The Swedish DOC system--an attempt to combine documentation and self-evaluation

This article addresses the issue of how documentation can become a regular and competence-raising activity in treatment settings. A documentation system in Sweden (the DOC system) is used as an illustrative example. Two propositions are put forward and discussed: it is important that (1) the documentation be in accordance with the interests of the practitioners, and (2) that the documentation be used for self-evaluation, in order to enhance the practitioners' competence. Based on experiences using the DOC system, some general observations about how to implement the forms and self-evaluation are presented. Finally, some research prospects are outlined.