To determine how often patients with rheumatic joint disease consult their general practitioner (GP), and if there are disease and patient characteristics that influence GP consultation of gonarthrosis/coxarthrosis patients.
Prospective record investigation.
Seven GP centres in the southeast of the Netherlands.
All patient contacts were registered prospectively in the seven GP centres: 46 concerned patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 122 patients with gonarthrosis/ coxarthrosis. Patient and disease characteristics were collected on intake sheets.
Three-quarters of the RA patients were periodically seen (mostly by a specialist), and 47% of the gonarthrosis/coxarthrosis patients (as often by their GP as by a specialist). Of the RA patients and of the gonarthrosis/coxarthrosis patients 74% and 89% respectively consulted their GPs in one year (the average numbers of contacts were 4.7 and 5.0); 50% and 57% did so because of the chronic joint disease (with 2.2 and 1.6 contacts respectively). No disease characteristics and only a few patient characteristics (arthroplasty, chronic use of medication) of patients with gonarthrosis/coxarthrosis influenced GP consultation.
Patients with rheumatic joint disease often consult their GP, but not always because of this illness. If they consult their GP, they usually do so more than once a year.