House calls in Utah

Area of Science:

• Geriatrics
• Primary Care Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• House calls, a traditional component of medical practice, are increasingly rare.
• Understanding current physician practices regarding house calls is crucial for geriatric and primary care planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine Utah physicians' criteria for making or not making house calls.
• To identify physician specialties, ages, and frequencies of house calls.
• To understand patient demographics and reasons for/against house calls.

Main Methods:

• A random survey of Utah physicians in family practice, general practice, and general medicine.
• Data collected on house call frequency, patient age, and reasons for providing or not providing the service.

Main Results:

• 70% of 225 respondents reported making house calls (average 2.6/month).
• Family practitioners and older physicians made more house calls than internists and younger physicians, respectively.
• 82% of calls were for patients aged 65+, with homebound status and family assessment as key reasons.

Conclusions:

• House calls remain relevant, particularly for elderly and homebound patients in Utah.
• Physician time efficiency and resource availability are significant barriers to house call provision.
• Further research into facilitating house calls may improve geriatric care access.