Minor Illness

1
Minor Illness

• What?
• Who?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?

2
Definition

• Minor illness is any condition which is
  self-limiting and does not prevent the patient
  from carrying out their normal functions for more
  than a short period of time.

3
Minor or Major?

• Who defines?
• Does it matter in a practical sense?
• Is minor illness any more or less important than
  major illness?
• Health-Seeking behaviour

4
Health Seeking Behaviour

• Doctor Factors
• Patient Factors
• Social Factors

5
Doctor Factors

• Health beliefs
• Value judgements
• Competitive pressures

6
Patient Factors

• Health beliefs
• Previous experience
• Domestic factors
• Work factors

7
Social Factors

• Employers
• Health Authorities
• Media

8
General Minor
Group Persons consulting per year Persons consulting per year
per 2000 per 10000
URTI 600 3000
Dermatology 300 1500
M/Skeletal 230 1150
Trauma 210 1050
Psychiatric 200 1000
GI 150 750
Eyes 90 450
Symptoms 320 1600
9
Specific Minor

• See Fry J General Practice The Facts (1993)
• Top 5
• Backache 120/2000 patients/yr
• Sore throat 120/2000 patients/yr
• Eczema 100/2000 patients/yr
• Otitis media 92/2000 patients/yr
• UTI 60/2000 patients/yr

10
Heartsink

• A patient who, by their very presence, can
  produce negative feelings in the Doctor
  irrespective of any prejudices on either part.
• Usually relates to previous health-seeking
  behaviour felt to be inappropriate.
• May be because of a sense of incurability
• May be because of game playing

11
Game Playing

• Transactional Analysis
• Parent
• Adult
• Child
• Good Transactions
• Bad Transactions