Use of Primary Health Care in Spili, Crete, and in Dalby, Sweden

Abstract

A computerized medical record system was introduced in Greek primary health care (PHC) in the village of Spili in Crete. The present study was carried out to study similarities and differences in the pattern of PHC use in Dalby Health Centre, Sweden (DHC), and Spili Health Centre, Greece (SHC).

In both Dalby and Spili more than half the population contacted their respective health centre during 1989. Patients contacted DHC more often than SHC, 3.33 vs 2.30 times. Relatively more females than males used the health services in Dalby (64% vs 50%), but not in Spili (57% vs 55%). More visits were made by appointment at DHC than SHC (36.0% vs 12.6%).

There were great similarities in the two areas in the ten most common diagnoses, analysed in four age-groups. In both areas, acute upper respiratory infections dominated in the youngest age-groups, and hypertension and diabetes in those aged 45 years and above.

Key Words:

• consultation
• Crete
• outpatient
• primary health care
• Sweden