ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To reach the rarely attending section of the population, in order to define its sociodemographic characteristics, and analyse its health status and use of the Health Services. DESIGN: Observational, crossover study, using a questionnaire. SETTING: Primary Care. PATIENTS: Patients over 19 assigned to four morning-shift doctors at the Parla Health Centre (Madrid) and who had not attended for health care over the preceding four years. INTERVENTION: Communication by letter and phone. Questionnaire. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 5.07% (468) of the catchment population satisfied our criteria for inclusion. More than half of these could not be located. Only 51 (10.9%) could be interviewed; and 14 (2.99%) remained in the study. Gender accounted for no significant differences. No one was over 65. Self-perception of their own health status was good or very good in 85.7%. 85.7% were smokers. 71% said that they "rarely" attended for health care. One male had three cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: We found that finding the rarely attending person was not easy. The few cases analysed do not allow for extrapolation. Our findings showed he was a married 37-year old male with a steady job in the service sector. He smokes, doesn't drink and considers himself in a good state of health.
