The Reason-for-Encounter mode of the ICPC: reliable, adequate, and feasible

For three consecutive months, eight general practitioners reported and classified all reasons for encounter presented by their patients. They were taking part in an international trial of the WHO-ICPC Committee, utilizing a trial version of the 'Reasons-for-Encounter' (RFE-C)1. This scale has now been integrated with the newly developed 'International Classification of Primary Care' (ICPC)2. Attention was given to reliability, adequacy, and feasibility. Results indicated that the trial version of this classification system is highly reliable; the participating doctors found it both adequate for their purposes and feasible for use in their practices.