The list system can reduce the waiting time and number of consultations in a centralized primary care centre that provides out of hours medical care
Sammanfattning
The objective was to study the waiting time and number of consultations of the patients who required out of hours medical care from a centralized primary care centre before and after the introduction of a list system. The setting was a health centre in central Finland in a region with 39 495 inhabitants. In 1990, the average out of hours consultation rate per 1000 inhabitants per year was 826 for women and 819 for men. These figures were reduces by 271 for women and 305 for men in 1993. The mean waiting time was 55 min in 1990 and 32 min in 1993. The introduction of a list system leads to more effective primary care services.