Analysis of demand for family medical care in Brazil using the International Classification of Primary Care

In various countries, motives for contact of patients with Primary Health Care (PHC) is classified by the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2). This instrument enables the assessment of why people seek care, thereby assisting in planning strategies to attend the population's health needs.

The scope of this study was to identify the main reasons for same-day appointments in PHC units of a medium-sized Brazilian city.

The methodology used was to examine all records of a typical month of three family practice residents. Data were extracted from a secondary database of same-day appointments during the spring of 2010, classified with ICPC and then statistically analyzed.

1222 records were considered; 32 motives accounted for 50% of contacts. Most common motives were related to the General and Unspecific chapter of the ICPC. About 20% of visits occurred for administrative reasons. Female sex and greater age were determinants of greater motives for consultation.

Knowing the motives for appointments by gender and age may help PHC teams in tackling health problems at the critical point of access to PHC.

Landsberg, G. de A. P., Savassi, L. C. M., Sousa, A. B. de, Freitas, J. M. R. de, Nascimento, J. L. S., & Azagra, R. (2012). Análise de demanda em Medicina de Família no Brasil utilizando a Classificação Internacional de Atenção Primária. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 17(11), 3025–3036. doi:10.1590/S1413-81232012001100019

 Paper in Portuguese , available here