[What are users views of medical residents attending primary care consultations?]. / 'Qué opinión tienen los usuarios de la presencia de los médicos residentes en las consultas de atención primaria?

OBJECTIVE: To find what users think of the presence of medical residents (MIR) at primary care consultations. DESIGN: Observational and cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Urban health centre. PATIENTS: 421 patients, selected by systematic sampling, attending consultations of MIR tutors. METHOD: A structured questionnaire was drawn up, with some closed questions with multiple-option replies on the Likert scale; and others with a yes/no or "indifferent" reply. The questionnaires were filled out in the waiting-rooms. RESULTS: 100% (63% women, 37% men) answered the questionnaire. 71% preferred to be seen by the same doctor; and 68% thought they were better treated if they were always seen by the same doctor. 89% thought that the presence of the resident was a necessary part of his/her training; 90% were not bothered by his/her presence during the consultation; 82% thought the resident did not obstruct in any way their relationship with the doctor; 94% thought that the presence of the resident had never stopped them mentioning something important; 55% thought that patients had the right to an opinion on the presence of the resident. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients valued the presence of residents at consultations positively and thought it a necessary part of their training.

¿Qué opinión tienen los usuarios de la presencia de los médicos residentes en las consultas de atención primaria? / What are users’ views of medical residents attending primary care consultations?

Objetivo. Conocer la opinión de los usuarios acerca de la presencia de médicos internos residentes (MIR) en las consultas de atención primaria. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, observacional y transversal. Emplazamiento. Centro de salud urbano. Participantes. Se seleccionó por muestreo sistemático a 421 pacientes de las consultas de los tutores de los MIR. Medición. Se elaboró un cuestionario estructurado de preguntas cerradas de respuestas alternativas de múltiples opciones con escala de Likert, y otras de respuesta dicotómica a la que se añadió la respuesta: «es indiferente». Las encuestas se realizaron en las salas de espera. Resultados. Todos los pacientes respondieron al cuestionario (un 63% mujeres y un 37% varones). El 71% prefiere que le atienda el mismo médico; el 68% considera estar mejor tratado si le atiende siempre el mismo. El 89% cree que la presencia del MIR es necesaria para su formación, al 90% no le molesta su presencia en la consulta, el 82% cree que el MIR nunca entorpece la relación con el médico y el 94% declara que nunca ha dejado de expresar algo importante ante la presencia del MIR en la consulta. El 55% piensa que el paciente tiene derecho a opinar sobre la presencia del residente en la consulta. Conclusiones. La mayoría de los pacientes considera positiva la presencia de los MIR en las consultas de atención primaria y la cree necesaria para la formación de éstos

Objective. To find what users think of the presence of medical residents (MIR) at primary care consultations. Design. Observational and cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting. Urban health centre. Patients. 421 patients, selected by systematic sampling, attending consultations of MIR tutors. Method. A structured questionnaire was drawn up, with some closed questions with multiple-option replies on the Likert scale; and others with a yes/no or "indifferent" reply. The questionnaires were filled out in the waiting-rooms. Results. 100% (63% women, 37% men) answered the questionnaire. 71% preferred to be seen by the same doctor; and 68% thought they were better treated if they were always seen by the same doctor. 89% thought that the presence of the resident was a necessary part of his/her training; 90% were not bothered by his/her presence during the consultation; 82% thought the resident did not obstruct in any way their relationship with the doctor; 94% thought that the presence of the resident had never stopped them mentioning something important; 55% thought that patients had the right to an opinion on the presence of the resident. Conclusions. Most patients valued the presence of residents at consultations positively and thought it a necessary part of their training

[Suicide attempts attended at a health centre]. / Intentos de suicidio atendidos en un centro de salud.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of the suicide attempts attended in a health district over 10 years (June 1989 to December 1998). DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Primary care, rural health district.Patients. Everyone attended after a suicide attempt (55 cases). MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Data of the following variables were obtained from the legal reports: sex, age, place of residence, prognosis, means used and year of attempt. 51% were women and 49% men. Average age was 34.07, SD 3.82. 96% occurred in the health district. 38% had light prognosis, 49% serious, 7% very serious and 4% uncertain. The means used was ingestion of drugs in 44% of cases. 72% of the attempts occurred in the last 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences between the sexes. Most of the patients were under 35. Drug overdose was the method of choice. Suicide attempts are on the up. Primary care authorities and doctors need to become more conscious of potentially suicidal conduct.

Intentos de suicidio atendidos en un centro de salud / Suicide attempts attended at a health centre

Objetivo. Describir las características de los intentos de suicidio producidos y atendidos en una zona básica de salud (ZBS) en 10 años (junio 1989-diciembre 1998).Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Emplazamiento. Atención primaria, zona básica de salud de un área rural. Pacientes. Todos aquellos atendidos por intento de suicidio (55 casos).Mediciones y resultados principales. Los datos se obtuvieron de los partes judiciales recogiendo las siguientes variables: sexo, edad, localidad de residencia, pronóstico, medios utilizados y año del intento. Un 51 por ciento era mujer y el 49 por ciento varón. La edad media fue 34,07 (DE, 3,82). La localidad de origen en un 96 por ciento fue la ZBS. Por lo que atañe al pronóstico, leves, 38 por ciento; graves, 49 por ciento; muy graves, 7 por ciento, y reservado, 4 por ciento. El medio utilizado fue en un 44 por ciento la ingesta de medicamentos. En los 5 últimos años ocurrió el 72 por ciento de los intentos. Conclusiones. No hay diferencias en cuanto a sexos. La mayoría de los sujetos eran menores de 35 años. El medio preferido fue, sobre todo, la ingesta de fármacos. Los intentos de suicidio constituyen un fenómeno en aumento. Es necesario concienciar a las autoridades y a los médicos de atención primaria para poder detectar posibles conductas suicidas. (AU)