Objective:

To describe users' frequentation of Family Medicine practices and its relationship with health-related quality of life, and to analyze the factors associated with a greater frequency of visits.

Methods:

Multicentre, observational, descriptive study carried out in 601 adults who used the family medicine services of four Basic Health Zones in three Health Areas. The main variable was the frequency of visits to family medicine practices in the last year. Other variables were sociodemographic characteristics, health problems (CIAP-2 classification), drug use, quality of life (EuroQol-questionnaire), Health Area characteristics, and visits to medicine, nursing and emergency services within the previous three years.

Results:

The average number of visits to the family doctor was significantly higher in the previous year (10.7±7.8) than in the previous two (8.7±7.5) and three (8.1±7.0) years (p<0.001). Multiple linear regression showed variables associated with greater frequency of visits to the family doctor during the previous year: female sex (B:-1.858; 95 % CI, -2.743 — -0.974), reside in rural areas (B:-2.936 95 % CI, -3.914 — -1.959), more visits to Primary Care Emergency Room (B:0.342 95 % CI, 0.127 — 0.556), more visits to Hospital Emergency Room (B:1.106; 95 % CI, 0774 — 1.439), use higher number of drugs (B:0.531; 95 % CI, 0.384 — 0.679), lower EuroQol scale score (B:-0.052; 95 % CI, -0.069 — -0.034), more visits to nursing clinics (B:0.235; 95 % CI, 0.180 — 0.291) and presenting nervous system disease (B:1.639; 95 % CI, 0.380 — 2.898), respiratory disease (B:1.298; 95 % CI, 0.129 — 2.467) and anxiety (B:1.263; 95 % CI, 0.062 — 2.463).

Conclusions:

There is a high use of family doctor practices that increases every year. The variables related to frequentation were quality of life, sex, drug use, suffering certain diseases, residing in rural areas and the number of visits to the Emergency Department and to nursing clinics.

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