Medicina Comunitária e Educação em Saúde

Abstrato

Family Medicine in Saudi Arabia-Next Steps

Richard B Birrer, Al-EnazyH and Sarru E

The increased prevalence of communicable, non-comunicable diseases, the global expanding of the elderly population, significant mental health issues,rising health costs,overutilization and medicalization of illnesses necessitate the need for a reliable community-based health care team. Efforts towards efficient, well organized family medicine speciality programs will produce needed, commited, and skilled primary care or family physicians that qualify them to provide continuous, comprehensive and accountable evidence-based health care for patients of all age groups. The Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization (SAMSO), the first JCIA accredited hospital in the Middle East has taken significant strides to address the challenges facing the family medicine discipline.We aim through the following review to emphasize the role of family physicians, highlight some challenges globally and in Saudi Araba and provide list ofgeneral recommendations that would support the model.