[Access to family practitioners by telephone in Tønsberg and environs in 1989-91. A description with suggestions for improvements of the quality factor].

The accessibility by phone of 35 general practitioners during consulting hours was tested systematically in 1989 and 1991. During this period the accessibility of the doctors was reduced from 74 to 62%. Only 3% of the doctors comply with the set standard of 90%. The main reason for the results are too few telephone lines to each practice. The norm should be at least two ingoing and two outgoing lines per practice.