title: [Evaluative study of medical-care costs in primary care].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the real costs of medical care by diagnostic groups at a primary care centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, retrospective study, based on the review of computerized medical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban primary care centre (PCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who attended the PCC during 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Investigative Unit, Centro de Atención Primaria Sardenya, Sardenya 466, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. cbrotons@eapsardenya.net
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brotons Cuixart
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moral Peláez
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitarch Salgado
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sellarès Sallas
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bohigas Santasusagna
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: da Pena Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain