Evaluation of physicians and paramedical doctor's viewpoints on the family physician as a lost link in the 
medical system of Iran
The responsibility of family physician was reported as follows:

1- On time diagnosis and referring to a specialist: 96%.
2- Family psychological, physical, cultural and social evaluation: 94%.
3- Essential evaluation and prevention of genetic diseases: 78%.
4- Family consultation in medical problems: 24%. 
5- Children growth and family planning evaluation" 5%.
6- Family health improvement: 3%.

91% of the individuals believed that such specialty was not in Iran by now but 8.7% and 89% believed in its presence in Shiraz and in Tehran before revolution.

Thirty seven percent of respondents believed that family physicians had an important role to reduce the emergency load, whereas only 4% of them considered the role of family physician not to be effective (Table3). 

Table 3: The role of a family physician to be useful to reduce the load for emergency Department

 Family physician role in reduction of
 the load of emergency Department		 Number %
 Very much 147 37
 Mild 198 50
 Very little 30 7
 Not at all 17 4
 Total 392 100



The best ways to inform the people about family physicians were through mass media (100%), the referral system through family physician to specialist (93%), and training in schools (20%) (Table 4). 

Table 4: Methods to develop familiarity with family physician specialty.

 Methods to develop the cultural
 background for acceptance of
 family physician specialty		 Number %
 Propagation through mass media 233 100
 Referral system through family
 physician to specialists		 219 93
 Mind preparation from high school 46 20

51% of respondents believed cities need more family physicians than rural areas (Table5).

Table 5: The required common places for family physicians specialty.

 The most common places for
 family physician specialty		 Number %
 The same in the towns and village 107 27
 Cities more than the town and towns
 more than the villages		 200 51
 Villages more than the towns 86 21
 Total 393 100