Abstract
The article by Eshel et al. describes major differences, in terms of demography and health status, between elderly patients who did and those who did not visit primary care physicians for general health check-ups. The authors conclude that non-attenders are not at risk for developing health conditions.While this study by Eshel et al. provides a better understanding of the primary care population, the conclusion (no need for reaching out to the non-attenders) should be viewed with caution. In this study, non-attenders ‘have a higher probability of being women, older, not married and from a lower socio-economic’ segment of the population, a population that is known to be at higher risk for chronic disease. In addition, outreach programs in primary care would be key in providing essential preventive measures for this vulnerable population (e.g., osteoporosis prevention, vaccination, lifestyle, etc.).This is a commentary on http://www.ijhpr.org/content/2/1/7.
Highlights
The article by Eshel et al describes major differences, in terms of demography and health status, between elderly patients who did and those who did not visit primary care physicians for general health check-ups
The study of Eshel et al touches on the importance of the need to develop outreach programs for a population that is unable or reluctant to have regular annual checkups with their primary care physician [1]
The study findings confirm results of studies conducted in the late 1990s in that a decision not to see a primary care physician is related to better health and may be an expression of autonomy
Summary
The article by Eshel et al describes major differences, in terms of demography and health status, between elderly patients who did and those who did not visit primary care physicians for general health check-ups. The study of Eshel et al touches on the importance of the need to develop outreach programs for a population that is unable or reluctant to have regular annual checkups with their primary care physician [1]. The authors explore the assumption that this group of patients (nonattenders) would not benefit from a general health checkup at least once a year.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
