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House calls in Lebanon: reflections on personal experience.
Family Practice
|March 17, 1999
Summary
Physician house call practice in Lebanon was studied, revealing an average of 11 patients seen monthly, primarily in the evenings. This highlights the importance of home health services in primary care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Practice
- Primary Care
- Home Health Services
Background:
- Home health services are crucial for reducing hospital admissions.
- Physicians' house calls are integral to home health care.
- No prior national survey on physician house call practice in Lebanon existed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gather data on physician house call practices in Lebanon.
- To understand the scope and patterns of house calls.
- To inform the integration of house calls into family practice training.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patient data from house call visits.
- Data collected between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 1995.
- Analysis of patient demographics, visit times, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- 137 patients received house calls; 62% were female.
- Average of 11 patients seen per month, with diagnoses varying by age.
- Most visits (47%) occurred between 6:30 PM and 12:00 AM; 11% required hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Monthly house call rates align with international findings.
- Physicians may be hesitant to perform out-of-hours house calls.
- House calls are essential for family medicine and should be emphasized in physician training.