Essential data set for computer management of distributed primary care services

Reported here is a personal computer-based registration program of medical consultations in general practice that has been implemented in six communities ('primary health care districts'; total population 112 623) in the county of Jonkoping, southern Sweden. The program enabled decentralized monitoring and management of the primary health care organization in the communities. The objective of the present paper is to give, from one year's experience of about 137 000 recorded visits, a broad overview of the program structure, briefly considering the questions associated with routine registration of medical consultations, to discuss how the system is used for decision and steering support as well as to summarize its overall performance, results and costs in relation to the general utility of accurate information on health service delivery and consumption in the population.