Evaluation of physicians and paramedical doctor's viewpoints on the family physician as a lost link in the medical system of Iran

86.9% of cases regarded the family physicians useful to reduce the expenses and time loss (Table 9). Almost 72% of the respondents believed that the family physicians were able to visit special patients in the hospitals (Table 10, 11).

Table 9: The role of family physicians to reduce the therapeutic expenses and the time losses.

 The family physician’s role to reduce
 the therapeutic expenses and time
 losses		 Number %
 Yes 338 86
 No 51 13
 Total 389 100

Table 10: The family physicians activity in hospital and outpatient Department

 Family physicians activity in both
 hospital and the out-patients Dept.		 Number %
 Yes 279 71
 No 110 28
 Total 389 100

Table 11: The family physician’s role to improve the accessibility to the physicians

 The family physician’s role to improve
 the accessibility to the physicians		 Number %
 Very much 222 56
 Fair 143 36
 Very low 18 5
 Not at all 12 3
 Total 395 100

 

Family physicians must be aware of the following subspecialties: internal medicine, pediatrics and psychiatrics, whereas seven respondents added surgery and rehabilitation too (Table 12).

Table 12: The role of family physicians to reduce referrals to specialists and subspecialists

 The family physician’s role to
 reduce referrals		 Number %
 Very much 134 34
 Fair 207 52
 Very low 42 10
 Not at all 11 2
 Total 394 100

76% of individuals assumed the family physician is useful to solve more than half of the medical problems in the community (Table 13).

Table 13: The percentage of medical problems solved by family physicians

 The percentage of the medical
 problems solved by family physicians		 Number %
 90% 21 5
 80% 81 21
 50% 195 50
 20% 90 24
 Total 378 100