PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Paul Stewart
AU  - Tom O'Dowd
TI  - Clinically inexplicable frequent attenders in general practice.
DP  - 2002 Dec 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 1000--1001
VI  - 52
IP  - 485
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/52/485/1000.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/52/485/1000.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2002 Dec 01; 52
AB  - This study was based in an isolated rural practice, and it identified 107 frequent attenders (1.95% of the practice population), who created five times the consultation workload of a similar group matched for age and sex. The general practitioners (GPs) classified 60 (56%) of these patients as attending for clinically inexplicable reasons. This subgroup had higher rates of long-term medication and hospital referral, and more free access to primary health care. The study also identified very high levels of kinship and relationship by marriage within this group (47%).