Chronic disease registers in primary healthcare

Systematic care of patients with chronic diseases needs to be underpinned by information systems such as disease registers. Their primary function is to facilitate structured care of patients attending services-supporting identification of patients at risk, structured preventive care and provision of care according to guidelines, and supporting recall of patients for planned visits. In Australia general practitioners using division-based diabetes registers are more likely to provide patient care that adhered to evidence-based guidelines. Critical data issues include privacy, ownership, compatability, and capture as part of normal clinical care and quality.