RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the real costs of medical care by diagnostic groups at a primary care centre. DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective study, based on the review of computerized medical records. SETTING: Urban primary care centre (PCC). PARTICIPANTS: All patients who attended the PCC during 2005. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Mean medical care cost per visit in euros, broken down for health professionals, diagnostic procedures and drugs costs, and stratified by diagnostic groups. RESULTS: The most frequent visits were for pulmonary, locomotor, cardiovascular, and gastro-intestinal conditions. The mean number of visits per patient attended was 8.7 (SD, 9.4); and per patient registered at the centre, 5.9 (8.7). The highest costs were for cardiovascular (18.96%; 95% CI, 18.93%-18.99%), locomotor (11.21%; 95% CI, 11.18%-11.23%), psychological (10.69%, 95% CI, 10.66%-10.71%), pulmonary (10.20%; 95% CI, 10.17%-10.22%) and endocrinal-nutritional (9.61%; 95% CI, 9.58%-9.63%) problems. Drugs expenditure accounted for 65% of the total cost; visits to health professionals, for 33%; and procedures, for 2%. Overall cost per inhabitant was 239.1 (493.6) euros, and per patient attended was 349.5 (563.5). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular disease conditions are much the most costly ones in terms of overall medical cost. Psychological conditions are located in second place in terms of pharmaceutical cost; and in third place, in terms of overall medical-care cost.
