Physicians, pharmacists, and people with diabetes in India.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was undertaken to elucidate the most frequently visited health care provider by the population attending a tertiary eye care hospital in South India.


METHODS
A trained observer administered the questionnaire to 150 literate subjects aged above 30 years. Data collection included factors such as age, gender, single-index socioeconomic status (monthly income), presence of diabetes, and the name of the health care provider, including the number of times he or she was visited in the last 1 and 6 months.


RESULTS
A total of 122 individuals (including persons with or without diabetes) responded to the questionnaire. Pharmacists were the most frequently visited health care providers; a pharmacist was visited nearly every month by a person with diabetes and about once in 2 months by a person without diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed that the most frequently visited health care providers by the population with diabetes were pharmacists.
Ophthalmologist, Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy Project, Vision Research Foundation, 18 College Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
R
R
Padmaja Kumari
Rajiv
R
Raman
Tarun
T
Sharma
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires