Hong Kong Med J 2011;17(Suppl 3):S25-7
Incentives and barriers to adopting the family doctor model in Hong Kong: an in-depth qualitative study of the views, knowledge, and attitudes of patients
SW Mercer, SM Griffiths, CLK Lam, A Lee, WCW Wong, TP Lam, S Hillier, DR Phillips, RH Jones
Section of General Practice and Primary Care, University of Glasgow, Scotland
1. Many patients regard family doctors as a ‘luxury item’, some of whom continue to attend the public health care system for their chronic diseases even if they have a family doctor.
2. Cost, quality, perceived need, and choice are important barriers to adopting the family doctor model.
3. Incentives include financial subsidies and a long-term therapeutic relationship with a doctor.
4. If findings of this study are representative, successful implementation of a family doctor system in Hong Kong for chronic disease management seems unlikely, unless these barriers are addressed.
2. Cost, quality, perceived need, and choice are important barriers to adopting the family doctor model.
3. Incentives include financial subsidies and a long-term therapeutic relationship with a doctor.
4. If findings of this study are representative, successful implementation of a family doctor system in Hong Kong for chronic disease management seems unlikely, unless these barriers are addressed.