[Utilization of visits and analysis of the impact of programmed visits]

To discover the characteristics of the use of consultations with regards to frequency of, and reasons for, attendance. To measure the repercussion on on-demand attendance of including patients with chronic pathologies in the appointments system.

Two samples of clinical histories were extracted at random from two general medical lists; one sample of 125 histories in order to determine the characteristics of the previous year's consultations; another of 44 histories where the patient had used the appointments system, in order to quantify the attendances for one year before and one after their inclusion in the system.

A descriptive retrospective study.

Fuentes Norte Health Centre (Zaragoza).

The average of consultations per inhabitant per year was 3.7.4.8% attended_11 times. Women attended more than men (4.8 times as against 2.6; p < 0.0005), as did those over 65 (6.9 times; p < 0.0005). The main reasons for an on-demand consultation were bureaucratic (20%) and acute respiratory infections (16.3%); and for consultation with appointment, Hypertension (35.3%) and Obesity (32.8%). The average of on-demand consultations went down from 6.3 to 3.5 (p < 0.0001) on introducing the patients into the appointments system; but the overall number of consultations for these patients went up from 6.3 to 10.5 (p < 0.0001) because of the general medical and nursing appointments.

We must limit unnecessary bureaucratic requests and encourage self-care. The efficacy of scheduled consultations must be analysed; and those attending must be identified and dealt with.