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Table 2 Distribution of common patients’ reasons for encounter

From: Health profiles of foreigners attending primary care clinics in Malaysia

 

Overall

Public clinics

Private clinics

 

Reasons for encounter (RFEs)

n

Percentage

n

Percentage

n

Percentage

P-value*

Symptom

11,297

69.5

606

41.3

10,691

72.3

0.0004

 Fever

1941

11.9

97

6.6

1844

12.5

0.0192

 Cough

1869

11.5

122

8.3

1747

11.8

0.1563

 Abdominal pain

896

5.5

36

2.4

860

5.8

0.0066

 Musculoskeletal symptoms

524

3.2

67

4.6

457

3.1

0.3262

 Back problems

412

2.5

-

-

412

2.8

-

Follow-up

1209

7.4

300

20.4

909

6.1

0.0010

 Hypertension

297

1.8

77

5.3

220

1.5

0.0070

 Diabetes mellitus

251

1.5

76

5.2

175

1.2

0.0061

 Asthma

128

0.8

6

0.4

122

0.8

0.4919

 Lipid disorder

73

0.4

36

2.4

37

0.2

0.0069

 Osteoarthritis

65

0.4

-

-

65

0.4

-

Procedure/administrative

3744

23.0

562

38.3

3182

21.5

0.0416

 General medical examination

1262

7.8

23

1.6

1239

8.4

0.0020

 Diagnostic radiology/imaging

908

5.6

51

3.5

858

5.8

0.3871

 Antenatal check-up

670

4.1

426

29.0

244

1.7

<0.0001

 Blood test/investigation

311

1.9

21

1.4

290

2.0

0.6979

 Dressing

276

1.7

24

1.7

252

1.7

0.9651

Total RFEs

16,250

100

1468

100

14,782

100

 
  1. Note: General medical examination - include routine medical check-up, pre-employment & pre-university check-up
  2. *Chi-square test for differences between public and private clinics, P-value < 0.05 considered as significant