title: General practitioner reported follow-up visits among asthma patients in North Central Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the benefits of regular follow-up in the long-term care of asthma, no previous study has reported on it among asthma patients in Nigeria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This survey was designed to evaluate GP-reported follow-up visits among asthma patients in North Central Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a cross-sectional survey conducted among GPs in three North Central states of Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 48.3% of the GPs reported that their patients usually come for follow-up visits. About 63.6%, 40.0%, and 55.3% of the GPs in Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states, respectively, reported that their patients came for follow-up visits in the month prior to this study. Less than two-third of GPs in both private (55.1%) and public (56.8%) hospitals reportedly attended to patients on follow-up visits. About 46.5%, 37.5%, and 52.0% of the GPs who attended to patients <1 week, 1-2 weeks and >2 weeks prior to the study reported that their patients came for follow-up visits. There was significant difference (P = 0.04) in the reported follow-up visits by GPs who attended to ≥10 asthma patients compared to others. None of the nine GPs who reportedly treated ≥ 10 patients in the preceding month of the study attended to any patient on follow-up visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GP-reported rates of follow-up visits in patients that are accessing asthma care from GPs practicing in the North Central part of Nigeria are low. Further studies to identify barriers to follow-up visits and how to correct them are therefore recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. drdemola@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fawibe
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: O F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Olaosebikan
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Salami
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Oluboyo
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Desalu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'