Trends in primary health care consumption by the elderly

Trends in primary health care consumption were monitored in the elderly (60 or more years of age). Respondents (5162) were picked by random mechanical selection. They were monitored for a complex of characteristics composed of frequency of visits to a GP office, frequency of procedures performed at the GP office, drug prescriptions, frequency (and type) of procedures performed at specialists' offices, and hospitalization. The study was conducted in 1982, 1992, 1993 and 1996. Results were statistically analysed. There was a statistically significant increase in the consumption of primary health care by the elderly: GP office visits rose from 80 % to 98.8 %, and there was a quantitative change in procedure types. There was also a marked increase in drug prescription: from 77 % receiving prescriptions in 1982 to 97 % in 1996. The highest consumption was of cardiotonics, analgesics and antipyretics, which corresponds to an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity. The results of our studies underline the important role of primary care physicians in the care of the elderly, who represent 80 % of the clientele of their offices in our country.