Table 3.

Reasons for primary healthcare use among patients with colorectal cancer (N = 287) and patients from the reference population (N = 828) in the year before referral

Reason	Reference population, rate^{^a} (N= 828)	CRC patients, rate^{^a} (N= 287)	IRR (95% CI)^b
Face-to-face consults (ICPC chapter)
General and unspecified (A)	0.45	0.60	1.39 (1.04 to 1.86)
Digestive (D)	0.59	2.22	3.93 (3.06 to 5.05)
Musculoskeletal (L)	1.24	1.73	1.42 (1.10 to 1.84)
Neurological (N)	0.20	0.33	1.70 (1.03 to 2.81)
Respiratory (R)	1.07	1.52	1.46 (1.08 to 1.97)
Endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional (T)	0.61	0.92	1.56 (1.09 to 2.23)

Prescribed medication (ATC Classification System chapter)
Alimentary tract and metabolism (A)	1.04	2.87	1.25 (1.02 to 1.54)
Cardiovascular system (C)	4.33	5.45	1.24 (1.07 to 1.43)
Anti-infectives for systemic use (J)	0.99	1.25	1.25 (1.03 to 1.51)
Musculoskeletal (M)	0.70	1.03	1.45 (1.05 to 1.99)
Respiratory system (R)	1.10	1.64	1.46 (1.01 to 2.13)

↵a Crude annual rate (number of contacts per person per year).
↵b Ratio of patients with CRC in relation to reference population. ATC = Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical.
CRC = colorectal cancer. ICPC = International Classification of Primary Care. IRR = incidence rate ratio.