A SYSTEM OF MEDICAL CARE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND TESTED IN A FAMILY PRACTICE SETTING STARTING IN 1972.

A SYSTEM OF MEDICAL CARE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND TESTED IN A FAMILY PRACTICE SETTING STARTING IN 1972. THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE BOTH HUMANE AND COST EFFECTIVE. THE PRINCIPALLONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH IS TO BRING THAT SYSTEM TO THE GENERAL COMMUNITY, AND IN TIME, TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OF THIS COUNTRY. THE PATIENT ENCOUNTER FORM (PEF) IS A FEE TICKET THAT INCLUDES A DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM. PHASE I WILL INVOLVE TRANSFERRING THE PEF SYSTEM FROM THE DEMONSTRATION PRACTICE TO OTHER MEDICAL PRACTICES. SPECIFICALLY TESTED WILL BE FEASIBILITY, USEFUL-NESS, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING THE PEF SYSTEM.THE METHOD WILL SELECT SIX PRACTICES. FREQUENCY DATA, BEFORE AND AFTER INTRODUCTION OF THIS SYSTEM, WILL BE COLLECTED ON: PREVENTABLE CAUSES (E.G., SMOKING); PREVENTABLE ILLNESSES (E.G., LUNG DISEASE); PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES (E.G., SMOKING CESSATION). THE PROJECT WILL ALSOPRODUCE A USERS MANUAL, A BOOKLET ON EFFICIENT INSTALLATION METHODS AND A PROTOTYPE TRAINING PACKAGE. PEF IMPLEMENTA- TION OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR NETWORKING, BETTER CARE, AND LOWER COSTS. DATA PRODUCED WILL HELP USERS COMPETE AND HEALTH PLANNERS ORGANIZE A BETTER SYSTEM.