title: [Not Available].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the written complaints made by users of the Primary Health Centre in Taco, Tenerife (Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed an observational, cross-sectional study. All the complaint forms from the period 2003-2004 were analysed. We used the ODDUS classification system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 126 complaints were made, representing 2.0 complaints per thousand inhabitants/year. Fifty nine percent were answered in the following month. Seventy three percent were women with a mean age of 40.3±12.1 years (range, 19-75). They were directed at the family doctor (31.7%), management (29.4%) and administration (16.7%). The most common complaints by categories were: a) organisation-administration (47.6%), related to a disagreement with institutional rules (11.1%), difficulties with reception desk (10.3%), suspension/cancellation of an appointment (10.3%), and appointment programme (7.1%); b) care (45.2%) referring to delay in care (28.6%) and inappropriate treatment (9.5%); c) limitations of the building infrastructure (7.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The family physician is the person who receives the majority of complaints, mainly due to a delay in treating the patient. Complaints made by users in Primary Care are a useful method of finding out patient dissatisfaction. They can help us to improve the quality of the assistance in Health Centre.
authors.affiliation: Medicina de Familia. Centro de Salud de Taco. Tenerife. España. Electronic address: cluisruiz@canariastelecom.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luis Ruiz
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro Brito
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Real Valcárcel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Trinidad Rufino Delgado