title: [Use of public health statistics in the development of community diagnosis].
abstract: A community diagnosis which describes the health of the local population may be an important instrument in promoting health and preventing disease. Most general practitioners do not have time to carry out individual surveys in the local community. Therefore it seems relevant to look into the possibility of utilizing official health statistics as a basis for community diagnosis. We obtained and analysed demographic data, mortality data, statistics on cancer, data on causes of invalidity and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases for Askvoll municipality. This article demonstrates possibilities, obstacles and constraints in the use of such statistics. Suppliers of register data should make routine health statistics more available for use in the district health services. In this connection we recommend the development of a central health data information system.
authors.affiliation: Institutt for allmennmedisin, Universitetet i Bergen.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boonstra
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fugelli
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D014798:Vital Statistics
vernacular_title: Bruk av offentlig helsestatistikk i utvikling av kommunediagnose.