On July 15, 8 provinces and cities implemented the family doctor model.

Starting today (July 15), the family doctor model will be piloted in 8 provinces and cities across the country. Family doctor clinics are allowed to perform medical examinations and treatment under health insurance in accordance with the law on health insurance.

This is the content stipulated in the Circular guiding the pilot program on Family Doctors and Family Doctor Clinics recently issued by the Ministry of Health.

Hanoi Family Doctor Center. Photo: bacsigiadinhhanoi.vn

According to this Circular, 8 provinces and cities including: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Thai Nguyen, Thua Thien Hue, Khanh Hoa and Tien Giang will be the first localities to pilot the family doctor model.

The Circular clearly states that a family doctor is a person who is granted a certificate to practice medical examination and treatment in the field of family medicine. A family doctor is responsible for comprehensive, continuous, integrated and coordinated health management for individuals, households and communities; screening and early detection of diseases; emergency care, medical examination and treatment, and rehabilitation within the scope of permitted expertise; health consultation, disease prevention, and prevention of risky health behaviors to improve the capacity of individuals, households and communities in self-protection and health improvement, and other tasks in accordance with the scope of practice stated in the practice certificate.

This Circular also stipulates: Family doctor clinics must have comprehensive health management records of individuals and households; at the same time, they are responsible for keeping confidential the personal information of people registering for health management according to the provisions of law.

A family doctor's clinic can be an independent private clinic established and registered by an individual family doctor; or it can also belong to a private general clinic.

In addition, there is also a family doctor clinic model in the examination department of a general hospital or a commune health station that can also incorporate and supplement the functions and tasks of a family doctor clinic if certain conditions are met.

If the clinic is a public facility, the price of medical examination and treatment services is approved by the competent State agency. Private units have the right to decide the price but must post it publicly. Clinics are also allowed to perform medical examination and treatment under health insurance.

According to the analysis of the Ministry of Health, family doctors are completely different from doctors who visit at home. Home visits are just temporary visits, while family doctors are a long-term, continuous, and highly community-based health care model because they also have the responsibility to participate in disease prevention guidance, early detection of diseases, and control of chronic diseases.

The family doctor project is one of the activities that the Ministry of Health hopes will help reduce the overload at hospitals. This clinic system provides comprehensive health care services for individuals, families and the community./.

According to the Communist Party of Vietnam