scholarly journals Priorities for family physician and general practitioner recruitment and retention in Singapore: a PRIORITIZE study

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorainne Tudor Car ◽  
Yee Sean Teng ◽  
Jin Wei How ◽  
Nadia Nasuha Binte Mohammad Nazri ◽  
Amy Li Xian Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Retention Strategies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Recruitment And Retention ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Abstract Background A shortage of primary care physicians has been reported in many countries. Primary care systems are diverse and the challenges leading to a decline in workforce are at times context-specific and require tailored solutions. Inviting frontline clinicians to share their insights can help identify optimal strategies for a particular setting. To determine priorities for family physicians’ and general practitioners’ recruitment and retention in Singapore, we invited primary care physicians to rank pertinent strategies using PRIORITIZE, a transparent, systematic priority-setting approach. Methods The study advisory board, consisting of representatives of Singapore’s key primary care stakeholders, determined the criteria for prioritising of general practitioners (GPs) and family physicians (FPs) recruitment and retention strategies in Singapore. A comprehensive list of GPs and FPs recruitment and retention strategies was extracted from a recent systematic review of the relevant literature. A questionnaire listing the strategies and the scoring criteria was administered online to doctors practicing in public and private sector in Singapore. Respondents’ scores were combined to create a ranked list of locally most relevant strategies for improving GPs and FPs recruitment and retention. Results We recruited a diverse sample of 50 GPs and FPs practicing in a variety of primary care settings, many with a range of additional professional responsibilities. Around 60 and 66% of respondents thought that there was a problem with recruitment and retention of GPs and FPs in Singapore, respectively. Strategies focusing on promoting primary care by emphasizing the advantages and enhancing the status of the profession as well as training-related strategies, such as sub-specialisation and high-quality rotations were considered priorities for improving recruitment. For retention of GPs and FPs, improving working conditions by increasing GPs’ and FPs’ salary and recognition, as well as varying or reducing time commitment, were seen as the most important strategies. The ranking between physicians working in public and private sector was mostly similar, with nine out of the top ten recruitment and retention strategies being the same. Conclusion Primary care physicians’ ranking of recruitment and retention strategies for GPs and FPs in Singapore provide important insight into the challenges and the solutions as seen by the members of the profession themselves. This information can guide future policy and decision making in this area.

scholarly journals Strengthening the Somaliland health system by integrating public and private sector family medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muna M. Mahfud ◽  
Fathia M. Nour ◽  
Hodan J. Abdi ◽  
Sabah M. Muse ◽  
Tim Fader
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Health System ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Specialty Training ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Four family physicians, who received their specialty training at Amoud University in Somaliland, organised a practice together that uses informal public–private partnerships to optimise their clinical care and teaching. Their experience offers insights into public–private partnerships that could strengthen the country’s healthcare system.

scholarly journals Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Central and Eastern Europe: Self-Reported Practice of Primary Care Physicians / Zdravljenje Bolezni Prebavil V Srednji In Vzhodni Evropi: Podatki, Ki Jih Zdravniki V Primarni Zdravstveni Oskrbi Sami Sporočajo

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-303
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Palka ◽  
Anna Krztoń-Królewiecka ◽  
Tomasz Tomasik ◽  
Bohumil Seifert ◽  
Ewa Wójtowicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disorders ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Digestive Disorders ◽  
Eastern European Countries

Abstract Background. Gastrointestinal disorders account for 7-10% of all consultations in primary care. General practitioners’ management of digestive disorders in Central and Eastern European countries is largely unknown. Aims. To identify and compare variations in the self-perceived responsibilities of general practitioners in the management of digestive disorders in Central and Eastern Europe. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of a randomized sample of primary care physicians from 9 countries was conducted. An anonymous questionnaire was sent via post to primary care doctors. Results. We received 867 responses; the response rate was 28.9%. Over 70% of respondents reported familiarity with available guidelines for gastrointestinal diseases. For uninvestigated dyspepsia in patients under 45 years, the “test and treat” strategy was twice as popular as “test and scope”. The majority (59.8%) of family physicians would refer patients with rectal bleeding without alarm symptoms to a specialist (from 7.6% of doctors in Slovenia to 85.1% of doctors in Bulgaria; p<0.001). 93.4% of respondents declared their involvement in colorectal cancer screening. In the majority of countries, responding doctors most often reported that they order fecal occult blood tests. The exceptions were Estonia and Hungary, where the majority of family physicians referred patients to a specialist (p<0.001). Conclusions. Physicians from Central and Eastern European countries understood the need for the use of guidelines for the care of patients with gastrointestinal problems, but there is broad variation between countries in their management. Numerous efforts should be undertaken to establish and implement international standards for digestive disorders’ management in general practice.

scholarly journals Job satisfaction of public and private primary care physicians in Malaysia: analysis of findings from QUALICO-PC

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ab Rahman ◽  
M. Husin ◽  
K. Dahian ◽  
K. Mohamad Noh ◽  
R. Atun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Primary Care Clinics

Abstract Background Job satisfaction of doctors is an important factor determining quality and performance of a health system. The aim of this study was to assess job satisfaction among doctors of the public and private primary care clinics in Malaysia and evaluate factors that could influence the job satisfaction rating. Methods This study was part of the Quality and Costs of Primary Care (QUALICOPC) Malaysia, a cross-sectional survey conducted between August 2015 and June 2016 in Malaysia. Data was collected from doctors recruited from public and private primary care clinics using a standardised questionnaire. Comparisons were made between doctors working in public and private clinics, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors influencing the likelihood of job satisfaction outcomes. Results A total of 221 doctors from the public and 239 doctors from the private sector completed the questionnaire. Compared to private doctors, a higher proportion of public doctors felt they were being overloaded with the administrative task (59.7% vs 36.0%) and part of the work does not make sense (33.9% vs 18.4%). Only 62.9% of public doctors felt that there was a good balance between effort and reward while a significantly higher proportion (85.8%) of private doctors reported the same. Over 80% of doctors in both sectors indicated continued interest in their job and agreed that being a doctor is a well-respected job. Logistic regression analysis showed public-private sector and practice location (urban-rural) to be significantly associated with work satisfaction outcomes. Conclusion A higher proportion of public doctors experienced pressure from administrative tasks and felt that part of their work does not make sense than their colleague in the private sector. At the same time, the majority of private doctors reported positive outcome on effort-and-reward balance compared to only one third of public doctors. The finding suggests that decreasing administrative workload and enhancing work-based supports might be the most effective ways to improve job satisfaction of primary care doctors because these are some of the main aspects of the job that doctors, especially in public clinics, are most unhappy with.

Who Provides Health Care to Children and Adolescents in the United States?

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Starfield ◽  
Robert A. Hoekelman ◽  
Marie McCormick ◽  
Paul Benson ◽  
Robert C. Mendenhall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Psychosocial Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Substantial Proportion ◽  
Minor Trauma ◽  
Average Response Rate

Face-to-face visits by children and adolescents in office-based practice in the mid-1970s were studied. Pediatricians, family physicians, and general practitioners accounted for 35%, 6%, and 30%, respectively, of all child visits. Although 40% to 45% of preventive and medical encounters were with pediatricians, only 12% of visits for minor surgery, 20% of visits for psychosocial problems, and 9% of visits for combined medical-surgical reasons were to pediatricians. Only in very young children did pediatricians provide a substantial proportion of care for each of the types of visits. For some common diagnoses (acne, refractive error) most care was provided by specialists other than primary care specialists, but less than 16% of all preventive care visits (including routine eye examinations) was provided by specialists other than primary care physicians. A substantial proportion of the prenatal care and management of minor trauma was provided by family physicians and general practitioners. Although the limitations of the study (including an average response rate of 55%, exclusion of certain specialties and institutional physicians, sampling at different times of the year, lack of control for area of location of practice, and lack of information about response rates of different types of physicians within each specialty) preclude definitive conclusions, the findings raise important questions for future study.

scholarly journals Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Older Adults with Hypertension or Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension in a Primary Care Setting in Bahrain

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid A.J. Al Khaja ◽  
Husain Ahmed Isa ◽  
Sindhan Veeramuthu ◽  
Reginald P. Sequeira
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Inappropriate Prescribing ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing ◽  
The Difference

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate: (1) the prevalence and types of potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults with hypertension or diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and (2) whether or not differences in the training of primary care physicians were associated with potentially inappropriate prescribing. Materials and Methods: Primary care prescriptions issued by family physicians and general practitioners were audited using Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions criteria (version 1), with 18 out of 65 applicable criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to test the difference between proportions, and two-tailed t test was used for continuous variables. Results: A total of 2,090 outpatient prescriptions were written during the study period; of these, 712 (34.1%) were potentially inappropriate. The mean number of drugs per patient was 6.03 (±2.5). Of the 712 prescriptions, 543 (76.3%) were used for the treatment of acute medical illnesses. The most common examples of potentially inappropriate prescribing were: orphenadrine (n = 174; 8.33%), long-term nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for > 3 months (n = 150; 7.18%), proton pump inhibitors for > 8 weeks (n = 135; 6.46%), antihypertensive therapy duplication (n = 59; 2.82%), long-acting glyburide (n = 48; 2.29%), and chlordiazepoxide for > 1 month (n = 44; 2.11%). Family physicians showed a greater tendency toward potentially inappropriate prescribing compared to general practitioners, but the difference was nonsignificant (n = 514 [34.75%] vs. n = 162 [31.3%]; p = 0.16). Conclusions: The prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (i.e., 34.1%) was within the spectrum reported worldwide and unrelated to the training backgrounds of physicians. Most of the identified potentially inappropriate prescribing (76.3%) in older adults was associated with medications for acute medical illnesses and hence inappropriate polypharmacy should be discouraged.

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