[The efficacy of a doctor-patient appointment in a primary care setting dedicated to preventive medicine].

BACKGROUND

Previous data on the importance of promoting cessation of smoking, physical activity and a healthy diet exists in the literature. However, there is insufficient evidence that counseling healthy patients to change their life-styles will indeed have a positive effect on their behavior. In this study we examined whether a single doctor-patient appointment dedicated to preventive medicine can have a positive effect on cessation of smoking, promoting physical activity and weight control.

METHOD

Eighty-eight patients from the "French Carmel" Clinic, aged 25-50, were summoned to a doctor-patient appointment lasting 20 minutes. The patients filled out a questionnaire and their weight and height were measured. The doctor counseled the patients to cease smoking, increase their physical activity and lose weight. The counseling was patient-oriented. Six to twelve months later the patients were interviewed by telephone and data was collected. The data was processed on a windows-based SPSS program.

RESULTS

Of the 25 smoking patients, 2 (8%) stopped smoking, another 5 (20%) reduced their cigarette smoking. None of the non-smokers began smoking during the study, and there was no increase in the number of cigarettes smoked among the smokers. There was an increase in the number of patients who engaged in physical activity on a regular basis after the intervention: 56.1% as compared to 42.7% prior to the consultation. This increase was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). Among overweight (BMI 25-26.9) and obese (BMI > 27) patients there was a decrease in BMI following the intervention which was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.01). Among patients with normal weight (BMI 20-24.9) and underweight (BMI < 20) there was a decrease in BMI which was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

In an era when economic considerations challenge the everyday work of the physician, we have showed in our study that a 20-minute doctor-patient appointment could influence the patient's life-style and thus promote healthy living.