title: Why do patients attend Dunedin's free clinic? An audit of general practice activity using the ICPC-2 classification system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the reasons for socially vulnerable patients at Dunedin's Free Clinic visiting their general practitioner, using the International Classification of Primary Care, Second Edition (ICPC-2).
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit of electronic medical notes at Dunedin's Free Clinic for a 13-week period, to profile the health needs of patients and associated general practice activity
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 9.0 visits per patient over 12 months at the Free Clinic. An average of 1.2 presenting complaints or requests was made per visit. The most frequent "reasons for encounter" (RFE) at the Free Clinic were requests for prescriptions and Sickness Benefit medical certificates. An average of 1.9 diagnostic or therapeutic procedures was recorded per consultation at the Free Clinic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients at Dunedin's Free Clinic had a high rate of prescription and Sickness Benefit medical certificate requests. However, they brought on average fewer RFEs and received fewer than expected "processes of care" than patients in the NatMedCa study.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. lik_wei@mac.com.
authors.forename: Lik
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Chrys
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaye
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dovey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*