Reducing physician visits for colds through consumer education
C. R. Roberts, P. B. Imrey, J. D. Turner, M. C. Hosokawa and J. M. Alster
A randomized, controlled, blinded clinical trial was conducted to determine
if self-care instructions, coupled with a health education program, could
reduce unnecessary visits to physicians for minor respiratory illness. A
symptom-based algorithm was developed for determining the necessity of a
physician visit and provided, along with a brief educational package on
proper care of the common cold, to a randomly selected group of 433
families attending a family practice clinic. Subsequent clinic visits by
family members were monitored and evaluated in relation to the algorithm,
and results were compared with those obtained from a control group of 444
families. The subsequent rate of visits for upper respiratory tract
infections classified as unnecessary using the algorithm was 44% lower in
the test as compared with the control group, while the rate of necessary
visits was only 15% lower. No increase was seen in complications of upper
respiratory tract infections.
