Search

The bibliographical references of original articles published during 1988 in four primary care magazines from diverse cultural backgrounds were analysed: Canadian Family Physician (Canada), Journal of Family Practice (United States), Atención Primaria (Spain), and Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners (United Kingdom). There are 4,225 bibliographical references used in the 328 original reviewed articles. These references had been published in 725 different magazines, of which the ten most oft-quoted account for 38% of the total references. In addition to the four magazines included in our review, the list includes the following: British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, and American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A wide and expensive supply of electronic medical records obliged us to evaluate them before selecting one. In this study a questionnaire was used to evaluate computerized medical records.Descriptive and prospective study with personal interviews in which a questionnaire was used, that had been previously published.The 12 questionnaires were completed in 99%. The greatest difficulty for answering the questions was the medical terminology. Four of the twelve computer programs were designed for hospitals, another 4 were designed for health centers and the rest were designed for both hospitals and health centers. The preventive and social data and annex were the more scarce of the elements (47%). Postsells services (100%), the ICE-9-CM classification (75%) and medicals data (51%) were the more frequent elements.In Spain there are few medical records regulated, and computerized designers do not have a standard model. The sellers of medical record softwares don't have knowledge of medical terminology. Medical record software programs are not designed for specific health settings (health centers or hospitals).

The quantifying, by subject area, of research published in scientific journals on primary health care, in five different cultural/geographic areas.Descriptive study.Scientific journals on primary health care.Original articles published in 1991 in the following journals on primary health care (general practice): Atención Primaria, Canadian Family Physician, Family Practice, Journal of Family Practice and Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care.The classification adopted here was that used in the research into primary health care by the Canadian Association of Family Physicians. The five journals between them published 263 original articles. Articles on organisation and provision of health services constituted 42% of the total; next in frequency were articles on epidemiology (18%) and on psychosocial concerns. Methodological studies and research into training and professional kills represent a scarce 6% and 8% respectively.The most commonly occurring subject in primary health care research is research on services. In the future it would be desirable to develop other areas (the clinical and psycho-social areas, methodology, and training).