Department of Family Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.
S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2022 Nov 9;64(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v64i1.5628.
Family medicine (FM) is often perceived to be a 'lesser' speciality compared with other disciplines, despite its importance as a generalist discipline in the healthcare system. Family physicians (FPs) provide comprehensive care at the district level and act as a gatekeeper for patient's upward referral to other specialists. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of healthcare specialists other than FPs involved in registrar training regarding FM at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (SA).
This was a qualitative study, with seven consultants, other than FPs, who worked at three public sector regional hospitals using purposive sampling. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.
Four themes emerged (perception of FM as a medical speciality, role of FPs in the healthcare system and proposed National Health Insurance, FM registrars rotating in units and the scope of their training and how to improve the perceptions of FM by other specialities). Family medicine was regarded as a major and relevant specialist field with a significant contribution to make in advancing patients' care. The country's healthcare system is yet to make the best use of the FM specialist's role in improving quality of care.
The perceptions of FM from other specialists were generally positive and reinforced its importance in facilitating improved healthcare in SA. These specialists have high regard for FM and emphasised the large responsibility of practitioners.
家庭医学（FM）通常被认为是一种“次要”的专业，尽管它作为医疗保健系统中的通科医生具有重要性。家庭医生（FPs）在地区一级提供全面的医疗服务，并作为患者向上转诊至其他专科医生的把关人。本研究旨在探讨南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔大学（University of KwaZulu-Natal）参与住院医师培训的除家庭医生以外的医疗专家对家庭医学的看法。
这是一项定性研究，使用目的抽样法，选取了三家公立区域医院的 7 名非家庭医生顾问。进行了个体半结构式访谈，录音并逐字转录，并进行了主题分析。
出现了四个主题（将 FM 视为医学专业的看法、FPs 在医疗保健系统中的作用和拟议的国家健康保险、在单位轮转的 FM 住院医师及其培训范围以及如何改善其他专业对 FM 的看法）。家庭医学被视为一个主要的相关专业领域，对提高患者护理质量具有重要意义。该国的医疗保健系统尚未充分利用 FM 专家在改善护理质量方面的作用。
其他专家对 FM 的看法总体上是积极的，并强调了 FM 在改善南非医疗保健方面的重要性。这些专家对 FM 给予了高度评价，并强调了从业者的巨大责任。
