A study of family practice in Wisconsin

Studies of family practice in Wisconsin and elsewhere show that the clinical content of family practice has about 20 to 45 patient contacts per day and about two to six diagnoses per patient contact. Seventy-five percent of patient contacts are in the office and on the telephone, 15 to 20 percent in the hospital, and 5 to 10 percent elsewhere. There is a broad array of patient problems. Special Conditions and Examinations Without Illness contain the largest number of patient problems. About 60 percent of patients are female and present more endocrine and genitourinary problems. Men present more trauma, circulatory, and respiratory problems, and less health maintenance care. Well-baby and well-child examinations stop at age 15 years. Pre and postnatal care decline sharply at age 35 years, at which time surgical care increases. Infectious disease and trauma, ranking high in the young, are low in the elderly. Circulatory problems, obesity, diabetes, and arthritis increase greatly with age. There is no major difference in type of patient problems related to town size (ie, population). However, comparative studies may uncover different disease occurrence rates between regions.