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| “This patient is not well, he/she is sick. “That patient is the medical system in this country. We all agree that we give fairly good medical care, but we cannot deny that the finances to support this system are under severe stress. We are at the most significant changing point for the practice of medicine as we know it. Like it or not, the changes are coming. We can choose to get stuck at denial or resistance, which and what are the changes. Otherwise, we could explore those changes and find a way to commit to the part that makes sense to us. |
| We at the academy of family physicians of Malaysia can feel the subtle warning that the “primary care, the backbone of the nation's health care system, is at grave risk of collapse.” True indeed, primary care is facing a confluence of factors that could spell disaster. Patients are increasingly dissatisfied with their care and with the difficulty of gaining timely access to a primary care physician; many primary care physicians, in turn, are unhappy with their jobs, as they face a seemingly insurmountable task; the quality of care is uneven; reimbursement is inadequate; and fewer and fewer Malaysian medical students are choosing to enter the field. |
| The actual fact is that great majority of patients prefer to seek initial care from a primary care physician rather than a specialist, but their unhappiness with their primary care experience is growing. At the same time, primary care physicians are expressing frustration that the knowledge and skills they are expected to master exceed the limits of human capability, making it impossible to provide the best care to every patient. The scope of primary care extends from uncomplicated upper respiratory and urinary tract infections to the longitudinal care of chronically ill elderly patients with diabetes, coronary heart disease, arthritis, and depression. |
| Reimbursement based primarily on the quantity of services delivered, rather than on quality, forces primary care physicians onto a treadmill, devaluing their professional work life. The short, rushed visits with overfilled agendas that cause patients dissatisfaction simultaneously breed frustration in physicians. Contributing to this frustration is the growing set of demands placed on primary care. The preventive services that a physician either ought to provide because there is evidence of their efficacy or might provide because of the patient's preferences (which must therefore be discussed) have multiplied. The prevalence of chronic conditions — most of which are handled in primary care settings — is increasing, as are requirements for their proper management. Not only has the number of primary care tasks grown exponentially, but physician performance is being measured and physicians are even being paid according to their ability to perform these tasks reliably and consistently. An American study of primary care physicians has estimated that it would take 10.6 hours per working day to deliver all recommended care for patients with chronic conditions, plus 7.4 hours per day to provide evidence-based preventive care, to an average panel of 2500 patients. |
| We are at the most significant changing point for the practice of medicine as we know it. Like it or not, the changes are coming. We can choose to get stuck at denial or resistance, which are the first two stages of change. Otherwise, we could explore those changes and find a way to commit to the part that makes sense to us. These are the last two stages of change. What our choices? We can either choose to be at the table or we will definitely be on the menu. |
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From all the fuss going around, national leaders are beginning to see family medicine as the basis for efficient medical care in this country. They recognized it as the best care at the most affordable rate. They see the primary care physician as the cornerstone in the Patient-Centered Medical delivery for the common man and all. While this situation seems ideal, but it is only a part of the solution. Our consortium of national primary care leaders should be working for a reasonable increase in fee-for-service, recognizing Medicare managers as requiring reimbursement, quality incentives should be determined by physicians and not by insurance companies or politicians.
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| I hope fervently that i can lead the academy through this turbulent times during my tenure, keeping in mind one of the ideals of our profession when looking for healthcare reform and that is “First, do no harm.” |
Dr. Chandran Rajagopal
MBBS, FCGP, FRSH,MAMS (Vienna)
DRM ,Dip Ven,Dip STD&AIDS,
Diploma in Dermatology
Diplomate in Restorative & Aesthetic Medicine(Miami, USA),
Certified Master trainer AARAM USA,
Fellow American Academy of Dermatology
Fellow American Academy of Restorative & Aesthetic Medicine
Fellow American Academy Aesthetic and Restorative Surgery
Member Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia
Fellow Indian Academy Medical Specialists(Family Medicine)
Certified Trainer,Teaching of Family Medicine (AFPM)
Certified Physican in management of Estrogen deficiency ,menopause and HRT ,
College of Physicians and Surgeons, University of Columbia,New York
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WONCA Jeju 2012
Please click on More Details to get information on the Early Birds Registration discounts for WONCA Jeju 2012.
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39th AGM & Annual Scientific Meeting of AFPM
39th AGM & Annual Scientific Meeting of Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia
Date: 21st April 2012 (AGM)
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22nd April 2012 (Annual Scientific Meeting)
Venue: Sunway Putra Hotel, KL
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WORLD AIDS DAY MESSAGE
Please Click to Download to view the Worlds AIDS Day Message.
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GP alert regarding E. coli
There is currently a significant outbreak of E. coli O104 occurring in Germany and there is the potential for Malaysian and other transit tourist travellers to be affected. For more information for health professionals and consumers.
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THE RAJAKUMAR MOVEMENT
Please click the URL for more details.
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JOZI FAMILY MEDICINE CLINICAL NOTICE - Polio/Malaria!
Click here regarding the latest on polio outbreaks in Africa. For an extensive info on Malaria in Gauteng click here. Another website that provides notifications is http://www.nmc.gov.za
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STATEMENT FOR VTP/ATP CANDIDATES
Dear Candidates,
This is to inform you that all VTP/ATP Candidates can claim back a proportion of the registration fees when you attend conferences that are cognate to Family Medicine.
The proportion is 50% of the registration fees not exceeding RM100 at a time and a total amount that can be claimed for a year is RM600.00.
Thank you.
Dr. Sudha Nanthan
Honorary Secretary
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STATEMENT FOR MENTORS/TEACHERS
Dear Mentors/Teachers,
This is to inform you that you can attend and (are in fact encouraged) to attend all skills training workshops of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia.These workshops are free for you.
Thank you.
Dr. Sudha Nanthan
Honorary Secretary
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"ALERT : KES DIFTERIA"
KES DIFTERIA IN PATANI AND YALA, SOUTH THAILAND
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WHO HEALTH REPORT (WHO)
WHO HEALTH REPORT NOV 2010: Key Messages of this Report:
- For the first time in human history, the majority of the world's population is living in urban areas, and this proportion continues to grow.
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Quality Improvement Programme
Quality Improvement Programme For General Practice Clinics
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