A new future for family medicine/general practice in Portugal

Abstract

The ‘Blue Book’: a Future for Family Medicine in Portugal, edited in 1990 by the Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine, influenced the subsequent years and built the foundation for the Primary Healthcare Reform, initiated in 2005, but not fully implemented. In the current moment of low professional satisfaction, reviewing the principles that should guide family medicine in the future is important. The family doctor is the individual’s physician, who accompanies people's health throughout their life. Family doctors are specialists in primary healthcare and act according to the core values of family medicine as defined by the WONCA. Their actions form the basis of the health system and are associated with better health outcomes. Therefore, their actions must be centered on the person and the provision of differentiated care, reducing bureaucratic tasks and those with low health value. Physical spaces, equipment, and human resources should be adequately ensured, including the adjustment of the size of patients’ lists to ensure quality and dignified work by the Family Doctor, in every working setting. The Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine advocates for a performance-based remuneration model appropriate to the family doctor’s activity that compensates and prioritizes value-based healthcare, focusing their actions on the individual and reducing inefficiencies and duplications. This model is based on a new, simplified, and modern quality system grounded in the classic Structure – Process – Results framework but considering the dimensions of patient and professional satisfaction and adequately rewarding clinical work, teamwork, and citizen-centeredness. The present document is an adaptation and translation into English of the book 'A New Future for General and Family Medicine', edited by the Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine, in 2023.