Adding information and intelligence to a family practice data system

A critical test of any data system is its relevance; more simply, reports must present what users want. At MCV, the current system is a direct response to expressed user demands (corroborated by results of a survey of British general practitioners). That is, resident and physicians are interested in workload rates, such as visits/patient, and a delineation of diagnoses by frequency. Applications of these reports are organizational, comparative, and educational. The ultimate goal of data systems in family practice is the production of intelligence about health and health affairs: clearly, this is valuable in patient care, research, and education. Methods outlined above will contribute to achieving this end by adding information and intelligence to data systems.