Department of Family Medicine Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria.
S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2020 Jul 27;62(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v62i1.5034.
It was noted that family medicine (FM) was not used properly by doctors at Letaba Hospital. Anecdotally, misconceptions and misunderstandings about FM were reported. An exploration was recommended to understand the perceptions and attitudes of doctors at Letaba Hospital with regard to FM. Identifying doctors' misconceptions and the possible reasons for mistaken beliefs about FM by other specialists could offer possible solutions.
A qualitative study was conducted that attempted to identify the perceptions of doctors about FM and to explore their attitudes towards this specialty.
The primary findings indicate more positive than negative perceptions of other disciplines towards FM. The participants viewed FM as the centre of the healthcare system, with prevention being its core business. This includes a holistic approach, the continuity of care, being community-based, and receiving recognition as a specialty. Family medicine was described by various medical personnel as making a positive contribution to the healthcare system. They note the role of FM discipline in district hospitals, its support of primary health- care and its ability to fill the gaps in the healthcare system, including surgical skills. The few negative perceptions that were identified mostly related to the status of FM as a specialty and doctors' level of surgical ability. Based on individual interviews, 11 themes were extracted and a 'wheel' model was created, depicting the core values of the FM discipline.
The study concluded that most participants have a positive perception of the role of FM, similar to the views of the senior staff in the discipline itself. The concerns from most participants are in the area of preventative medicine, which has not been given enough priority in South Africa and where doctors are expected to rapidly attend to long queues and manage casualties. There was also concern of a perceived lack of surgical skills.
莱托巴医院的医生未能正确使用家庭医学（FM）。据传闻，人们对 FM 存在误解和混淆。因此，建议对此进行探索，以了解莱托巴医院医生对 FM 的看法和态度。了解其他专科医生对 FM 的误解以及对 FM 的错误信念的可能原因，可能会提供一些解决方案。
进行了一项定性研究，旨在确定医生对 FM 的看法，并探讨他们对这一专业的态度。
主要发现表明，其他学科对 FM 的看法更多是积极的，而不是消极的。参与者将 FM 视为医疗保健系统的中心，以预防为核心业务。这包括整体方法、护理的连续性、以社区为基础以及作为一个专业获得认可。各种医务人员将家庭医学描述为对医疗保健系统做出了积极贡献。他们注意到 FM 学科在地区医院的作用、对初级保健的支持以及其在医疗保健系统中的填补空白的能力，包括手术技能。为数不多的负面看法主要与 FM 作为一个专业的地位和医生的手术能力有关。根据个人访谈，提取了 11 个主题，并创建了一个“轮子”模型，描绘了 FM 学科的核心价值观。
该研究得出的结论是，大多数参与者对 FM 的角色有积极的看法，这与该学科的高级工作人员的观点相似。大多数参与者关注的是预防医学领域，在南非，预防医学没有得到足够的重视，医生需要迅速处理长队和处理伤员。还有人担心手术技能不足。
