[Healthcare demand in general practice facilities in the Tunisian Sahel]

This study of the reasons for consultations in primary healthcare facilities was intended to describe the practice of general medicine and to help develop a socially relevant curriculum for training family physicians. This descriptive and longitudinal survey was conducted at 6 such centres in Sousse, in the Tunisian Sahel, over a randomly chosen 30-day period during the year 2000. During this investigation, 6,576 reasons were reported for the 4,022 consultations included in the survey and were coded according to the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). The sex ratio of the consultants was 1:2 male:female and the median age was 27 years. Overall, respiratory illnesses were the leading motive for consultation, accounting for 36% of the visits. The "Top 20" list covered 64.1% of the reasons reported. Coughing, sore throat, and fever occupied the top three positions, representing 13.5%, 11.6% and 7% of the reasons for consultation. Healthcare demand in these facilities thus reflected the extent of acute respiratory infections. This "Top 20" should be considered as a starting point for planning a valid medical curriculum.