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Table 4 Motives of patients with nonurgent problems for contacting a GP cooperativea (%)

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

Motive

Total (N = 625)

Medically unnecessary (N = 435)

Medically necessary (N = 190)

Patient-related motives

   

 I was worried

41.6

45.3*

33.2

 I urgently needed a GP

34.3

29.8*

44.2

 I wanted medical information

25.5

29.3*

16.8

 I needed a second opinion

1.6

2.1

0.5

 I did not have time to go to the GP during the day

1.5

1.4

1.6

Healthcare system-related motives

   

 My own GP could not be contacted during office hours

8.3

10.1

4.2

 I could not make an appointment on the same day with my own GP

5.8

4.5

8.9

 The ED was not prepared to help me

1.6

1.2

2.6

Other

14.1

12.7

17.4

  1. aMultiple answers were possible
  2. *p < 0.05, in bold