Family doctors for efficient local healthcare

03 กรกฎาคม 2560

Overuse of hospitals led to long lines & wait times, so family doctors trained for convenient local care reserving hospitals for specialist care.

HEALTHCARE

Family doctors for efficient local healthcare

3/07/2017
Post Reporters

With the advent of low-cost healthcare many people in Thailand began going to the hospital to get treated for minor health problems.

These health problems, such as a cold or a minor case of diarrhoea, could be more effectively treated by a doctor working out of a small local doctor's office (family doctors, primary care medical practitioners).

Besides leading to long lines longer wait times at hospitals, and also longer travel times to hospitals far from home, hospital overuse has also contributed to hospital insolvency and bankruptcy (see today's article here).

A government policy has attempted to change this over-use of hospitals and thereby to reduce costs, waiting times and to create a more effective and efficient healthcare system.

The policy has proven to be a success.

See previous article "No doctor shortage in Thailand" for more information on this and related healthcare policies in Thailand here.

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

The Public Health Ministry has claimed success in implementing a "primary care cluster" (PCC) healthcare policy nationwide which resulted in a drop in patient numbers at hospitals by 60%.

The ministry's permanent secretary Sophon Mekthon said the number of patients at hospitals has decreased after 596 PCC teams were launched in 12 health service areas nationwide.

All teams comprise a total of 700 physicians, so-called "family doctors", who give consultations and take care of about 6.28 million residents across the country.

Hospitals have seen a major drop in patient numbers as many people can be primarily diagnosed by family physicians attached to the PCC teams and did not have to go to hospitals.

SHORTER TRAVEL TIMES, SHORTER WAITS

The policy can help them save on travel costs of 1,655 baht each on average.

Patients also experienced shorter waits to see a doctor at a hospital, from almost three hours on average to only 44 minutes.

The scheme also allowed medical staff to handle patients who needed specific medical treatment at hospitals.

GROWTH IN FAMILY PHYSICIANS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE

Dr Sophon said the ministry aimed to have all Thais taken care of by the PCC teams by 2026.

About 1,000 family physicians will come from medical schools while 5,200 will graduate from the Royal College of Family Physicians during the next 10 years.

Next year, an additional 71 hospitals will take part in producing more family physicians which will help increase the number of family doctors from 270 to 500 per year.

Speaking about a draft law on primary health care, Dr Sophon said the ministry has stepped up its effort to provide the PCC service for all Thais under three medical welfare services: the Universal Health Care Coverage (UC) scheme, civil servants' medical welfare scheme and the Social Security Fund's medical care.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1279779/primary-case-push-cuts-hospital-waits