PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Albert Jacob
AU  - R. A. Anderson
TI  - A move to a health centre: the effect on home visiting, repeat prescribing and patients' choice of transport
DP  - 1984 Jul 01
TA  - The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
PG  - 381--385
VI  - 34
IP  - 264
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/34/264/381.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/34/264/381.full
SO  - J R Coll Gen Pract1984 Jul 01; 34
AB  - A group of general practitioners recorded data about their work before and after moving into a health centre. A group of doctors who did not enter the health centre made equivalent observations for comparison. Patients of the health centre doctors increased their use of public transport by 13 per cent; the `no-entry' group of doctors did not record a similar increase. A 27 per cent reduction in home visits was thought to be a direct result of entry into the health centre, contributing factors being, in all probability, availability of public transport and the provision of a pharmacy. An increase in the issue of repeat prescriptions without consultation was considered to be evidence of a wider trend since this change was not confined to the health centre doctors. It was concluded that patients will attend a health centre if public transport is easily available and that this factor should be born in mind when planning health centres, especially in inner city areas.