.08 |
| Process codes (−) | 17 (7%) | 60 (24%) | < 0.001 |
| Digestive (D) | 27 (11%) | 12 (5%) | 0.02 |
| Cardiovascular (K) | 13 (5%) | 16 (6%) | 0.57 |
| General and unspecified (A) | 15 (6%) | 13 (5%) | 0.14 |
| Psychological (P) | 15 (6%) | 12 (5%) | 0.69 |
| Other | 35 (13%) | 41 (16%) | 0.59 |
| Most frequent single ICPC-2 codes | |||
| Upper respiratory infection acute (R74) | 35 (14%) | 22 (9%) | 0.07 |
| Back syndrome w/o radiating pain (L84) | 15 (6%) | 8 (3%) | 0.14 |
| Blood test (−34) | 1 (< 1%) | 18 (7%) | nc |
| Gastroenteritis (D73) | 14 (6%) | 3 (1%) | nc |
| Preventive immunization/medication (−44) | 4 (2%) | 11 (4%) | nc |
| Therapeutic counsellling/listening (−58) | 8 (3%) | 7 (3%) | nc |
| Neck syndrome (L83) | 10 (4% | 4 (2%) | nc |
| General symptom/complaint other (A29) | 9 (4%) | 3 (1%) | nc |
| Sinusitis acute/chronic (R75) | 6 (2%) | 4 (2%) | nc |
| Acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis (R78) | 5 (2%) | 4 (2%) | nc |
| Bursitis/tendinitis/synovitis (L87) | 2 (1%) | 6 (2%) | nc |
Values are absolute frequencies (percentages). P-values from Fisher’s exact test; nc = not calculated (as total frequency in all participants < 20)