[Information for planning and comparison in municipalities. Use of data from the EDP medical records in general practice].

There is a lack of systematic data on primary care which can be used for purposes of planning and evaluation. Ordinary data from computer-based journals in general practice were collected in four municipalities. 25 general practitioners participated for four months in 1992. The validity and reliability of the data have been investigated. The computer-based journal provides accurate information on the number and kind of contacts, and on who uses the primary health services. It also tells the nature of each contact, whether it leads to a referral, a prescription or a laboratory test. It does not give exact data on illness rates in the population, but there is a relatively stable relationship between illness and the number of contacts in general practice. This makes it possible to compare the diagnoses made in different areas. The data from the computer-based journal is also a convenient way of comparing effectiveness and costs in general practice.