Profiling of outpatients attending Centre for Rural Health, Nutakkhi, Andhra Pradesh, South India.

Abstract

Primary healthcare services are the first contact point for a person to seek preventive promotive and curative healthcare. The present study aimed to assess the morbidity profile of outpatients at a Centre for Rural Health AIIMS, Nutakkhi, Andhra Pradesh, South India. This record-based study analyzed morbidity data from outpatients at the Centre for Rural Health AIIMS (CRHA), located in Nutakkhi, Andhra Pradesh, South India, serving a population of about 15,000. Managed by doctors posted from AIIMS, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, India, the clinic operates six days a week with an average daily attendance of 50 patients. Patient details, diagnosis, and treatments were documented in morbidity registers. Data from June 2021 to December 2023 were extracted, coded using ICD-10 by two doctors independently, and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0. The outpatient department (OPD) of the CRHA, Nutakkhi, Andhra Pradesh, South India, attended 15,867 patients from 2021 to 2023, with adults (47.44%), elderly (41.60%), and children (10.97%). Gender distribution was nearly equal. Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (24.0%) were most common, followed by respiratory (18.11%) and circulatory system diseases (17.92%). Notable conditions included digestive, musculoskeletal diseases, and injuries. The prevalence of conditions varied by gender and age. Endocrine diseases peaked in 2021 (29.30%), while circulatory diseases rose to 23.09% in 2023. Respiratory diseases were prevalent among children, and health checkups increased in 2023. The study identified endocrine, respiratory, and circulatory system diseases as prevalent in the rural population, highlighting the need for targeted healthcare strategies and resource allocation, especially for the elderly and children.