Opinions of primary care physicians results from Edirne, Turkey

1. Opinions of primary care physiciansresults from Edirne, Turkey SAHIN EM, DAGDEVIREN N, AKTURK Z, OZER C TRAKYA UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PRACTICE

2. Continious medical education • There is not an organization for the CME of the practitioners in primary care system of Turkey. • Turkish Association of Physicians have been certificating all the CME meetings if the organizers ask for it. But this is not enough to encourage the physicians to participate.

3. Continious medical education • Primary health care is a unique part of the medicine and has unique educational needs. • Other specialties cannot outline the specific knowledge essential for primary care on behalf of primary care physicians.

4. Continious medical education • The specialty of primary care in Turkey is family practice. • We, the family physicians, are trying to maintain CME that includes specific knowledge and skills essential for primary care to the physicians working in primary care.

5. Our CME course • “recent advances in primary health care” • May 2000 • adverted to practitioners in Edirne municipality region • they were asked to fill our questionnaire

6. Our CME course • Preventive health services and periodic health examinations • Communication skills • Sexual health care • New communication technologies and internet • Problem oriented medical diagnosis and records

7. Our CME course • Health care of the elderly • Practicing biopsychosocial medicine • Home care • Adolescent health care

8. Our CME course • The questionnaire consistedof 23 questions • 3 of them were about primary care • others were related to the topics of CME • answers were collected with a likert scale

9. Our CME course • 25 participants as planned • questionnaire was answered by 48 practitioners • The results that will be discussed here could not be generalized for all practitioners in Turkey but present some valuable information in certain issues

10. Are you happy to work in primary care?

11. Did you feel yourself sufficient in your practice just after graduation?

12. Do you think postgraduate education is needed to work in primary care?

13. Do you think your preventive health care services are sufficient?

14. Do you know health care needs of your population?

15. Do you provide periodic health examinations?

16. Do you feel sufficient in communication with your patient?

17. Do you think communication with the patient can be promoted by education?

18. Do you think sexual functions of all patients should be questioned?

19. Do you provide preconceptional care?

20. Do you use internet?

21. Do you think internet will change your practice?

22. Do you think medical record system is essential for primary care?

23. Do you use a record system for your patients?

24. Do you think euthanasia sould be legal?

25. Do you tell the diagnosis to your patients when they have a terminal illness?

26. Do you think biopsychosocial approach will effect your practice?

27. Do you try to solve the problem when you think there is an underlying psychological or social parts of it?

28. Do you think home care is physicians duty?

29. Dose your practice include home care?

30. Do you think adolescent health problems can be solved in primary care?

31. Do you provide adolescent health care?

32. Conclusion • primary care in our country is far from its target. Our doctors are young and dynamic but they need appropriate knowledge and skills specific for primary care conditions

33. Opinions of primary care physiciansresults from Edirne, Turkey SAHIN EM, DAGDEVIREN N, AKTURK Z, OZER C TRAKYA UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PRACTICE