[Utilization of the International Classification of Primary Care, a new family practice classification]

It is difficult to find an appropriate classification to describe first-line epidemiology adequately. The general practitioner cannot always use the existing classification such as ICD-9-CM: as he is dealing with illness in an early stage, he often uses "hypotheses" and not "diagnoses". The "International Classification of Primary Care", (I.C.P.C.), which has been developed by the World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of general practitioners/Family Physicians is one primary health care classification. This classification has two axes with 17 chapters and 7 components. It classifies the reason for encounter, the diagnosis as well as the interventions of the general practitioner. The author reports on a first-trial using I.C.P.C. in Belgium. By means of participating observation by student-trainees, 5.478 encounters between general practitioner and patient of 94 general practitioners have been registered and centrally encoded. The possibilities to analyse the data are illustrated. At the same time, the author developed a nomenclature of medicine (6-figure code) which has been integrated in the I.C.P.C. Finally, the importance of this kind of epidemiologic first-line research has been pointed out.