RESUMO
BACKGROUND: We studied what kind of action general practitioners in a Norwegian rural community choose to take in order to solve problems raised by patients who contact the primary health service off-hours. Problems are solved either on the phone or by allowing the patient to consult the doctor in the surgery, by a home call, or by an emergency call with ambulance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The community has a population of 4,556. All five GPs in the community registered all off-hour patient contacts over a period of six weeks (off-hours defined as the period from 3.30 PM to 8.00 AM on week-days, plus the weekend). RESULTS: 450 patients contacts were registered. 33% were solved on the phone, 48% through consultations in the surgery, 18% by home calls. Only two out of 450 contacts were emergencies. DISCUSSION: GPs performing off-hour services serve their patients with ordinary consultations. Less than 1% of patient contacts were actual emergencies.
