0
December 2, 1983, Vol 250, No. 21 >
ARTICLE | December 2, 1983

Effect of a Self-care Education Program on Medical Visits FREE

Donald M. Vickery, MD; Howard Kalmer, ScD; Debra Lowry, MS; Muriel Constantine, RN; Elizabeth Wright, MPH; Wendy Loren
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to The Center for Consumer Health Education, 1900 Association Dr, Reston, VA 22091 (Dr Vickery).


JAMA. 1983;250(21):2952-2956. doi:10.1001/jama.1983.03340210050024
Text Size: A A A
Published online
Article
References

A prospective, randomized, controlled trial of self-care educational interventions was conducted in a health maintenance organization to determine their effect on ambulatory care utilization. Statistically significant decreases in total medical visits and minor illness visits were found in each of three experimental groups as compared with a control group. These decreases averaged 17% and 35%, respectively. These results were most clearly linked to a system of written communications emphasizing personal decision making about the use of medical care. The addition of a nurse counseling session to the written materials may increase cost savings and appears to be attractive to "high utilizers." A telephone information service was offered but not used. It is estimated that the decreases in utilization could result in a savings of approximately $2.50 to $3.50 for each dollar spent on the educational interventions. Self-care education systems may have important effects on medical care costs, physician satisfaction, and patient confidence.

(JAMA 1983;250:2952-2956)

REFERENCES

1 +
Kimble C:  In pursuit of well-being . Wilson Q 1980;;4:65.
2 +
Morrell DC:  Symptoms perceived and recorded by patients . J R Coll Gen Pract 1976;; 26:410-413.
3 +
White KL, Williams RF, Greenberg BC:  The ecology of medical care . N Engl J Med 1961;; 268:885-888.
4 +
Williamson JD, Danaher K: Self-care in Health . London, Croom Helm Ltd, 1978;, p 39.
5 +
Green LW, Welin SH:  Research and demonstration issues in self-care: Measuring the decline of medicocentrism . Health Educ Monogr 1977;;5:159-163.
6 +
Levin LS, Katz AH, Holst E: Self-care: Lay Initiatives in Health . New York, Prodist, 1976;, pp 19-21.
7 +
Illich I: Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health . London, Calder & Boyors, 1975;.
8 +
Cartwright A: Doctors and Their Patients . London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1967;.
9 +
Mechanic D:  Correlates of frustration among British general practitioners . J Health Soc Behav 1970;;11:87-91.
10 +
Dunnell K, Cartwright C: Medicine Takers, Prescribers and Hoarders . Boston, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1972;, p 121.
11 +
McNerney WJ:  Control of health care costs in the 1980's . N Engl J Med 1980;;303:1088-1095.
12 +
Levine P, Britten AF:  Supervised patient-management of hemophilia . Ann Intern Med 1973;;78:195-201.
13 +
Lorig K, Lubeck D, Holman HR:  Nonassociation of new behaviors with favorable outcomes in effective arthritis education , abstracted. Arthritis Rheum 1982;;25( (suppl) ):148.
14 +
Berg AO, LoGerfo JP:  Potential impact of self-care algorithms on the number of physician visits . N Engl J Med 1979;;300:535-537.
15 +
Moore SH, LoGerfo JP, Inui TS:  Effect of a self-care book on physician visits . JAMA 1980;; 243:2317-2320.
16 +
Lorig K, Kraines KG, Broncich C, et al:  Take care: A study of the cost effectiveness of minimal health education in the workplace , abstracted. Read before the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Los Angeles, Nov 4, 1981 .
17 +
Roberts CR, Imrey PB, Turner JD, et al:  Reducing physician visits for colds through consumer education . JAMA 1983;;250:1986-1989.
18 +
Kemper DW:  Self-care education: Impact on HMO costs . Med Care 1982;;20:710-718.
19 +
Vickery DM, Fries JF: Take Care of Yourself . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1975;.
20 +
Pantell RH, Fries JF, Vickery DM: Taking Care of Your Child . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1976;.
21 +
Vickery DM: Life Plan for Your Health . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1977;.
22 +
H-ICDA: Hospital Adaptation of ICDA . Ann Arbor, Mich, Commission on Professional Activities, 1972;.

Figures

Tables

Interactive Graphics

Video

Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Kimble C:  In pursuit of well-being . Wilson Q 1980;;4:65.
2 +
Morrell DC:  Symptoms perceived and recorded by patients . J R Coll Gen Pract 1976;; 26:410-413.
3 +
White KL, Williams RF, Greenberg BC:  The ecology of medical care . N Engl J Med 1961;; 268:885-888.
4 +
Williamson JD, Danaher K: Self-care in Health . London, Croom Helm Ltd, 1978;, p 39.
5 +
Green LW, Welin SH:  Research and demonstration issues in self-care: Measuring the decline of medicocentrism . Health Educ Monogr 1977;;5:159-163.
6 +
Levin LS, Katz AH, Holst E: Self-care: Lay Initiatives in Health . New York, Prodist, 1976;, pp 19-21.
7 +
Illich I: Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health . London, Calder & Boyors, 1975;.
8 +
Cartwright A: Doctors and Their Patients . London, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1967;.
9 +
Mechanic D:  Correlates of frustration among British general practitioners . J Health Soc Behav 1970;;11:87-91.
10 +
Dunnell K, Cartwright C: Medicine Takers, Prescribers and Hoarders . Boston, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1972;, p 121.
11 +
McNerney WJ:  Control of health care costs in the 1980's . N Engl J Med 1980;;303:1088-1095.
12 +
Levine P, Britten AF:  Supervised patient-management of hemophilia . Ann Intern Med 1973;;78:195-201.
13 +
Lorig K, Lubeck D, Holman HR:  Nonassociation of new behaviors with favorable outcomes in effective arthritis education , abstracted. Arthritis Rheum 1982;;25( (suppl) ):148.
14 +
Berg AO, LoGerfo JP:  Potential impact of self-care algorithms on the number of physician visits . N Engl J Med 1979;;300:535-537.
15 +
Moore SH, LoGerfo JP, Inui TS:  Effect of a self-care book on physician visits . JAMA 1980;; 243:2317-2320.
16 +
Lorig K, Kraines KG, Broncich C, et al:  Take care: A study of the cost effectiveness of minimal health education in the workplace , abstracted. Read before the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Los Angeles, Nov 4, 1981 .
17 +
Roberts CR, Imrey PB, Turner JD, et al:  Reducing physician visits for colds through consumer education . JAMA 1983;;250:1986-1989.
18 +
Kemper DW:  Self-care education: Impact on HMO costs . Med Care 1982;;20:710-718.
19 +
Vickery DM, Fries JF: Take Care of Yourself . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1975;.
20 +
Pantell RH, Fries JF, Vickery DM: Taking Care of Your Child . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1976;.
21 +
Vickery DM: Life Plan for Your Health . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley, 1977;.
22 +
H-ICDA: Hospital Adaptation of ICDA . Ann Arbor, Mich, Commission on Professional Activities, 1972;.

Letters

Submit a Letter
CME Course for:


You need to register in order to view this quiz.


To understand the clinical management of acute heart failure syndromes.
Accreditation Information The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The AMA designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM per course. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physicians who complete the CME course and score at least 80% correct on the quiz are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
You have not filled in all the answers to complete this quiz
The following questions were not answered:
Sorry, you have unsuccessfully completed this CME quiz with a score of
The following questions were not answered correctly:
For CME Course: A Proposed Model for Initial Assessment and Management of Acute Heart Failure Syndromes
Indicate what changes(s) you will implement in your practice, if any, based on this CME course.
To view and print your certificate and access a summary of your CME courses go to My CME.
NOTE:
Citing articles are presented as examples only. In non-demo SCM6 implementation, integration with CrossRef’s “Cited By” API will populate this tab (http://www.crossref.org/citedby.html).
Compression-Only CPR: Pushing the Science Forward
Cone
AAM 2010;304:1493-1495.
All you need to read in the other general journals
BMJ 2010;341:c5893-c1494.
Submit a Response

Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.

Related Content

Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.

© 2012 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
Powered bySilverchair Information Systems