Clinical Needs of Patients Attending a Women's Health Center in Japan

抄録

Background Many women's health centers (WHC) in Japan use female obstetrician-gynecologists, not trained in primary care medicine, as providers. It is not known whether the clinical needs of patients at WHC are met by these providers.
Objective To identify the clinical needs of patients attending a WHC in Japan by examining their presenting problems and diagnoses.
Methods We performed a case-series study of 53 patients at a WHC in a public medical center in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Charts were reviewed for the presenting problems and diagnoses.
Results The most common presenting complaints were related to the female genital system or the breast (42%) and psychological problems (13%). At discharge, the most common diagnoses were psychological (42%). The next most common diagnoses were related to the female genital system or the breast (36%). The remainder (22%) were related to a variety of organ systems.
Conclusion Patients at the WHC presented with not only gynecological but also general medical and psychological problems and had discharge diagnoses involving a variety of organ systems. Physicians at WHCs should be trained in primary care medicine to meet the clinical needs of patients.