[Suitability of the practice of recording only the main health problem in primary care].

OBJECTIVE

To analyse if recording only the main health problem (P) can reflect in a valid way the totality of health problems (P+S) cared for and all the actions generated by a consultation.

DESIGN

Using a representative sample of the patients seen at the centre over a three-month period, information on P+S was gathered, P was identified and the actions generated by each one of the problems were recorded. Health problems were codified through CIPSAP-2-D and grouping diagnoses. SITE. General Medicine service in a Primary Care Centre.

PATIENTS AND OTHERS

PARTICIPANTS

All the General Medical physicians at the Centre took part in the study by collecting data on the consultations established by the sampling.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND

RESULTS

Frequency and order among the first 25 P+S and P problems were compared, as was the percentage of secondary problems encountered. Out of 559 consultations examined, Diabetes, Dislepemia and an irritated? Colon stood out as under-represented. Acute infections of the Upper Respiratory Tract, Conjunctivitis and ??Queratitis were over-represented. As for the activity generated, 83.1% corresponded to P, although there was great variability among the problems according to the percentage of secondary problems according to the percentage of secondary problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Recording only the main health problem can be a valid instrument for providing an initial view of problems seen.