The 1984/85 Stockholm Health of the Population Study (HPS) was a cross sectional study including a questionnaire and a health examination. It was conducted through the ordinary health personnel of four Primary Health Care (PHC) districts in the Stockholm County. The main objective was to broaden the scope for planning health care. One of the goals of the study was to involve those working in PHC in planning their activities after local needs and to use more time for prevention work. The main effort to reach this objective was through involvement of the PHC personal from the early planning phase. This strategy was very time consuming but, on the other hand experiences from the HPS have led to both new screening activities of e.g high consumers of alcohol and the elderly, and preventive work aimed at those with smoking and overweight problems in the local PHC area. In the implementation process and through education the scientific approach level and interest in primary health care increased. A keen interest of survey data for local planning is obvious.