BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The family medicine training programs in the Asia Pacific (AP) are evolving. To date, there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic documentation on the status of family medicine training in the AP. This study aims to determine the status of family medicine training at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in medical schools (universities or colleges) in the AP.
METHODS: In 2014, the authors conducted a cross-sectional online survey to assess the undergraduate and postgraduate family medicine programs in academic family medicine departments from AP countries. A 37-item online survey questionnaire was sent to key informants from academic institutions with established family medicine departments/units. Only one response from each family medicine department/unit was included in the analysis.
RESULTS: The medical school and country response rates were 31.31% and 64.1%, respectively. The majority of the medical schools (94.7%, n=71/75) reported having a department/unit for family medicine. Family medicine is recognized as a specialist degree by the governments of 20/25 countries studied. Family medicine is included in the undergraduate program of 92% (n=69/75) of all the participating medical schools. Only slightly more than half (53.3%) (n=40/75) reported conducting a postgraduate clinical program. Less than one third (26.7%) (n=20/75) of the medical schools conducted postgraduate research programs.
CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate training remains the focus of most family medicine departments/units in the AP. Nevertheless, the number of postgraduate programs is increasing. A more rigorous and long-term documentation of family medicine training in the AP is warranted.
Quality programs are difficult to implement where social support for healthcare costs are inadequate and there is no institutional support for quality programs to guide and assist the doctor in pratice. ‘Quality’ is not the good intention to do better, but the process of measurement of behavioral change against set targets. For the majority of the doctors of this region who practice under great constraints, this article outlines some quality activities that are entirely within their personal initiative and responsibility, but should make a real difference to the quality of care provided.nd responsibility, but should make a real difference to the quality of care you provide.
Republished in: Republished in: Teng CL, Khoo EM, Ng CJ (editors). Family Medicine, Healthcare and Society: Essays by Dr M K Rajakumar, Second Edition. Kuala Lumpur: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 2019: 68-74
Citation: Teng CL, Khoo EM, Ng CJ (editors). Family Medicine, Healthcare & Society: Essays By Dr M K Rajakumar, Second Edition. Kuala Lumpur: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 2019
First edition: 2008
Contents of second edition:
Preface to the Second Edition iii
Acknowledgements iv
Contents vi
Foreword by Dr Harbaskh Singh vii
Foreword by Professor Chris van Weel (in the First Edition) viii
Foreword by Datuk Dr D M Thuraiappah (in the First Edition) ix
Section 1: Primary Health Care and Family Medicine 1
1 Put not New Wine into Old Bottles 3
2 The Importance of Primary Care 6
3 Primary Health for all the People 11
4 The Evolution of General Practice 16
5 Future of Family Medicine in Developing Countries 23
6 Family Practice: Uniting Across Frontiers 27
Section 2: Training for Family Medicine 31
7 Specialisation in Primary Healthcare training for the new General Practice in Malaysia [summary] 32
8 A Proposal for the Training of Physicians in Primary Care for the Rural Areas of Malaysia 34
9 The Family Physician in Asia: Looking to the 21st Century 40
10 Training Family Doctors in a Developing Country 46
Section 3: Family Medicine journals 51
11 Family Physician [inaugural issue of Family Physician] 52
12 Our journal [inaugural issue of Malaysian Family Physician] 56
Section 4: Healthcare Improvement 58
13 The Future of the Health Services in Malaysia. [summary] 59
14 Quality in Family Practice 68 15 Foreword, In: Chee HL, Barraclough S (ed). Health Care in Malaysia 75 Section 5: Ethics and Professionalism 81
16 Ethical Consequences of Technological Change 83
17 Dr Sun Yat Sen Oration. Between Faith and Reason 91
18 Ethics, Professionalism and the “Trade” 99
19 Rural Health and Global Equity: Am I My Brother’s Keeper? 103
20 Achieving Equity Through a Primary Care-Led Health System 108 Section 6: Civil Society 112
21 Looking Back, Looking Forward 113
Appendix 1: Dr M K Rajakumar: A brief curriculum vitae 120
Appendix 2: Books and articles about Dr M K Rajakumar 124
Appendix 3: Reflections and comments 125
Citation: Teng CL. Family Practice: Is It For Me? In: Ong HT (editor). The Life of a Doctor. Petaling Jaya: Unipress Medical & Healthcare; 2008, p115-119
Rajakumar MK, Ahmad MD, Balasundaram R, Low BT, Tan FEH, Wan KC, et al.
Citation: Rajakumar MK, Ahmad MD, Balasundaram R, Low BT, Tan FEH, Wan KC, Catterall RA. Specialisation in Primary Health Care: Training for the New General Practice in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: College of General Practitioners Malaysia, 1986
Stop the bleeding - digital pressure, packing. Once the bleeding has stopped, performed coagulation studies. Refer to an ENT surgeon for opinion particularly as you may be dealing with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.