Consultatie van de huisarts door patiënten met reumatoïde artritis of gonartrose/coxartrose

To determine how often patients with rheumatic joint disease consult their general practitioner (GP), and if there are disease and patient characteristics that influence GP consultation of gonarthrosiscoxarthrosis patients.

Design

Prospective record investigation.

Setting

Seven GP centres in the southeast of the Netherlands.

Method

All patient contacts were registered prospectively in the seven GP centres: 46 concerned patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 122 patients with gonarthrosiscoxarthrosis. Patient and disease characteristics were collected on intake sheets.

Results

Three-quarters of the RA patients were periodically seen (mostly by a specialist), and 47 of the gonarthrosiscoxarthrosis patients (as often by their GP as by a specialist). Of the RA patients and of the gonarthrosiscoxarthrosis patients 74 and 89 respectively consulted their GPs in one year (the average numbers of contacts were 4.7 and 5.0); 50 and 57 did so because of the chronic joint disease (with 2.2 and 1.6 contacts respectively). No disease characteristics and only a few patient characteristics (arthroplasty, chronic use of medication) of patients with gonarthrosiscoxarthrosis influenced GP consultation.

Conclusion

Patients with rheumatic joint disease often consult their GP, but not always because of this illness. If they consult their GP, they usually do so more than once a year.