The providers of health services in Lebanon: a survey of physicians

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Kassem M Kassak (1)
  Hassan MK Ghomrawi (2)
  Arabia Mohamad Ali Osseiran (1)
  Hanaa Kobeissi (1)
  
• 刊名：Human Resources for Health
• 出版年：2006
• 出版时间：December 2006
• 年：2006
• 卷：4
• 期：1
• 全文大小：192KB
• 参考文献：1. Abdullah B: A light on the medical profession in Lebanon: A reality and a hope. / The Magazine of the Order of Physicians in Lebanon 1998, 2: 82鈥?8.
  2. Daher M, Husseini H, Kasparian R, Kasparian C: Medical demography in Lebanon. Plethora, feminization, youthfulness. / J Med Liban 1998, 46: 43鈥?7.
  3. Grumbach K, Lee PR: How many physicians can we afford? / JAMA 1991, 265: 2369鈥?372. CrossRef
  4. Sloan FA, Schwartz WB: More doctors: what will they cost? Physician income as supply expands. / JAMA 1983, 249: 766鈥?69. CrossRef
  5. Administration Centrale de la Statistique: / Condition de vie des menages en 1997. Etudes Statistiques Beirut: Govt Publications 1998.
  6. Feldstein P: / Health Care Economics Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers Inc 1999.
  7. Kronfol NM, Sibai AM, Rafeh N: The impact of civil disturbances on the migration of physicians: the case of Lebanon. / Med Care 1992, 30: 208鈥?15. CrossRef
  8. Boerma WG, Brink-Muinen A: Gender-related differences in the organization and provision of services among general practitioners in Europe: a signal to health care planners. / Med Care 2000, 38: 993鈥?002. CrossRef
  9. Lowenthal W: Continuing Education for Professionals: Voluntary or Mandatory? / Journal of Higher Education 1981, 52: 519鈥?38. CrossRef
  10. Relman AS: Separating continuing medical education from pharmaceutical marketing. / JAMA 2001, 285: 2009鈥?012. CrossRef
  11. Straus SE, Sackett DL: Bringing evidence to the clinic. / Arch Dermatol 1998, 134: 1519鈥?520. CrossRef
  12. Mejia A: Health manpower out of balance. / World Health Stat Q 1987, 40: 335鈥?48.
  13. Grippando GM: / Nursing Perspectives and Issues Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers Inc 1983.
  
• 作者单位：Kassem M Kassak (1)
  Hassan MK Ghomrawi (2)
  Arabia Mohamad Ali Osseiran (1)
  Hanaa Kobeissi (1)
  
  1. Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
  2. Division of Health Services Research & Policy, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
  

文摘

Background Emerging from civil distress carries with it major challenges to reforming a health system. One such challenge is to ensure an adequate supply of competent human resources. The objective of this study was to assess the supply of physicians in Lebanon in 1998, with an assessment of their practice patterns and capacity building. Methods Lists of members of physician's associations were examined to determine the number of physicians in Lebanon and their geographical distribution. A self-administered survey targeted 388 physicians (5%) randomly stratified by the five regions of Lebanon. Some 377 providers reported information on their demographic profile, practice patterns and development. Further, information on continuing education activities was acquired. Results In Lebanon, the overall physician-to-population ratio was 248 per 100, 000, characterized by an evident maldistribution at the intracountry regional level. Physicians worked 38 hours per week examining on average 21 patients per day, with an average time of 30 minutes spent per visit. They also reported spending 11% of their time waiting for patients. Respondents reported a very wide range of income, with 90% earning less than USD 2,000 per month. Moreover, the continuing education profile revealed a total of 43.7 hours per year, similar to that required for board certification in many developed countries. Conference attendance was the dominant continuing education activity (95% of respondents) and consumed most of the time allotted for continuing education, reported at 32 hours per year. Discussion and conclusion Various economic indicators point to an oversupply of physicians in Lebanon and a poor allocation of their time for capacity building. Therefore, it is crucial for decision-makers to closely monitor the increasing supply of providers and institute appropriate intervention strategies, taking into consideration appropriate provision of good-quality services and ensuring that continuing education activities are well established, organized and monitored.