A study was carried out in the county of Vestfold in the spring of 1989 to establish the quality and quantity of the medical services for patients nursed at home. The study showed that doctors in rural districts provide better service than doctors in the towns. This difference is particularly noticeable in the case of patients who are acutely ill. The study also showed that patient-doctor contacts are seldom for patients nursed at home, with an average frequency of one every eight weeks for consulting-room consultations and one every 15 weeks for visits to the home.