ABSTRACT
Background@#The practice of Family Medicine is important in the provision of primary health care. Family physicians (FPs) provide health services both in the public and private settings@*Objective@#To describe the practice profiles and geographic aggregation of Filipino family physicians@*Methods@#This study was a web-based cross-sectional design involving family physicians who are registered in the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians membership database. The questionnaire was semi-structured with 3 consecutive sections: consent form, basic demographics, practice profile of family physicians.@*Results@#Overall, 95% (N=1357) of family physicians reported seeing patients in a health facility at least once a week. Thirty percent of physicians are from Luzon (N=426), 28% from the National Capital Region (N=395), 20% from the Visayas region (N=288) and 18% from Mindanao (N=261). There were more FPs who reported mixed-type clinical practice (51%) than those who were exclusively engaged in practice (49%). Involvement in the private sector was common among physicians who are in the clinics (59%), while employment in the public sector was commonly reported among those in mixed-type of practice (42%). Family physicians provide a wide range of clinical services including counselling, vaccinations, simple surgical excision, and palliative services. The average reported outpatient consultation fees of FPs was Php 321 (SD+120) per patient.@*Conclusion@#The practice profile of family physicians includes active clinical practice, employment in either the public or private sector, with a small fraction in solo clinic practice. The range of primary care services offered include management of chronic conditions, counselling, home visits, preventive care such as prenatal care, vaccinations and screening tests like pap smear
Subject(s)
Physicians, Family , Family PracticeABSTRACT
@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Tuberculosis is an occupational hazard among healthcare workers due to nosocomial exposure. In the Philippines where shortage in health workforce is common, occurrence of tuberculosis can adversely affect the healthcare delivery and patient care. The risk of developing Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) among employees is important information for stakeholders to develop and implement hospital work policies.<br /><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To determine the probability of developing PTB among PGH employees assigned in areas with high and low patient load and the risk factors that increase the chance of having the disease.<br />METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study using chart review of employees who consulted due to cough from 2009-2011 and followed up from the year of consult to December 2015. Medical records were retrieved from the University of the Philippines-Health Services, Philippine General Hospital. Data analysis was done using Stata version 14. Logistic regression analysis was done to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> A total of six hundred thirty six (N=636) employees with cough were included in the study (57%, high patient load area and 43%, low patient load area). Forty PGH employees (6%) were diagnosed with PTB during the study period. The overall incidence was 5.3% with a higher rate reported for employees assigned in high patient load areas (7.3%) compared to low patient load areas (3.8%). Logistic regression analysis showed that male sex (RR: 2.68, 95% Cl: 1.19-6.01) and smoking habit (RR: 2.37, 95% Cl: 1.07-5.28) were associated with increased risk of developing PTB among PGH employees.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION</strong>: The probability of developing PTB is similar for hospital employees assigned to both high and low patient load areas. The factors associated with an increased risk of PTB among PGH employees include male sex,smoking habit, and the presence of pre-existing comorbid diseases such as hypertension.</p>