title: [Analysis of the assistance stages of the outpatients attended by an internist of a regional hospital (1992-2004)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the assistance stages of the outpatients attended at an Internal Medicine section of a regional hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective descriptive study that includes all the outpatients attended by an internist between 1992-2004. The assistance stage of each patient not discharged on the last day of each year was studied. The following stages were established: study, short follow-up (less than one year) and long follow-up (indefinite).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In these 13 years 2,048 patients have been take care of (10,707 consultations). The average of active patients in each one of the indicated days was of 115.5. The average percentage of patients in each one of the phases were: study phase, 16.2%; short follow-up phase, 21.7%, and long follow-up phase, 62.1% Three categories of long follow-ups were established. Their average percentage regarding the total of patients was the following: HIV infection, 21.7%; systemic and /or rheumatology diseases, 25.6%, and other diseases, 14.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study contributes unknown data about the dynamics of our performance in outpatient consultations and supposes a base to plan our care at this level, avoiding long and useless follow-ups as much as possible.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Medicina Interna, Hospital San Agustín, Avilés, Asturias. mdezcaro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Menéndez Caro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006773:Hospitals, Municipal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation