[Consultation by third parties in primary care of the aged].
OBJECTIVE
To assess elderly persons' consultations by third parties, examine the elderly, to know the characteristics of those who use it exclusively and to compare their utilization of health services with the utilization by other elderly users of Primary Care.


METHODS
Cross sectional study.


METHODS
Data are from a stratified sample of the elderly.


METHODS
Leganés.


RESULTS
Associations between sociodemographic and health variables with consultations by third parties are identified. Odds ratios are estimated with a logistic regression model fitted to the subsample of primary care users. Consultation by third parties is frequent among elderly in Leganés: 24.4% of them have used it in the last year; 4.2% exclusively and 20% in combination with other forms of general practitioner' consultations. Those consulting exclusively through third parties tend to have functional limitations, depression, and disabilities which keeps them apart from society. Family members are intermediary between elderly and General Practitioner.


CONCLUSIONS
Consultation by third parties can lead to diminished quality of care. People who are currently consulting through third parties could be eligible to social and health care programs.
García del Campo
M M
MM
Centro Universitario de Salud Pública, Madrid.
Zunzunegui
M V
MV
Béland
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013030:Spain
La consulta por terceros en la atención primaria de las personas mayores.