Who is the family doctor, why has such a service been created in Azerbaijan, and what should they do? These questions are answered by the lecturer of the Department of Family Doctors of the Doctors Improvement Institute of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva.
Talks on the need to introduce family doctor positions into the staff of polyclinics to examine and treat all members of the family within their capabilities began in Azerbaijan about 10 years ago. They took into account the positive experience in several other countries (the family doctor position was included into the Russian legislation on health care on July 22, 1993), as well as the complexity of running diversified medical clinics in each locality.
Finally, on September 1, 2008 the family doctor position was first introduced into the list, according to Order No 119 on the list of specialties and positions used in the institutions of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan. On 31.10.2008 the standard of the family doctor staff of the Azerbaijan Republic was confirmed.
The family doctor position can be performed by physicians and paediatricians.
Complex tasks stand before the family physician. It must be a highly qualified physician with knowledge and skills not only in the field of therapy, but in the adjacent narrow specialties, such as ophthalmology, otolaryngology, neurology, dermatology, oncology, pediatrics, surgery, etc.
A family doctor provides services at primary health care, that is, in polyclinics, outpatient departments and at home. They can work both in the singular or in groups.
So what is the work of a family doctor? The tasks are listed below:
- Early detection and treatment of disease;
- Providing patients not only with medical aid, but also psychological and social assistance;
- Monitoring patients with chronic diseases for periodic inspection and their treatment;
- Raising awareness among the population.
Virtually every person who feels ailment wonders where to go, who to ask and to choose as a specialist, etc. All of these questions have a universal answer - a family doctor.
This specialist is often a family friend , watching not only the physical health of the family, but also participating in social and psychological problems, conducting interviews and analyzing their problems. A health problem cannot be solved at the level of primary health care, so it is passed to the experts working at the secondary level, i.e. in specialized polyclinics and hospitals. This means that if a family doctor cannot help the patient, he sends the patient to a specialist.
Family medicine allows to reduce the patient's time for examination and diagnosis several times. Due to the fact that the family doctor provides continuous monitoring of the patient's health, the disease is fixed at an early stage, which is the key to effective treatment.
The advantage of the family doctor is that patients deal with friends familiar to them, so they trust him completely. Long communication with a family doctor improves both somatic and psychological state of the patient.
The family doctor is involved in identifying diseases, early diagnosis and monitoring of the patients that have received specialized treatment. They also have to deal with patients suffering from terminal illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, or failure of any organs. These patients have received primary treatment in hospitals and clinics and continue treatment at home under the supervision of the family doctor.
Attention of the family doctor is attracted by almost everything - the skin and hair, frequent respiratory diseases, problems with veins, overweight, high blood pressure, etc.
In conclusion, for full and, most importantly, useful work for people, family physicians should undergo special training. The Department of Family Doctors successfully operates at the Doctors Improvement Institute.
"Teachers of our department deliver lectures to practicing physicians and regularly travel to regions to meet with doctors of the local hospitals," the department's lecturer, Mehriban Aliyeva said.
Kamal Ali
ANN.Az
