title: Patients' opinions on family doctor accessibility in Estonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the accessibility of family doctors in Estonia from the patients' point of view.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face to face interviews using structured questionnaires were performed. A random sample of the Estonian residents, aged 15-74 years, was studied (n=999).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of visits provided by family doctors has been continuously increasing since 1998. Out of 999 respondents, 59% visited the family doctor during the previous 12 months. The average number of visits per Estonian resident in one year is 2.48. Out of 999 interviewed persons, 72% said that they had a possibility of contacting their family doctor by phone. The waiting time for an appointment was short in most cases. The family doctor admitted 60% of the respondents on the same day the patients had requested; 22% of the patients were admitted within 1-2 days and 9% of the patients were admitted within 3-4 days. Only 9% of them had to wait more than 5 days. The current home visit fee in Estonia would have affected the decision of the home call of 58% of people. There was a correlation between the acceptability of a visit fee and the people's income.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The accessibility of family doctors can be considered good in Estonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polyclinic and Family Medicine, Tartu University, Tartu, Estonia. ruth.kalda@ut.ee
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalda
authors.forename: Kaja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polluste
authors.forename: Heidi-Ingrid
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Maaroos
authors.forename: Margus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lember
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004957:Estonia; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires