Children as frequent attenders in primary care: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Frequent paediatric attendances make up a large proportion of a GP's workload. Currently, there is no systematic review on frequent paediatric attendances in primary care. Aim: To identify the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children who attend primary care frequently. Design & setting: A systematic review. Method: The electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched up to January 2020, using terms relating to frequent attendance in primary care settings. Studies were eligible if they considered children frequently attending in primary care (aged 0–19 years). Relevant data were extracted and analysed by narrative synthesis. Results: Six studies, of fair quality overall, were included in the review. Frequent attendance was associated with presence of psychosocial and mental health problems, younger age, school absence, presence of chronic conditions, and high level of anxiety in their parents. Conclusion: Various sociodemographic and medical characteristics of children were associated with frequent attendance in primary care. Research on interventions needs to account for the social context and community characteristics. Integrating GP services with mental health and social care could potentially provide a response to medical and psychosocial needs of frequently attending children and their families.

Keywords

• children
• mental health
• frequent attenders
• characteristics
• primary health care
• chronic disease
• anxiety
• healthcare utilisation