British General Practice: Perspectives on the Home Visit

Abstract

Home visiting by general practitioners is on the decline, both internationally and in the United Kingdom. Even so it comprises a third of the British doctor's working life and accounts for one in eight of his contacts with patients. Despite this there is very little research into the patients requesting a home visit, and what there is is sketchy and simplistic. Most research either focuses on particular variables without considering possible interactions, or assumes all home visits to be the same in quality even though there is a significant distinction between first and subsequent or between doctor-initiated and patient-initiated visits. In this paper the results of the available published data on home visiting are examined to gain insights into the activity. It is clear that children, the aged, and women receive more visits. Similarly, country dwellers, those living a long way from their doctor's office, and divorced persons seem to be visited commonly. The reasons for this, and the caution with which such statements should be treated, are discussed.