Primary Medical Care and Health Outcome

In order to examine the relationship between primary medical care and health outcome, a systemic sample of 485 persons in a typical metropolitan Midwest county was surveyed. Primary care was defined in functional terms including concepts of ready access, continuity over time, comprehensiveness, coordination, and personalized care. Health outcome encompassed self-reported health status, disability, patient satisfaction, and medical costs. Persons who had high levels of primary care tended to have more chronic medical problems and saw physicians more frequently, especially their own principal physician. They clearly were more satisfied with their medical care, but incurred higher medical costs. They did not differ from persons with a low level of primary care in current health status or disability. It was not possible to demonstrate that quality primary care led to better health outcome except on the parameter of patient satisfaction.