The following is a summary of “Knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients, visiting a private primary level health care facility towards family physicians,” published in the June 2023 issue of the Family Medicine and Primary Care by Dasappa et al.

This study examines the knowledge, perception, attitude, and practice of patients who visit a private primary health care center regarding family physicians. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was proposed. The investigation included a total of 272 individuals who visited the health center. Over 90% of patients were confident in the ability of family physicians to manage all types of health problems and the time/cost efficiency of this specialty. 

Additionally, timely referral and holistic care bolstered their confidence in family physicians. 96.7% of respondents were aware that family physicians are trained specialists. Although only fifty percent of the study participants were already consulting a family physician, eighty-eight percent believed that a family physician would be their primary point of contact for health care needs. In areas of care, such as child care (66.2%) and pregnancy (81.6%), where they preferred the services of a specialist, their upbeat attitude, knowledge, and perception of family medicine were not reflected in their treatment-seeking behavior. 

In addition, for diabetes (52%) and chest symptoms (66%), patients preferred the care of a specialist over that of a general practitioner. Patients who visited their primary care center had positive knowledge and perceptions of the family physicians. For conditions such as chest pain, diabetes care, infant care, and obstetrics issues, specialists were preferred over general practitioners.

Source: journals.lww.com/jfmpc/Fulltext/2023/06000/Knowledge,_attitude,_and_practice_of_patients,.26.aspx