20% of Latvian have not visited family physician in past year

RIGA - As many as 19.9 percent of residents of Latvia have not visited their family physician over the past year, a survey by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control for 2018 reveals.

The survey shows that 40.3 percent of respondents have made one or two visits to their family physician, 22.8 have visited their family physician three to four times, 8.6 percent five to six times, 2.9 percent seven to eight times, 2.4 percent nine to ten times, and 3.2 percent 11 or more times.

Women visit their family physician more often than men, with only 13.8 percent of female respondents reporting no visit to their family physician over the past year as compared to 26.5 percent of the surveyed men. Women were also more likely to visit their family physician three and more times a year.

Each patient in Latvia is entitled to visit their family physician and get a free annual check-up once in a year. Over the past year, this opportunity has been taken by 14.4 percent of respondents, up from 11.1 percent one to three years ago. Most people, or 63 percent, have never undergone these free annual check-ups.

The Center for Disease Prevention and Control for 2018 reveals conducted the survey interviewing 3,500 people aged 15 to 74.