Filenews 15 June 2021 - by Marilena Panagi,
One in two beneficiaries who visits their personal doctor ensures a refer to a specialist doctor while again one in two beneficiaries receives a prescription for medicines or laboratory tests.
Data for the six months of December 2020-May 2021 are recorded in a recent presence of the Health Insurance Agency, the specialised subcommittee on primary care which has already begun to study ways to improve and upgrade the institution of the personal doctor in the General Health System.
The specialised subcommittee, which held its first meeting last week, was informed by the Health Insurance Agency of the data as recorded concerning primary health care provided through personal doctors for adults, as well as of the actions prepared by the HRA concerning both the improvement of the way the institution of personal doctors works and the treatment of abuses in the System.
Among the actions of the OSF, the monitoring and evaluation of the manner and reasons why personal doctors are referred to other health service providers, the adoption of guidelines in relation to the issue of complaints, the adoption of clinical guidelines, the training of personal doctors and the introduction of performance-based pay through quality criteria.
As far as the training of doctors is concerned, training in the management of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, obesity and diabetes, is on the way. Also, training in the management of diseases related to the specialties with the most common referrals, e.g. orthopedics, ophthalmology, dermatology.
At the same time, the objective, which has been set for several months by the OSU, is the gradual application of remuneration on the basis of performance, introducing quality criteria with the ultimate goal of compensating personal doctors based 70% on the number of beneficiaries registered on their list and 30% on the quality criteria.
The specialised subcommittee has submitted its recommendations during its first meeting and further analysis of the data is expected to follow.
However, the data of the OAC show that the personal doctors of the GHS, serve every month a very large number of beneficiaries of the System, who are referred to specialist doctors, or ensure referrals for laboratory and other tests and/or prescriptions for medicines.
In particular, and as can be seen from the data recorded in the GHS software, every month, on average, the personal doctors of the System serve a quarter of the citizens enrolled in the General Health System, while each adult beneficiary, as shown by the analysis of the data, visits his personal doctor 3 times a year.
As regards the number of beneficiaries registered by personal doctors, according to the OA, 173 have more than 2,000 beneficiaries, 83 have from 1,500-1,999 beneficiaries, 102 have between 1,000 and 1,499 beneficiaries, 116 from 500 to 999 and 94 from 500 to 94 beneficiaries.
43% of personal doctors are in Nicosia Province, 26% in Limassol province, 13% in Larnaca and 13% in Paphos province, and 5% in Famagusta free area.
Monthly visits to the GHS software exceed 200,000.
Analytically:
- In December 2020 there were 224,440 visits to personal doctors,
- in January 2021, 228,397 visits were recorded,
- 223,848 in February,
- in March, 264,749,
- April 249,358 and
- May 270,057.
Furthermore, it appears that on average, in the month of December 2020, a personal doctor received 407 visits, in January 414, February 407, March 474, April 444 and May 477.
In more detail, on a working day, a personal doctor received an average of 19 visits in December 2020. In January 2021 20 visits, February 20, March 21, April 20 and May 24. On average, a personal doctor registers 20 visits from beneficiaries to the computer system for each working day.
About 50% are sent for laboratory tests
According to the data of the THD and what is recorded in the report presented to the specialised subcommittee on primary health care and personal doctors for adults:
- For every two visits generated in the computer system by personal doctors in one, the beneficiary is referred to laboratory tests.
- In December 2020, 101,385 refer-ins were issued, in January 2021 117,739, in February 113,807, in March 145,901, in April 134,552 in refer-ins were issued and in May 148,204.
As far as prescribing medicines is concerned, the GHS software shows that one in two beneficiaries who visit the personal doctor obtain a prescription for medicines.
In December 2020, a total of 111,060 prescriptions were issued, in January 2021 104,251, in February 93,709, in March 124,398 prescriptions were issued, in April 124,080 and in May 132,183.
Most referrals to the over-71s
The increased number of refer-to-specialist doctors issued by personal doctors has long concerned the Health Insurance Agency, which, however, seems to find that some of the measures and "barriers" that have been put in place have already given the first positive results.
According to the six-month period under report, the number of refer-ins issued by personal doctors to specialist doctors was quite large and concerned one in two beneficiaries who visited a personal doctor with the lion's share for older people.
In detail and according to the relevant presentation of the OYS, "for every two visits created in the IT system by personal doctors, in one the beneficiary is referred to a specialist doctor".
In particular, in December 2020, 101,077 refer-to-specialist doctors were issued. In January 116,844 in refer-ins, in February 95,298, in March 138,811 and in May 128,796.
The most common specialties of specialist doctors to which personal doctors refer are:
- Radiodiagnostic 13%
- Orthopaedics 13%
- Ophthalmology 12%
- Cardiology 10%
- Dermatology - Aphrodisiology 9%.
The analysis of the data shows that, over a period of one month, an average of 100 beneficiaries of a personal doctor who are over 71 years of age ensure a refer to a specialist.
In particular, 9% of the complaints issued on a monthly basis relate to the 15-17 age group, 15% to the 18-50 age group, 23% to the 51-70 age group and 25% to beneficiaries over 71.
