PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - T A Carney
AU  - S Guy
AU  - G Jeffrey
TI  - Frequent attenders in general practice: a retrospective 20-year follow-up study.
DP  - 2001 Jul 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 567--569
VI  - 51
IP  - 468
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/51/468/567.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/51/468/567.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2001 Jul 01; 51
AB  - We describe a 20-year retrospective study of 58 patients with a cross-matched control group in one practice, who initially attended more than 12 times in 1975. The study establishes that frequent attendance is not consistent; the majority of high-attending patients in general practice revert over a short period of time to a normal consulting pattern. Diseases, rather than patients, appear to dictate high consulting rates. Consistent high attendance is largely owing to multiple pathology.