Annals of family medicine
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The output of family medicine research in developing countries varies vastly from country to country and also within countries. Most research originates from academic departments of family medicine or from collaborative initiatives with researchers in developed countries. ⋯ Solutions require financial resources and international goodwill. Wonca could play a major role in enhancing research in family medicine in the developing world.
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Although there is general agreement that family medicine has a lot to offer to the health care system, the academic dimension is still not widely understood. There are two main reasons why family medicine needs to develop its scientific potential: to address the true nature of the discipline, and to help in its recognition. The academic establishment benefits from academic family medicine by gaining new questions that are necessary to be answered and by gaining new research approaches. ⋯ The other, more demanding, strategy is to introduce changes to the academic arena by developing specific research questions, by collaborating on research within family medicine, and by developing family medicine's own success criteria for academic excellence. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive. The World Organization of Family Doctors plays an important role in supporting both approaches through its international affiliations and contacts with policy makers.
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Annals of family medicine · May 2004
Referral of patients to specialists: factors affecting choice of specialist by primary care physicians.
We wanted to determine the importance of factors in primary care physicians' choice of specialist when referring patients and to compare importance ratings by physicians' race and sex. ⋯ Primary care physicians serving adults consider several factors to be of major importance when choosing a specialist. The importance of patient convenience, previous experience with the specialist, specialist board certification, and insurance coverage accepted by specialist varied by physicians' race and sex. A better understanding of factors important to a diverse physician workforce may help to improve the referral process.
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Annals of family medicine · May 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialPatient pain in primary care: factors that influence physician diagnosis.
The accurate recognition of patient pain is a crucial, but sometimes difficult, task in medical care. This study explored factors related to the physician's diagnosis of pain in primary care patients. ⋯ The diagnosis of pain is influenced by the severity of patient pain, patient gender, and physician practice style. If the routine use of pain assessment tools is found to be effective in improving physician recognition and treatment of patients' pain, then application of these tools in patient care settings should be encouraged.