Under the "Healthy China 2030" strategy and the ongoing refinement of hierarchical medical systems, general practice departments in tertiary hospitals play an increasingly vital role in integrated healthcare delivery. However, their functional scope remains incompletely defined. Existing research has predominantly focused on inpatient services, with limited attention given to outpatient care in general practice departments of comprehensive hospitals, and a notable lack of stratified analysis of disease patterns across different demographic groups.

This study aimed to characterize the disease profile of patients attending the general practice outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Beijing, and to explore the clinical and systemic role of such clinics within the integrated healthcare system.

A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on data from patients visiting the Department of General Practice, Fuxing Hospital of Capital Medical University in 2024. Demographic information, visit details, referral sources, and diagnoses were collected and analyzed.

A total of 20 212 outpatient visits were enrolled, including 8 204 male visits (40.59%) and 12 008 female visits (59.41%). The age ranged from 14 to 105 years, with a mean age of (64.1±18.8) years, and 12 245 visits (60.58%) were from patients aged 60 years and above. Among them, 3 168 visits (15.67%) were referred from primary medical and health care institutions, 4 685 visits (23.18%) were initial visits, and 12 359 visits (61.15%) were follow-up visits. The top three diagnoses were hyperlipidemia (5 366 visits, 26.55%), hypertension (5 323 visits, 26.34%), and respiratory tract infection (3 827 visits, 18.93%). The top three unspecified symptoms were constipation (1 265 visits, 6.26%), cough (1 053 visits, 5.21%), and sore throat (720 visits, 3.56%). The system distribution of diagnoses was concentrated, with the top three being circulatory system diseases (13 342 visits, 21.05%), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (11 066 visits, 17.46%), and respiratory system diseases (7 704 visits, 12.15%). A single disease was diagnosed in 5 757 visits (28.48%), and six or more diseases were diagnosed in 2 997 visits (14.83%).

General practice outpatient clinics in tertiary hospitals manage a wide spectrum of health issues, including common acute illnesses, chronic diseases, undiagnosed symptoms, and multimorbidity. Their case mix aligns with national residency training standards and supports the hierarchical medical system by serving as a crucial interface between primary care and specialized services. These clinics also provide a robust platform for clinical education and research, thereby contributing to the advancement of general practice as a discipline.