[Diagnosis and treatment in general practice. Referral courses over a period of 1 year].

This study examined episodes of medical care in five practices, representing a number of municipalities in The Copenhagen County. For comparison of results, data from a similar survey from a 55 practices' study by Hollnagel et al were also used. In these two surveys all encounters were recorded, over period of one year and three months, respectively, each time a health problem or condition was presented to the general practitioner following a personal, telephone or written contact between the patient, or other person representing the patient, and physician. The study population analyzed here consists of 189 and 2,293 adults respectively, who were all registered as group 1 members of the Danish National Health Care system. The date and nature of each contact were registered, including information of the date of any previous contact concerning the same health problem, so that the contacts could be chronicled into episodes of medical care. In addition, detailed data concerning encounter form, reason for encounter, patient's expressed whished to obtain specific services, general practitioners treatment including referrals, and diagnosis were recorded. Compared with the study covering a period of three months, the data covering a period of one year include episodes which represent a larger fraction of the study population in all age groups, 85-95% compared with 55-68%. Similarly a greater number of contacts in the episodes with a total of more than one contact are recorded over a period of one year especially concerning the episodes in the age group 45-64 years of age and the group over 65 years.