Background: Classifications of primary care must be as interoperable as possible with current international health terminology and classifications.

Objectives: The aim of the work was to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the ICPC-2 coding and to work out recommendations for further dissemination from the user's point of view.

Methods: Selected studies on the experience with the use of ICPC-2 in several countries were analyzed, a quantitative study on the prevalence in Austria was carried out. On this basis, a qualitative study was then initiated, which analyzes the strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of practice.

Results: Although there are recommendations and agreements from a political point of view, the scope of application in Austria is limited.

Conclusion: Due to the reorganization of primary health care and other health economics requirements, unified documentation, which is already common in the intramural field, will be essential.