[Delivery of home health care. Survey of the Quebec region].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of home health care delivered by general practitioners and to identify the conditions that facilitate or hinder development of this practice.


METHODS
Mailed survey.


METHODS
Quebec city region.


METHODS
General practitioners in private practice, family practice units, community health centres, or hospitals.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information on volume of home care provided, characteristics of clients and visits, methods of follow up, and factors that promoted or hindered home care.


RESULTS
Of the 487 physicians surveyed, 58.1% (283) made housecalls to a clientele consisting mainly of elderly patients (87.6%): 42% saw fewer than five patients per week, and 31% spent 2 hours or less per week on housecalls. Close to two thirds (64%) devoted 15 to 30 minutes to these visits, and 90.2% said they used community health centres for assessment or home follow up of their patients. Difficulties with scheduling and methods of remuneration reportedly hampered development of this practice.


CONCLUSIONS
Home care practice is widespread around Quebec city, but represents only a small portion of the clinical work of many GPs.
Laberge
A
A
Centre de santé publique de la région de Québec.
Aubin
M
M
Vézina
L
L
Bergeron
R
R
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011792:Quebec