With the comprehensive implementation of the family doctor system in China, community health service resources have been widely utilized. However, there is a lack of research on the utilization tendency of primary outpatient medical resources for adult diabetic patients using objective medical visit data.

To understand the characteristics of outpatient visits for diabetic patients in the community, analyze the factors influencing frequent visits by patients enrolled in family doctor services, correctly identify the utilization tendency of primary outpatient medical resources by enrolled patients, and provide a basis for promoting the high-quality development of family doctor contract services.

In August 2023, outpatient visit records of adult diabetic patients from 13 community health service centers in Minhang District, Shanghai, for the year 2021 were retrieved. Personal information such as names and contact details were forcibly anonymized, while data on sex, age, enrollment in family doctor services, triggered diagnosis records, frequency of medical treatment, department of medical treatment, and Chinese medicine services during visits were collected. The characteristics of outpatient visits for adult diabetic patients in the community were analyzed, and multiple logistic regression and decision tree models were used to analyze the factors influencing frequent visits by enrolled patients.

There were 66 838 adult patients, resulting in 1 281 972 outpatient records. Among them, 48.96% (32 723) were male; the median age of the patients who visited the hospital was 71 (66, 77) years old; the median number of diagnosis types was 6 (3, 10) ; the median frequency of visits was 15 (9, 26), 10.28% (6 871) of the adult patients frequently visited the hospital for 362 068 times; 1-2 departments were the main ones (60.38%), and 9.33% (6 233) of the patients with≥5 departments involved; 39.53% (26 423) visited Chinese medicine services. During the year, Contracted patients accounted for 92.77% (62 005) of all the patients, while non-contracted patients only accounted for 7.23% (4 833). There were significant differences between contracted patients and non-contracted patients in sex, age, complexity of illness, frequency of medical treatment, department of medical treatment, Chinese medicine service (P<0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sex, age, complexity of illness, department of medical treatment, Chinese medicine service were the influencing factors of frequent visits by contracted patients (P<0.05). The results of decision tree model analysis showed that the complexity of the disease was the most important factor affecting the frequent visits of contracted patients.

The signing rate of adult diabetic patients in community primary clinics in Minhang District of Shanghai was high, the effect of family doctor signing system was remarkable, the aging of adult diabetic patients in community primary clinics was prominent, the contracted patients' condition was more complicated, and the demand for Chinese medicine treatment was stronger. The frequent visits of contracted patients were affected by many factors, especially the complexity of their condition. Therefore, it is suggested that relevant departments identify frequent patients efficiently according to the patients' condition, so as to make more rational use of medical resources in primary clinics.