Personal medical reference files for family physicians

Family practice has firmly accepted a leadership role in the establishment of practice indexing and control mechanisms for primary care practices and in the continuing education of primary care physicians. These independent programs logically interrelate if the International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care (ICHPPC) mobidity coding index is adapted to the maintenance of personal reference and bibliographic files. The literature data base so developed then was direct and specific application to patient care situations, and to continuing education oriented around active case material, teaching, and research. Experience demonstrates a high degree of student responsiveness to such a reference resourse. Yet most receive no exposure to this basic tool throughout their entire medical school and specialty training. An inexpensive, simple system is proposed which can be expanded conveniently to any level of detail, cross-reference capability, and content. This has been found useful in teaching and practice and is well accepted by family medicine residents at the Geisinger Medical Center.