Frequent attenders in general practice: a study from Slovenia

Abstract

To compare frequent with infrequent attenders at GPs' surgeries in a rural area in Slovenia with respect to morbidity, type of contact with the GP, referral pattern and the prescriptions given, a random sample of 623 records from a population-based register was analysed retrospectively. The frequent attenders had a higher proportion of contacts for malignant disease, mental disorder, and gastrointestinal disease. They also had a greater probability for a "superficial contact", were more likely to be referred to a specialist, were less likely to receive a psychotropic drug, and were more likely to receive a prescription for an antibiotic. We conclude that there are differences in morbidity between the two groups. The high referring pattern and the high proportion of "superficial contacts" of the frequent attenders may reflect poor doctor/patient relationship of this group.