@article {Woodward822, author = {C. A. Woodward and J. R. Gilbert and R. S. Roberts and A. Gafni and G. L. Stoddart}, title = {When is a patient{\textquoteright}s use of primary care services unwarranted? Some answers from physicians}, volume = {129}, number = {8}, pages = {822--827}, year = {1983}, publisher = {CMAJ}, abstract = {To explore physicians{\textquoteright} perceptions of what constitutes unwarranted use of their services, examples of patient-initiated encounters considered unwarranted were contributed by physicians and categorized as requests for unnecessary services, inappropriately timed encounters or inconsiderate requests. A random sample of family and general practitioners in Ontario was surveyed with a questionnaire derived from these examples. Although there was no unanimity, examples of missed appointments, requests for further, unnecessary investigations, consultations or admissions to hospital, duplication of services, visits prompted by a desire to obtain free samples of over-the-counter drugs, some out-of-hours calls, and visits of healthy workers to obtain notes regarding fitness for work were seen as unwarranted by 70\% or more of the respondents.}, issn = {0820-3946}, URL = {https://www.cmaj.ca/content/129/8/822}, eprint = {https://www.cmaj.ca/content}, journal = {CMAJ} }