The General Practitioner in Lebanon: Is He a Potential Family Physician? Family Practice.

Dr.Abdulrazak Abyad and Sibai. A.
Tripoli,Lebanon,P.O Box 618, Abyad Medical Center.

Family Practice. 1992; 9 (4): 437-440.

A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted on a group of general practitioners in Beirut, Lebanon to assess the level of family medicine practice among them. Data was collected on the age, sex, number of children, marital status, load of patients per day, field of specialization, if any, and place of study of medicine of 43 general practitioners.

The level of family medicine practice was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire containing questions related to the various criteria of family medicine practice. Only 2.3 percent of the general practitioners had an adequate level of family medicine practice, defined as the top 15th percentile of a maximal score. Doctors were most likely to adhere to the "informality" criterion and less likely to the "family approach," "ensuring maximal compliance" and "comprehensiveness of care" criteria. They performed poorly on "the continuity of care" criterion and on "the art of medical care" criterion. Overall, family medicine was found not to be adequately practiced by the general practitioner and is deemed necessary as a specialty in Lebanon. Suggestions and future recommendations are further presented.