Risk factors and recommendations for 230 adult primary care patients, based on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force...

We used a computer program based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines to identify recommendations for 230 adult patients who presented to an ambulatory family practice residency clinic. We entered risk factors into the computer program from sex-specific questionnaires that patients completed. On average, patients had 15.4 risk factors and 24.5 recommendations for preventive services (13.0 recommendations for screening, 10.5 for counseling, and 1.1 for immunizations). We noted a significant increase in the number of risk factors and recommendations with increasing age, except for counseling recommendations. The average patient incurs a large number of recommendations, which depend on many different risk factors, making the task of complete clinician compliance with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines difficult. Many of these recommendations include counseling, which may take more time and require skills that clinicians may think they lack. Complete adherence may require several visits for the physician to address all recommendations. Measures to increase patient responsibility for health maintenance and innovations using comprehensive, interactive, and educational computer programs may help solve these problems.