[Perception of medical advice: in all cases and to all patients equally?]

To evaluate the perception of counseling in population depending of a Primary Care Centre with pathologies susceptible of receiving it. To identify variable associated to absence of medical advice.

A cross-sectional, descriptive study, accomplished in a urban Primary Care Centre is performed. 320 subjects between 15-75 years-old were randomly selected among all patients visited in our centre during the last two years. Clinical chart were reviewed and age, sex, physician, studies, profession, frequency of the visits, previous pathologies and toxic habits susceptible of medical advice (obesity/overweight, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking , excessive alcohol consumption) were recorded. Afterwards, a standardized telephone questionnaire was accomplished, valuing the perception of counseling. Variable associated to absence of medical advice were studied by means of logistic regression.

Mean age of the patients was 43.2 years-old (SD 17.4), and 53.1% were women. The survey was completed in 85% of the cases. 64.1% of the cases presented with pathologies susceptible of counseling. When it was indicated patients reminded to had received medical advice about physical exercise in 66.2% of the cases, about smoking in 50.9%, about fiber consumption in 44.3% and about alcohol abuse in 27.8%. A frequency of the visits inferior to 3 call/year was associated to lack of advice about physical exercise (OR = 3.5; IC 95%: 2.0-6.0), fiber consume (OR = 2.4; IC 95%: 1.3-4.5) and smoking (OR = 3.3; CI 95%: 1.4-8.0) Age under 26 years-old was associated to lack of counseling about physical exercise (OR = 3.5; IC 95%: 1.6-7.7) and fiber consume (OR = 3.6; CI 95%: 1.3-9.2).

Perception of medical advice in our area is low and therefore susceptible to be improved, specially with respect to alcohol abuse. Low frequenters (with respect to physical exercise, fiber consume and tobacco) and young patients (with respect to physical exercise and fiber consume) are the least advised by their physician.