The Article in Brief

Patients who make frequent after-hours telephone calls to physicians' offices use more health resources than other patients. Frequent callers are often female patients experiencing anxiety, depression, chronic illness, or pain. Compared with other patients, they have 3 times as many office visits, medical diagnoses, and medication prescriptions, and 8 times as many hospital admissions. Strategies to better meet the needs of these patients, particularly their need for care of anxiety, depression, and pain, may decrease the numbers of calls and the amount of health services they use. Strategies could include providing targeted education and treatment to frequent callers.