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Table 2 Characteristics of patients with nonurgent problems (%)

From: Contacts with out-of-hours primary care for nonurgent problems: patients’ beliefs or deficiencies in healthcare?

Characteristic

Total (N = 625)

Medically unnecessary (N = 435)

Medically necessary (N = 190)

Gender

   

 Female

59.5

58.6

61.6

Age groups

   

 0–4

19.2

20.9

15.3

 5–24

17.1

16.5

18.6

 25–44

20.2

23.0*

13.8

 45–64

23.4

21.9

27.0

  ≥ 65

20.0

17.7

25.4

Contact time

   

 Weekend daytime (8 AM–5 PM)

47.1

46.8

47.8

 Evening (5 PM–11 PM)

39.8

39.8

39.7

 Night (11 PM–8 AM)

13.1

13.4

12.5

Origin

   

 Migranta

13.5

15.3

9.5

Living situation

   

 Cohabitation with a partner

73.5

73.7

73.3

Living environment

   

 Urban

59.0

60.0

56.6

 Urban rural

20.8

21.3

19.6

 Rural

20.3

18.7

23.8

Frequency contact GP cooperative past year

   

 Frequent attenderb

26.6

29.7*

19.4

Duration of the problem

   

 Two days or more

34.0

37.9*

25.5

Contact with their own GP for same problem before contact with GP cooperative

   

 Yes

25.2

24.3

27.3

Contact with healthcare professional after contact with GP cooperative

   

 Yes

57.6

57.2

58.4

  1. *p < 0.05, bold
  2. aOne or both parents born outside the Netherlands
  3. bContacted the GP cooperative three times or more in the preceding year