Structural Changes in Primary Health Care for the Implementation of the Concept of Family Medicine

Abstract

Kosovo Health Law has incorporated in the whole the concept of Family Medicine by defining it as a fundamental manner of provision of comprehensive health services at the primary health care level for the individuals and their families. Primary health care (PHC) is a network of health services with the basement or center in the community. This network should enable that 90% of the contacts with the patients to be carried out outside the hospitals, to restrain the patients stay in the hospitals and their safe issuance from the hospitals. Services in the primary health care institutions are provided by the family medicine doctors who should be prepared very good, and who should also provide individual and continuous health care services for the patients. Family medicine doctor should possess clinical skills: family medicine doctor will be able to easily identify the diagnose because of the continuous relationship, close relationship with the individuals and the family in the physical, psychological and social aspect. He should also possess preventive, therapeutic, consultation and the resources management skills (human, material). Services that are provided by the family medicine doctor are the first contact services and they present the main segment of the patient entrance into the health services system. The services should be reachable. This includes the geographical distance, disposal, language, culture, and also the approach to old problems as well as new ones. The services the family doctor provides should be comprehensive and not restricted by the disease, age or gender. They include the prevention of diseases, health advance, acute and chronic disease treatment, and rehabilitation. The services should be coordinated by acting as protective and giver of information for the patients. This includes the instructions for specialist services as well. Family Medicine should not be implemented in Kosovo think 4.1% of surveyed family doctors and 7.3% of other doctors. 34.1% of family doctors and 51.8% of other doctors think that the implementation of family medicine is not in the near future. 45.9% of family doctors and 32.1% of other doctors think that family medicine should be implemented soon in Kosovo and finally 15.9% of family doctors and 8.8% of other doctors surveyed in my research believe that family medicine in Kosovo will be implemented very soon.