Filenews 16 November 2024 - by Marilena Panayi
35% of patients who visit their personal doctor secure a short-term referral to a specialist, while 4% are referred for radiodiagnostic tests. For paediatricians, the percentage of short-term referrals is 15% and the recording of the performance or response of personal doctors (children and adults) of the General Health System to all performance indicators and quality criteria applied by the HIO is currently in progress.
Regarding short-term referrals to a specialist, it is worth mentioning that during the first two years of implementation of the GHS, their percentage was close to 70%. That is, every 100 visits, 70 referrals were issued. During the third year of implementation of the GHS, the percentage fell to 41% and with the application of this indicator in the calculation of the compensation of personal doctors, a further reduction was achieved.
Of course, according to HIO data, the decrease in the percentage of short-term referrals to specialist doctors seems to have led to a significant increase in the percentage of long-term referrals requested from personal doctors by the System's specialists.
Specifically, the average annual increase in long-term referrals in all specialties amounted to 157% for the period 2021-2023, while for some specialties this increase exceeded 500%. For this reason, the HIO recently decided to apply a relevant indicator for medical specialists. Currently, this indicator, which determines the percentage of long-term referrals that doctors per specialty can request from personal doctors, is being implemented at a pilot stage. But then, from January 2025, the performance indicator will be fully implemented and will be linked to the calculation of doctors' compensation.
For personal doctors, stabilization seems to be recorded in terms of referrals for laboratory tests, with the HIO currently at the stage of recording the performance and response of doctors to quality criteria related to their training, participation in blood pressure measurement programs, vaccinations, etc.
Specifically, as far as personal doctors for adults are concerned, their participation in a performance indicator concerning the measurement of blood pressure in at least 40% of their beneficiaries who are 45 years and over and the administration of a flu vaccine to at least 35% of their beneficiaries who are 65 years and over is in progress.
For personal doctors for adults, an evaluation will follow for their training, participation in training seminars, participation in case presentation groups and home visits to their bedridden patients.
As far as paediatricians are concerned, in the near future, the HIO plans to introduce new performance indicators. These indicators include the vaccination of children on the basis of the national vaccination scheme.
Specifically, these indicators will concern the achievement of a specific percentage for the vaccination of children aged 12 months and children aged 24 months on the basis of the national vaccination scheme as well as the completion of the vaccination scheme for children up to 13 years old.
An additional indicator will concern the completion of the screening program for autism spectrum disorder.
The percentages to be achieved and the details of these indicators have not yet been determined as their implementation is planned for 2025.
However, data are currently being recorded and paediatricians are expected to be evaluated for their performance or response to a number of other performance indicators and quality criteria that are already in place.
The performance indicators concern the developmental control of 80% of children (of all beneficiaries of each paediatrician), aged 18 months and the recording of body mass index for children up to 5 years (minimum percentage 35%).
Paediatricians also participate in quality criteria concerning the education and presentation of cases, the availability of pharmaceutical preparations for emergency treatment, the accompaniment of children for ambulance transport, the presence in labour and care of the newborn and home visits to bedridden children.
The process of recording data and evaluating doctors and the indicators and quality criteria applied is continuous by the HIO.
