ROTTERDAM GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS REPORT (ROHAPRO) - A COMPUTERIZED NETWORK OF GENERAL PRACTICES IN ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Study objective - Dutch public health services are charged with collec tive preventive care for the population - care that should, by law, be based on epidemiological data. General practices potentially offer im portant data for this purpose, particularly since more and more use a computer. This study aimed to assess whether it is possible to obtain useful epidemiological data hom this source. Design - In 1990, the Rot terdam Municipal Health Service, in collaboration with the Erasmus Uni versity Rotterdam, started a computerised sentinal practice network. T he main features of this and a specific small investigation are descri bed. Setting - The following institutions cooperate in the network: Mu nicipal Health Service Rotterdam Area; Departments of General Practice and of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Rotterdam D istrict Association of General Practitioners. Patients - Data are curr ently collected from 20 general practitioners and >40 000 patients. In a specific project, the distribution of cardiovascular risk factors i n different ethnic groups was compared. Main results - It was possible to build up a regional epidemiological registration system in this ma nner. In the cardiovascular project we found striking differences betw een ethnic groups. The risk profile for Turkish men, hi particular, wa s less favourable. The health service also uses the system to improve cooperation between public health and primary health care (for example , in cervical screening, influenza vaccination). Conclusion - Computer ised general practices offer great possibilities for research and for preventive activities in which public health care and general practiti oners can cooperate.